A Christian Liberal is NOT an oxymoron.

Posted by XT on April 9th, 2008 in US News

The Florida legislature, proving that they have absolutely no sense whatsoever, approved legislation that will allow people to take their gun to work. It isn’t as bad as it sounds at first – guns have to be kept in a locked car. Because, you know, those things don’t ever get broken into and/or stolen.

Dozens of workplace shootings occur every year in the United States and studies have shown that job sites where guns are permitted are more likely to suffer workplace homicides than those where guns are prohibited.

Yes, friends and neighbors, the one thing that every gunshot murder had in common was that someone had access to a gun. Imagine that. Funny how that happens.

I’m not an anti-gun person. I believe every person should be able to own a gun, no matter how needless it is. But that doesn’t mean they should be carting it around everywhere. Contrary to what the NRA would have you believe, a plentiful presence of guns does not make everyone safer:

In August of 2000, the Violence Policy Center released License to Kill III, a report that details the number of concealed weapons licensees in Texas who have been arrested for crimes after getting a concealed weapons permit. Using data from the Texas Department of Public Safety, the Violence Policy Center found that Texas concealed handgun license holders were arrested for a total of 3,370 crimes between January 1, 1996 and April 30, 2000, including very serious violent offenses like murder, rape, sexual assault, and weapons-related crimes. An analysis of the Texas data also reveals that, between 1996 to 1999, Texas CCW permit holders were arrested for weapon-related offenses at a rate that was 66% higher than that of the general population of Texas.

Back to the original article:

Backers say the measure upholds the vision of the authors of the U.S. Constitution, who made the right to bear arms part of the Bill of Rights.

“The second thing they wrote about in that constitution was the right to bear arms,” said Sen. Durell Peaden, a Republican from Crestview, Florida. “It was what was dear in their hearts.”

That’s stupid. The Framers never envisioned a car at all. I sincerely doubt that Ben Franklin, for instance, wanted all of his workers armed and dangerous in the printing office.

Are there times when having an armed person at work will stop a tragedy? Yes. For instance, when some armed lunatic launches an attack. But that armed person has to be willing and able to take the lives of people he or she works with every day. Not everyone can do that (thankfully). But giving more people weapons doesn’t translate to less blood being shed. In fact, it increases the likelihood that stray rounds will be bouncing around from more directions. It increases the likelihood that someone will try to be a hero and get hostages killed. It increases the likelihood that a police officer will kill someone who is simply trying to defend him- or her-self.

There are two ways to interpret the Second Amendment, neither of which justify this measure. One is to say that guns were to be held by members of the militia. The other is to say that guns are meant to keep the government scared of the populace. Take your pick. This law is still wrong and stupid.

Technorati Tags: Florida, gun, U.S. Constitution, Bill of Rights

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