Posted by Phil Lee (216.250.238.73) on January 11, 2001 at 07:53:
I can think of three basic methods to control violent criminals. Each method has its own set of pro's and cons:
(a) A powerful, omnipresent, government police force has obvious benefits to society, but it also presents risks. Some risks we see in the shooting by police of Armando Diallo in New York City or the killing of 23 Branch Davidian children in Waco.
(b) A draconian criminal justice system, following the approach of hanging them first -- ask questions afterward, may reduce crime but it will also produce miscarriages of justice.
(c) Widespread civilian gun ownership and concealed handgun licence (CHL) does carry some risks to society. But it also produces enormous benefits:
Armed civilians deter up to 2.5 million crimes per year -- without even having to fire a shot in most cases. Professional police forces do a good job of apprehending criminals after the crime has occurred and they do a good job of maintaining order in public places. But it is fundamentally impossible for uniformed police to deter premeditated crime, because the criminals can choose to strike when no police officer is present. It might be possible to create a society in which there was a police officer on every street corner 24 hours per day (item a above) -- but would you want to live in a society like that and can our society afford to pay their salaries?
Countries like England and Australia which have instituted strict gun bans have seen the rate of other crimes like robbery and rape rise because the criminals no longer have any reason to fear their victims.
Texas and most other states have concealed handgun licensing laws which permit mature, responsible, law-abiding adults to carry concealed weapons while they go about their normal daily activities, and most CHL states have seen significant reductions in violent crime. Statistically, the overall rate of crime or other anti-social behaviour among CHL licensees is not significantly different from the corresponding rates among police officers.
It is time to try such an approach in Maryland. So, I ask that you support concealed handgun reform to require Maryland to issue a CHL to any adult good character. This reform will save lives.