Tennessean Editorial 1/15/04

[johnharris]

Triggering debate with you on guns by Dwight Lewis

[Dwight Lewis is a columnist, regional editor and member of the editorial board for The Tennessean. E-mail: dlewis@tennessean.com ]


As I've written a couple of times in the past, newspaper columnists never know what response, if any, they will get from what they write.

As I think about it though, that's not totally true in all cases. While I can't speak for other columnists, whenever I write about the danger handguns present or about the Confederate flag, a number of people hold nothing back in letting their feelings be known.

Maybe it's a Southern thing, but such was the case last week when I joined Josh Sugarman, executive director of the Violence Policy Center in Washington, in calling for the ban of handguns in America.

Just a few days earlier, a pregnant Nashville woman was shot to death. The suspects are two young men.

''What would you have honest, hard-working people do?'' asked Tracy Rodgers of Smyrna. ''Stand by to be robbed, car-jacked or killed? Have their homes invaded? Do you not believe in the right to protect one's self? Maybe we should all leave our doors unlocked at night and turn off our alarms so that criminals can have the run of the place without fear.

''Do you really, honestly believe that banning handguns in America will stop crime? Do you think criminals will give up their guns? If so, you are sadly mistaken. People who want to commit crimes will continue to do so, by whatever means necessary.''

In an e-mail, John Irby, voiced similar thoughts.

''What makes you think that if you ban guns, lawbreakers won't have or use them?'' he asked. ''Lawbreakers, by definition, break laws. If guns are banned, the only people without guns will be the good citizens that abide by our laws.''

Then there was Kent Finnel who said, ''Your recent column calling for the banning of handguns is typical of The Tennessean's semi-annual attack upon the Second Amendment and the rights of law-abiding citizens.

''You blame the instrument, not the criminal who commits the crime,'' he said. '' … I've known people who have saved their lives because they had access to a handgun. One was a newsman.

''Another two were two women who were threatened by a carjacker. In neither case was a shot fired. Four thugs went to find easier prey, and one failed carjacker was rescued from one very angry young woman armed with a .357 by the Metro police.

''Professor Gary Kleck of Florida State University has conducted peer reviewed studies that estimate that there are between 2 million and 2.5 million defensive uses of firearms in the country each year. Yet, you would deny the best defense for the small, the weak and the elderly because of your own fears and prejudices.''

Richard Jorgesen was a little more blunt in his thoughts about the issue.

''Are you really this stupid? Is anyone?'' he asked. ''What about old people that use guns to stop knife-wielding intruders? Look at how much crime has risen in London since guns were outlawed.

''Anyone that wished to outlaw guns is a fool or worse. Maybe it is just the black community and their often use of violence for the slightest affront that need to have guns taken away. And knives and bats, etc.''

I'm glad not all people feel that way.

''I enjoyed your column today about handguns and I agree with you completely,'' Eric V. Youngquist of Nashville wrote in an e-mail. ''I only wish that more people would take those thoughts to heart and support effective legislation.

''A gun in the hands of a person who is disturbed, angry, upset, troubled, ignored, desperate, etc. — for whatever reason — can too easily become a means of killing on impulse or by accident.

''And after the killing, there is no way back: Lives have been destroyed and otherwise altered, leaving only grief and suffering.''

And Justin Root wrote in an e-mail that ''I could not agree with you more.''

''You have probably seen the film Bowling for Columbine, but it was a real eye opener for me,'' Root added. ''Before, I knew I didn't want to ever own a gun, but I didn't realize the impact of guns as a whole until I had seen the film.

''After reading about that poor woman shot to death because those guys thought they ran her over — it's clear to me, too, handguns (all guns if you ask me) should be banned, collected or melted down.''

I won't go that far because I do remember going rabbit hunting with my Uncle Sam as a youngster growing up in Strawberry Plains, Tenn.

But handguns? What are they really good for?

[johnharris]

1) Self Defense
2) Defense of Family
3) Defense of third persons
4) Hunting
5) Recreational shooting
6) Competitive shooting
7) Investing
8) Trading
9) Collecting
10) scaring liberals

[marauder]

11 ensuring freedom
12 defense from moronic comunist liberals!

[marauder]

i tried to email the facts to this idiot but the email address you included kicked back to me.

[johnharris]

[marauder]

[Tim Nunan]

So, the TRA wants individual restaurants to make the decision on whether or not to allow smoking but don't want to give them same right in regards to legally armed citizens. -Tim
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Ronnie Hart of the Tennessee Restaurant Association said restaurant owners do not want the state telling them what to do.

''We certainly don't need varied (smoking) ordinances from city to city,'' Hart said.

''We are in the hospitality business. We want to take care of you whether you smoke or not. It is a tough juggle, but let us make the juggle.''

http://www.tennessean.com/local/archive ... D=45965650