October 7, 2004
Jacksonville (FL) Times-Union

More than 130,000 Floridians over age 50 are carrying guns and many say for protection, peace of mind.

By Tia Mitchell

It was the fear of becoming a target that made Vicki Keefer decide to buy a handgun 12 years ago.

Now, at 64, she seldom leaves her Southside Jacksonville home without a 9mm semiautomatic tucked inside her purse.

"If somebody tries to get into my car, come into my home or harm me in some way, at least I can even up the playing field," Keefer said. "They have just picked the wrong granny, that's all."

She is among the more than 130,000 Florida residents over age 50 who have a concealed weapons license and is part of an age group that has steadily accounted for about 38 percent of the state's issued permits.

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October 09, 2004
Columbus Dispatch

Congress finally proved that it listens to its constituents by letting the assault-weapons ban die a peaceful death. The law was so poorly written and hastily enacted, it only sought to delay, frustrate and intimidate honest people wanting to exercise their constitutional rights.

There are adequate firearms laws in force (just not enforced) to protect us from the illegal and improper use of guns. The legislators have created fair and reasonable restrictions, but judges must apply these laws and hold violators accountable.

This ban’s only purpose was to tighten the noose around the Second Amendment under the auspices of crime control and terrorism but was ineffective to both. The analogy "guns cause crime like flies cause garbage" is useful here.

People breaking the laws cause crime, not the weapons. Since the passage of the concealed-carry law, have there been any Wild West shootouts? No.

How ironic that The Dispatch champions the First Amendment, which says that we can write, worship and speak freely in our land, but is critical of the Second Amendment, which provides for the right to keep and bear arms to protect all of these freedoms. The United States is the leader of the Free World, and its freedoms are desired all over the world, based on a simple working document that needs no revising.

The Founding Fathers were wise enough to provide for the original Department of Homeland Security in the Bill of Rights: the Second Amendment. Let us all be responsible for defending our way of life, private property and personal values from enemies both foreign and domestic.

Francis D. Wilamosky
Columbus

September 29, 2004
Toledo Blade

Again, The Blade and other media outlets spread the "assault rifle" deception. First, the rifles in question are not really assault rifles. They are not equipped with a selector switch that allows them to fire full-automatic. If anyone believes this is a small detail, it's not. It's a huge difference.

Most folks, with the exception of service veterans, have never seen or heard machine gun (full auto) fire except on television, which is mostly fake. The difference in rate of fire from single pulls of a trigger or full auto is somewhere roughly around 500-700 rounds per minute on the side of the automatic. The semi-autos pale in comparison on rates of fire.

Sporting autoloaders are basically the same rifle except for cosmetics. The service rifles look menacing, but the function is the same.

If they (assault rifles) were actually used so much in criminal activity as claimed by The Blade and Chief Michael Navarre, I haven't noticed the articles or seen anything in the news.

The hysterical predictions of mayhem and bloodshed will not materialize, just as the concealed-carry permits have not caused any problems.

There will always be isolated instances of violence. There are always going to be criminals with no regard for the law or fellow human beings. The sun has just set on an ineffective and poorly conceived law with no effect on criminal activity.

And just when you're thinking hey, these rifles aren't any good for hunting, here's a news flash: The Second Amendment ain't about hunting.

Kent Snyder
Westbrook Drive

While the sunset of the Clinton Gun Ban was significant victory, it may be short-lived. The gun ban lobby is already vowing to revive the ban, and needs only the willing help of a new President to bring it back in far worse way than what Americans endured for the past ten years.

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