Guns Save Lives

By John Stossel / Real Clear Politics

It's all too predictable. A day after a gunman killed six people and wounded 18 others at Northern Illinois University, The New York Times criticized the U.S. Interior Department for preparing to rethink its ban on guns in national parks.

The editorial board wants "the 51 senators who like the thought of guns in the parks -- and everywhere else, it seems -- to realize that the innocence of Americans is better protected by carefully controlling guns than it is by arming everyone to the teeth."

[full story]

Roofer Defends Life In Road Rage Attack

Hygens Labidou was operating his roofing truck when two men began yelling about his driving. According to police, the men, who were white, got out of their vehicle and yelled racial slurs while approaching Labidou, who is black. The men pounded on the truck and tried to yank Labidou out through the door. One of them was armed with a knife. "[expletive], get out of the trick!" they screamed. But Labidou is a concealed-carry permit holder. In fear of his life, he drew a handgun and shot both men twice. One suspect died and the other went to jail. Labidou was not injured. Miami Herald - Miami, FL

National Organizations With Anti-Gun Policies

As compiled by the NRA-ILA...

The following organizations have lent monetary, grassroots or some other type of direct support to anti-gun organizations. In many instances, these organizations lent their name in support of specific campaigns to pass anti-gun legislation such as the March 1995 HCI "Campaign to Protect Sane Gun Laws." Many of these organizations were listed as "Campaign Partners," for having pledged to fight any efforts to repeal the Brady Act and the Clinton "assault weapons" ban. All have officially endorsed anti-gun positions.

[full list]

Might More Firearms Have Helped in Kirkwood?

By Bob McCarty, Saint Louis, Missouri

After watching a local television station's interview of City Attorney John Hessel, I couldn't help but think how he and other victims of Thursday night's shooting tragedy in Kirkwood, Mo., might have fared better with the help of concealed firearms.

Taking place both outside and inside the St. Louis suburb's city council building, the senseless shootings by gunman Charles Lee "Cookie" Thornton left six people — including the shooter, three city officials and two city police officers — dead and two wounded.

Among the 30 or so gathered in the Kirkwood City Hall meeting room that night, only one trained and qualified person — Officer Tom Ballman — carried a firearm. Had only one other trained person carried a firearm into the meeting that night, the number of dead and wounded might have been greatly reduced. Surprisingly, Kirkwood city laws don't entirely prevent it!

While Sec. 17-132 (a) of the Kirkwood municipal ordinances prevents ordinary citizens — including even those who've completed concealed-carry training and received permits to carry concealed firearms — from carrying concealed weapons into meetings of the Kirkwood City Council, it makes an exception for council members as follows:

...nothing in this subdivision shall preclude a member of the Kirkwood City Council, holding a valid concealed carry endorsement, from carrying a concealed firearm at a meeting of the City Council provided that it is not otherwise prohibited herein. Possession of a firearm in a vehicle on the premises shall not be a criminal offense so long as the firearm is not removed from the vehicle or brandished while the vehicle is on the premises.

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Note: The piece above is not intended to serve as a criticism of any of the innocent victims, including Kirkwood city officials, who've suffered so much as a result of the shootings Thursday; rather, it's intended to serve as an observation about the need to put firearms in the hands of trained, responsible and law-abiding citizens in keeping with the spirit of the Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.
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This article appears courtesy of Bob McCarty Writes at BobMcCarty.com.
Bob McCarty is available for news media and blogger interviews. To schedule an interview or request information, please leave a comment at www.bobmccarty.com/availability.

Armed Citizen Shoots Man Wielding Gasoline Bomb

After someone shot through Steven Troy Stewart's living room window, the frightened Stewart began keeping a shotgun nearby. A month later, the precaution proved a lifesaver. Stewart heard glass breaking. He leapt from bed, grabbed his shotgun and walked toward the front of the house. There stood a man with a gun and a gasoline bomb. Stewart shot several times, wounding the intruder. The intruder fled with accomplices and later died. Three suspects were arrested In connection with the crime and suspicion of gang activity. In a jailhouse interview, one suspect told a local TV station they planned to kill Stewart, but he didn't know why.

Man Returns To Find Back Door Kicked In

Jason Moore returned home to find a strange car outside. A concealed-carry license holder, he grabbed a .45-caliber handgun from his truck and inspected the home, finding the back door kicked in. Once inside, he spied a man in the bedroom. He approached cautiously and spotted another suspect. The second man was holding Moore's own shotgun. "I fired one round and he went down," Moore said. "I Immediately dialed 9-1-1 and told them not to move ... I told them that a lot." The injured suspect complied, but the other claimed to be a gang member who would have Moore killed. When police arrived, they informed Moore that the injured suspect was wanted by U.S. Marshals on drug charges and his accomplice was a suspect in a homicide. "It's just scary to know that there were two people that bad in my house and in my bedroom," said Moore. Yakima Herald-Republic - Yakima, WA

Concealed Carry Holders Scuttle Armed Strangers

Juan Amezage and Stephen Soto were enjoying the fall weather outside Soto's apartment. The mood was shattered when two strangers walked by two or three times as If casing the neighborhood. Then the strangers approached. 'What time is it?' one asked. Soto looked down at his watch. but as he raised his head the stranger said, 'Hey, run them,' and drew a gun. But Amezaga and Soto are concealed-carry permit holden. Soto pulled a 9 mm pistol just as the stranger shot. The bullet grazed Soto's shin, breaking the skin. Police say Soto fired two or three times, and the robbers fled. One robber stopped and again began shooting. Soto and Amezaga both returned fire and the robber fled. "It could have been real bad last night If it wasn't for the quick thinking and our concealed-weapons permits" Soto said. "We might not even be here." Orlando Sentinel - Orlando, FL

Purse Snatcher Flees Into Arms of Police

Sandra Hulsey didn't expect her life to change in a hardware store parking lot "... The guy just came up and pushed me real hard with a force, like It was a car that hit me. And hewn just yanking my purse ..." The suspected purse snatcher probably did not notice Hulsey's husband, Norman, loading wood into their pickup truck. Norman grabbed his shotgun from the truck and fired a single shot causing the suspect to nn. "The sound of the shotgun and that dude burning off -- it was funny," sad a witness. The suspect flagged down a police officer. "The suspect runs up to the police car saying, 'Let me in. They are shooting at me'" said the responding deputy. Nobody was injured. ABC-KTRK - Houston, TX