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So many San Diegans carry guns
Also, before I close here, I am a qualified expert marksman, a title I was awarded during my military training and am also a seasoned combat veteran from the Vietnam era. My father was ex-82nd Airborne and started my gun training, as I did with my own children, at the age of four. No one in my family, other than my self, has ever had a negative incident as a result of our ownership or usage of guns. And I am proud to say that even with my negative experience that all charges were dropped and completely removed from my records as if they never occurred. And as my father before me, I am also proud to say that I am a lifetime card carrying member of the NRA as is my son, my daughter and, when we receive the membership status in the mail, my daughter-in-law, the one who use to have an irrational fear of guns. Oh, I almost forgot, I am a white guy so it’s apparent that none of the bad things that have happened to me had anything to do with my race. Please accept my apologies for the length of this post but I wanted to exercise my first amendment rights of free speech and have my say.— July 21, 2009 11:19 a.m.
So many San Diegans carry guns
When I asked the DA why they were calling me they said, “Because yours is the only valid telephone number we have in his records.” I responded, “Do you really know who I am?” After a short pause they said, “Oh, you were one of the people he attempted to assault? We’re sorry and we won’t bother you again.” What’s the problem here folks? They know how to find the law abiding citizens but are pretty lax in tracking the criminals they have wandering about on the streets. And that is the number one reason for having a legally armed citizenry. It’s not to go out and play cops and robbers with. It is specifically there to allow individual citizens to protect their loved ones and themselves from criminals who operate completely outside of the scope of law and would think nothing of killing you for their own ends. Don’t get me wrong, I have a healthy respect for the police and am glad they are around. But I also know that statistically there is usually only one cop on duty to protect over 1,000 people at any singular point of time. Logistically speaking, it is impossible to expect police protection 24 hours per day as it is a physical impossibility. That being the case, when it comes to life or death protection, you’re pretty much on your own and law enforcement then becomes a matter of writing the report after the fact. Unfortunately, our police in such matters, are really only those people who write the reports and investigate the facts after someone has already been shot. When it comes to the point where it’s you against your assailant, it’s a one on one transaction and the one with the superior firepower and knowledge on how to use it is going to be the one that prevails. Or is there anyone out there that is naïve enough to believe that you can say to your assailant, “Hold on a minute while the police arrive to protect me,” and feel your assailant is going to comply? By the time the police arrive on the scene to write their reports, the coroner is usually hauling your lifeless corpse to the morgue. Should everyone have a gun? Absolutely not! If you legally own a gun you should know how to legally and safely use it. If you don’t take the time to become proficient with the tool, don’t use it or even own it. It will only get you into trouble in the long run.— July 21, 2009 11:18 a.m.
So many San Diegans carry guns
I will agree that these laws as they are written at present do favor those who have the money and time necessary to work through the issues and thereby obtain a concealed weapons permit but I don’t see this as a qualifier to say that these laws deny anyone the lawful right to go through the processes necessary to obtain a permit. The reason is because there are no laws in effect that I am aware of that prevent any person from attaining money and time and then using that money and time in order to obtain a legal permit. As far as I can determine, there are no laws that I know of that don’t allow a person the opportunity to change their “class” and certainly there are no laws that promote any idea of one race of people to be more or less important than any other race of people. Granted, if people choose to remain in the class they find themselves in, that is their business. However there is nothing to say, other than their willingness to put forth the effort, that they cannot make such a change if they so desire. Furthermore, the topic of discussion in the article doesn’t address the issue of concealed weapons and permits but the right, under the law, to carry unconcealed and unloaded weapons, within the boundaries specified by law. Also, before I close here, I am a qualified expert marksman, a title I was awarded during my military training and am also a seasoned combat veteran from the Vietnam era. My father was ex-82nd Airborne and started my gun training, as I did with my own children, at the age of four. No one in my family, other than my self, has ever had a negative incident as a result of our ownership or usage of guns. And I am proud to say that even with my negative experience that all charges were dropped and completely removed from my records as if they never occurred. Still, as a function of my job, when asked by the appropriate authorities, I willingly divulge the facts of the incident on the off chance they might one day uncover the sealed records of the case. My reasons for doing so are simple. I’d much rather that they know what occurred out of my own mouth rather than to conceal the incident as if it didn’t occur and then have them find out about it. Honestly, had I been in a different state when the incident occurred and not in California where far to many people have a complete irrational fear of guns, the entire matter wouldn’t have been escalated into such a perceived problem and summarily dismissed, as it was under the auspices of a California Superior Court. What happened to the guy that accosted me in my own home? Nothing. I found out later that he had a rap sheet longer than my arm and had done time for home envision before. In point of fact, about two months ago I received a telephone call from the DA’s office and they were looking for him because he had jumped parole.— July 21, 2009 11:17 a.m.
So many San Diegans carry guns
Finally I had my day in Superior Court. The formalities of the case started and the judge proceeded to read the reports in my file. After a couple of minutes he closed my folder and called me, my attorney and the District Attorney to the bench and said, “I see no violation of the law here. This gentleman, actually he used my formal name, was standing within the confines of his own home, defending himself from eminent bodily harm by wielding his gun. Nowhere in State or Federal law does it stipulate that a person does not have the right to defend himself against bodily harm by using a gun, particularly if he is standing in his own home on his own private property.” He then issued a warning to the DA that if the DA ever brought such a case like this before his bench for adjudication and possible conviction, that he personally would file a motion to have the DA removed from the bar and forbidden to practice any type of law in the State of California. Before he was done, he turned to me and asked, “Are their any questions or comments that you would like to make?” I responded, “Yes your honor, since I have committed no crime I would like you to order the Police Department to return all of my weapons and ammunition.” He replied, “It is so ordered.” Later that day I stopped by PD to retrieve my weapons and ammunition but had to wait. You see my PD didn’t have a policy in place whereby they could return seized weapons to their rightful owners. It had never happened before in my community and they simply did not have a policy in place that allowed them to do so. So they called the Chief of Police and he came down to the department and wrote the policy while I was standing there. Then with a smile he handed the newly created policy to the weapons custodian and with three other officers present, loaded all of my guns and ammunition into the trunk of my automobile. They were all pretty happy that everything turned out as it did and, as a result of the ordeal, I now have several officers as personal friends to practice with at the gun range. With respect to racism and the reasons for California’s current messed up gun laws. While illegal activity by certain groups may have spurred California legislation to create these laws, I don’t see anywhere in those laws to make me believe they are racist in intent. To think such things, without proof, is wrong and nothing but idle speculation.— July 21, 2009 11:17 a.m.
So many San Diegans carry guns
With an expression of disbelief, he said, “You gonna shoot me with that?” I replied, “Only if you leave me no other alternative, now leave my property immediately.” He shrugged, turned around and left through the door saying, “I can’t believe that you would kill me over something like money.” After he left I heard him yell to someone outside, “Call the police, this guy pulled a gun on me.” I immediately called PD myself, told them what was going on and requested they immediately respond. Then I completely unloaded my .45, removed the slide and sat all of it in the center of the kitchen table. When the cops arrived, and I had determined they were in fact the cops, I opened the door and let them in. They asked where the gun was and I told them. They then asked if I had any other guns in the house and I told them where they were as well. Things got pretty smooth at that point and no one on the PD force was upset. I asked the senior officer who responded, “Where do we go from here?” He smiled and said, “Probably no where. You didn’t discharge the weapon and didn’t even have it outside the confines of your home. I don’t see that you have broken any laws.“ At that point the guy who tried to assault me arrested me on a “Citizens Arrest” for illegally brandishing a firearm. As I soon found out, that act took all matters of consideration out of the hands of the PD and they had no other alternative than to book me. I will mention at this time they were not particularly happy about this but there wasn’t much they could do about it as it was technically out of their hands and any further action would come under the direction of the District Attorney. I was cuffed, transported, fingerprinted and photographed. Then sans all of my weapons and ammunition which had been confiscated, I was booked and then released on my own recognizance and transported home. At my arraignment I was offered the deal of a lifetime. I could plea guilty, be sentenced to two years in the county jail, the maximum time they could hold me in that facility without sending me directly to a state prison, loose all my guns and loose my rights to own a gun for the rest of my life. Or, I could plea not guilty and then have to go through a trial, where the DA guaranteed me that I would be found guilty and be sent to prison for at least 10 years. Now that is a sobering decision for anyone to make. Finally I said, “Not guilty” and was asked, “Are you sure? Do you understand what your not guilty plea is going to do?” I replied, “Yes, but since I am not guilty of committing a crime, I am not going to say that I am.” Immediately my employer placed me on suspension as I could not legally perform my work having this type of charge hanging over my head. That alone damn near placed me into bankruptcy and my lifestyle took a dramatic change as a result but I survived.— July 21, 2009 11:15 a.m.
So many San Diegans carry guns
After a few moments she said, “Well, what’s the experiment?” I replied, “It’s already started.” She said, “I don’t understand.” I then explained, “What we are doing right now is waiting to see what the gun does.” She said, “Well it looks to me like it’s just sitting there.” I replied, “Good observation. Now, I wonder how long it’s gonna sit there before it does something.” She said, “Dad, that’s silly, it isn’t going to do anything.” I then said, “Congratulations, you got the point. It isn’t going to do anything until someone else or I picks it up and make’s it do something.” Fear of a gun is irrational. Fear of people who illegally use guns is not. What did I get out of that conversation and experiment with my Daughter-in-law? Well for one I now have a shooting partner at the shooting range and I have to admit that she’s become a pretty good shot. The next thing is that together, with my son of course, we are teaching my grandchildren about guns and how to handle them safely. And while there are guns located in various portions of the house, the children all understand what they are, what they are used for and, most importantly, the fact that they are not toys to be played with or waved around. While we do have family outings that frequent the gun range, playing cops and robbers or cowboys and Indians, is discouraged as we do not want to minimize what guns are capable of doing. We also don’t watch movies and television that promote the illegal usage of guns or the video games that titillate many of our society with visions of carnage by the usage of guns. So for my family at least, it’s common knowledge that guns are simply nothing more than a tool. Like a claw hammer suddenly brought down on the back of someone’s skull, the inappropriate use of any tool can have lethal results. About ten years ago a gun saved my life. Yes, the gun saved my life. You see I was awaken one night about 11:30PM by a guy all hopped up on drugs banging away at my front door. Not knowing his actual condition I had, as it turned out wisely, slipped my .45 into my jean pocket and investigated. Upon unlocking the door to see what was going on, the guy forced his way into my home and demanded I give him money. At that time we were now standing within the confines of my home and he did not have any idea I had a concealed and loaded weapon on my person. I explained that I didn’t have any money and he proceeded to say, “Then I’m gonna beat the crap out of you and take what I can find.” He then proceeded to come towards me and me, being much older and not in all that good physical shape, I decided that he could very easily kill me with his bare hands. Not seeing any weapon in his possession I immediately produced the .45, pointed it at him and said, “Please do not come any closer and leave my property immediately.”— July 21, 2009 11:14 a.m.
So many San Diegans carry guns
First of all, this isn’t a new thing that has not been done before, especially in the state of California. I know this from personal experience having done the same thing myself. I had legally purchased my Colt .45 Officers Model weapon and wanted to have some gun smith work done to the throat of the receiver, the trigger and the installation of better sights on the slide. Being this was a new weapon for me and I had not yet picked up a pouch to carry it in, which would have made it a concealed weapon and thus illegal to carry on the street, with full knowledge of the open carry laws of this State and the local community, I simply ensured the weapon was unloaded, holstered it and girdled on the holster. I then went to the gun smith’s establishment to have the work done. As I walked up to the door of the gun smith’s establishment I encountered a uniformed police officer coming out of the door. He glanced at my weapon, asked if it was loaded, to which I replied, “No, it isn’t,” and he replied, “Looks like a nice gun, mind if I look at it?” I replied “no”, upholstered the weapon, locked open the slide and handed it to him without further comment. He took the weapon, examined it, and then asked, “Mind if I dry fire it?” I replied, “Yes, I do mind because it’s not good for the spring and firing pin.” He said, “Oh, didn’t think about that,” and handed the weapon back to me while saying, “Nice gun, thanks for showing it to me” and went on his way. The gun smith inside, seeing the entire incident, said, “Wow, I thought you were going to get in trouble.” I replied, “Why, I’m not breaking any law, the officer knew that and so did I.” Why should we be afraid of guns or the people who carry them legally? I particularly liked gravedigger’s posting on the definition of the word Hoplophobia as it definitely applies to these types of conversations. Not long ago my daughter-in-law made the comment that guns were dangerous. In fact she got upset about the issue. When she became a little more rational, using her brain instead of her irrational emotions, I said, “Let’s do a little experiment shall we?” Being skeptical she asked, “It’s gonna be safe isn’t it?” I assured her it would be perfectly safe and that no one could possibly be hurt. She agreed so the experiment started. What I did was to completely load the gun and even rack one into the chamber. I admit the pupils of her eyes dilated a bit when I racked one into the chamber but to her credit she didn’t run out of the room screaming in mortal fear of her life either. I then sat the now fully loaded and cocked weapon in the middle of the dinner table.— July 21, 2009 11:13 a.m.