Curmudgeon's Corner

Concealed Carry Coming?

Posted by Al Campbell on Feb. 1, 2010

Political, Quality of Life, Wisconsin

The Sunday Milwaukee Journal Sentinel editorial page carried a surprise.  The editorial board indicated that it could/would support concealed carry laws IF…

IF tough gun laws were to be enforced as part and parcel of the concealed carry legislation, the JS editorial board said it could/would support the measure.

The thinking, right thinking at that, is that gun laws have to be strictly enforced.  When someone is arrested carrying a gun, he or she has to be convicted of a felony.  Period.  The easy plea deals to get something accomplished by throwing out the illegal gun possession charge would be no more.  The person would be prosecuted and no plea deals would wipe away the illegal possession charge. 

This is, finally, a huge step in the right direction.  Wisconsin is in a very slim group that does not yet have concealed carry laws in place.  My recollection is that Wisconsin and Illinois are the final two states yet to move in this direction. 

The idea that those of us who are upright citizens, who have proved we can properly handle firearms and can be trusted with those weapons are not permitted to be able to defend our persons is offensive.  The citizens of the other states have proved that concealed carry is safe, and that there is a beneficial impact on overall crime rates.

Those who would use a gun to commit a crime have no need to worry today because they know none of us potential victims has a gun with which we might defend ourselves or other potential victims.  They would think twice in that new environment

We live in a perverse world where only the 'bad guys' are able to carry a concealed gun; and where many, if not most, of them get away with a slap on the wrist for having done so as the result of plea bargaining.

It is time for that to change in Wisconsin.  That would be a real legacy for Governor Doyle if he could but find the courage and common sense to step up to that legislative effort.

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The Curmudgeon Blog today is titled "Infrastructure Attacks".