In Praise Of CCW

From the local, and quite liberal, newspaper

"The Sun's editorial, "License to carry" (Feb. 21) concerns 1,400 Floridians who have concealed handgun carry permits despite allegedly pleading guilty or no contest to felony charges. It fails to mention the number of Floridians who have carry permits. It is 410,000.

The Associated Press article "Criminals get concealed gun permits" (Jan. 29) included that number. An inquisitive reader would calculate that 1,400 is only 0.3 percent of those who have permits. Thus Florida's handgun carry law is criticized for its 99.7 percent compliance: a record that would draw high praise in any other field of endeavor.

Curiously, neither the article nor the editorial mention the marked decrease in Florida's murder and violent crime rates concomitant with its increased number of carry permits.

Martin L. Fackler,
Gainesville

I shan't quibble with Mr. Facklers low accounting of CWP holders except to say the actual number is quite higher*. That 99.7% compliance ratio is something to be praised, not attacked, but it is after all, what liberals do to everything they frown upon.

Lie about it.

*Regardless of the current concealed weapon permit holders, Florida has issued over 1.5 MILLION licenses. 1400 of them being charged with a felony, means...yes, math majors...99.9% were NOT.

The only thing more certain than that is death.