Firearms in Restaurants

[2/14/2005]

Judiciary Senate Standing Committee:

[My wife and I] would like to inform you of our support for SB 1363, and to ask you for the same. Allowing the carry of firearms by law-abiding citizens into restaurants makes it safer for everyone. Law-abiding citizens who are carrying a firearm will no longer have to handle their firearm to unload it and remove it from their person before entering the establishment. They will no longer have to handle it to reload it and place it back on their person after leaving the establishment. They will be able to remain in control of the firearm instead of leaving it unattended in their vehicles where it can be stolen and therefore put into the hands of a criminal. Also, establishments that serve alcohol are far from immune to violent crime, and law-abiding citizens should have a right to self-defense while dining.

We also support the restriction of the sale of alcohol to persons carrying a firearm, just as we support legal blood alcohol limits on drivers.

We would like to ask your support of SB 1363.

[Signature and address]

More Links

[2/9/2005]

http://www.assaultweaponwatch.com/
http://www.roughwheelers.com/montego/gun_cam.html


http://www.anticcw.com/
http://www.gunfreezones.com


http://www.2asisters.org/
http://www.keepandbeararms.com
http://www.babeswithbullets.net/
http://www.pinkpistols.com

http://www.gunbroker.com

http://www.thoseshirts.com

http://www.practicaltactical.net/
http://www.sportsmansguide.com
http://www.cheaperthandirt.com
http://www.bulletproofme.com/

Want to Carry a Gun?

[1/25/2005]

A large majority of states allow civilians to carry firearms. Chances are you live in one of these states, and can get a permit to carry concealed.

Why would you want to carry concealed? Unless you live in Arizona, walk into the toy section of Walmart with a gun on your hip and you will quickly learn why you would want to conceal. It permits you to carry places you may not want to otherwise. Basically, it's polite. In some states, it's the ONLY way you can legally carry, and in others the police look down on open carry, even if it is legal.

Getting a permit may be easier than you think. Check with a local gun store, and they will let you know the laws in your state. You also may want to check www.packing.org, and select your state from the pull-down menu.

A permit from one state is usually valid in a number of other states. If you are interested in carrying a firearm, I suggest you look into www.getaccw.com to get a Utah permit, even if you don't live in Utah. It is valid in 25 states, 28 if you are a Utah resident. And it's easy- you watch an online video, pay $200 ($150 in January and February of 2005) for the video course and $60 for the permit application, send in your application and get a permit in the mail. $260 sound like a lot? How much did your gun cost? Why pay for a gun and not carry it?

Carrying a firearm can give you a feeling of safety like nothing else in the world can. And unlike other "feelings of safety," you truly will be safer. Learn the laws, follow the laws, and be safe.

(Note: I am not a lawyer and laws change frequently, so details I have pointed out COULD be wrong. Check your local laws.)

My Beretta

[1/19/2005]


This is my Beretta 92FS. I have a 10 round clip in the photo but I am usually carrying a 15 round clip. The bullets are Winchester SilverTip hollowpoints, the ammo I keep loaded in the house. While I am out of the house I carry Federal Hydra-Shok hollowpoints.

An Armed Society

[1/18/2005]

"An armed society is a polite society"

What does this phrase mean? I never have liked it, to me it implies that people will be polite out of fear because they will be afraid someone will blow them away if they offend them. I know many people who carry firearms, I myself carry daily. I don't know a single person who carries who would not be offended at this idea - the idea of carrying as an intimidation over others is frankly a detestable idea. I believe however that the phrase still may be true, in a different way.

The other day while driving home from work after dark, I left the interstate and drove around the off ramp around the corner. I began to slow for the red light and then noticed a car making a right turn at the light, partially obstructed by bushes- no tail lights or blinker. If the light had been green I may not have seen the car fast enough to stop since it was dark. The light turned green and the people in the car seemed agitated as it just sat there- I realized the car had broken down.

We were basically out in the middle of nowhere. Traffic was light, but there was enough chance that the car could be rear ended that I wanted to help. I hit my hazard lights and threw on my coat over my Beretta 9mm on my hip and walked up to the car in front of me. Two women were in the car, and guess what? Their car had broken down. With no parking lots to push the car to, we called the police and I stayed with my flashers on until the police arrived. I assisted the police in blocking what little traffic was there so he could drive up behind the broken down car and then he told me I could go and thanked me for the help. I went home.

In the middle of nowhere, a couple things crossed my mind. Is this a trap? Things like this happen, two people act like they need help and they end up robbing you and taking your car- sometimes the victim will be killed. More likely, the car is broken down and with nowhere to push the car these people may need help- I didn't know if they even had a phone. However, given the high rate of the former situation in my area, I would not have helped had I not been armed. About a year ago I helped a few people in a car that had run out of gas. Ends up they had just stolen the car. Luckily I was able to turn them in after helping them (I wasn't about to start a situation), and they were caught before the one who had left to get gas returned. Something about a broken steering column and a screwdriver for a key screamed "stolen" to me.

I thought about it over the next few days, and I began to recall several situations where I was more willing to offer help to people simply because I have the ability to defend myself. I have found that the "polite society" can refer to those who are armed instead of the intimidated unarmed gunphobic person. One big reason that our society is so unwilling to help another is because no one can trust someone they don't know. I feel far more willing to help if I have the ability to defend myself if I ever need to.

Firearms Law Links

[1/14/2005]

Here are a few links to sites that I have found that relate to gun laws, information and statistics:

www.packing.org
www.opencarry.org
www.gunlaws.com
http://www.ncpa.org/iss/cri/i_selfdefense.html
www.johnrlott.com
www.gunfacts.info

ANTI-GUN crowd: I urge you to at least take a look at the last link and look through the free pdf file, and to use a lefty phrase "stay open-minded." It's only logical to base your ideals off of valid data, and you can't get that if you don't look at both sides of an issue, right? That's what you guys always say to me anyway.

That said, I follow my own advice. I also visit the following site. While I ultimately disagree with it (and believe the statistics are heavily skewed), I at least look at it once in a while. It does sometimes have good info about gun laws anyway:

www.stategunlaws.org

Why Gun Control?

[1/12/2005]

Should America have more strict gun laws, full registration, or even ban guns completely for civilians? Or should all gun control laws be repealed?

Even if we ignore the fact that violent crime always drops when gun laws are repealed and always spikes when gun laws are enacted, even if we ignore the fact that there is a constitutional amendment that secures (as opposed to "grants") our right to "own and carry guns" (modern convention for "keep and bear arms") , even if we ignore that the most deadly cities have all but banned guns (some have banned them), and even if we ignore that only people who care about the law actually follow it, there is a VERY good reason to repeal all gun control laws.

Ask any police officer how many crimes they have prevented. They will most likely tell you one or two at most. Police are called when a crime is happening or has already happened. Until a crime has been committed, the police can't do a thing (and rightfully so). After all, police can't throw someone in jail because they MIGHT do something. But many in government would have you trust your security to them, simply because they want your dependence on government.

Here is a good article on the subject:
http://www.michnews.com/artman/publish/article_6386.shtml