Handgun "Restrictions" Increase The Odds For Those Intent On Crime & Terror!

The original article was written in 2001. This was long before most school shootings and mass preditor shootings.
I am now up-dating this article because the need to eliminate 'restrictions' on law abiding legally armed people
is even greater now because there are more restrictions than there were in 2001.
The orginial article was titled " "Sanctuaries For Terror". 


Since the early 1990's when states began to allow law abiding citizens to be legally armed, legislators placed "restrictions" within the laws where legally armed citizens may not carry their weapons. This was originally implemented on the side of "prudence" because the elected officials did not have a history if the legally armed citizen would be safe, trustworthy, lawful, or dangerous with their weapons. Most laws are implemented with prudence because of a lack of knowledge about how they will work. A new law is normally tweaked over a course of time to make it work better.

Now with over ten (13) years of history and data, this information reveals that citizens across America who obtained authorization to carry weapons, have done a good job, are still law abiding, and the streets have not run red with the blood of innocent people. It is now time to eliminate the restrictions placed on these citizens. Without eliminating all the restrictions where weapons especially handguns, may not be carried, the odds will continue to be on the side of those intent on causing terror, crime, and death. Without eliminating all the restrictions, no right to carry law in any state, can ever be called a true "self-defense" law. These law abiding citizens obtained their permit or license to be able to survive an attack by a predator. Without having a level playing field, where there are no restrictions on the law abiding citizen, the predators will begin to take more advantage of "no weapons" or "gun free" locations where their acts of crime and terror are easier to commit( a good example of this is the Virginia Tech Shooting ).

Tennessee and Texas have a very similar permit law. Training, full background investigations [federal, state, and local], and other similarities. However, these states did not enter into a reciprocity agreement for a number of years. It wasn't until a Texas permit holder was shot in Tennessee. At the time, he wasn't legal to carry his handgun in Tennessee because Texas and Tennessee had no reciprocity agreement. He was legal to carry for five (5) years in Texas, and he never had to draw his gun in self-defense.

When his daughter moved to Tennessee, he came to help her move into the state. Unable to carry his handgun because his permit was not valid in Tennessee, he left his gun at home in Texas. Within twenty-four (24) hours of arriving in Tennessee, he was shot in the parking lot of his motel. He survived this shooting. I wrote an article about the shooting. I also elaborated in the article that the outcome may have been different if the victim wasn't restricted from carrying his gun. I also pointed out in the same article, that a female friend of the victim's daughter was with the family. She is a police officer in Florida. She left her gun in Florida because she was also restricted from carrying her gun into Tennessee [at that time H.R. 218 had not been passed and, law enforcment officer were restricted from carry their handguns in all states. Three weeks after the article was published, Texas and Tennessee signed a reciprocity agreement. Did it take a shooting for Texas and Tennessee to sign a reciprocity agreement? Some will say yes, and some will say no. There is no question in my mind. Without the blood being shed by the victim, these two states would not have a reciprocity agreement at that time. \
Let us all submit the following letter to our state representatives. If we unite to pass the same provision in all the states that allow "Right To Carry", we will make every state carry law better. We all face another dangerous situation that most of us never thought about when we obtained our permit or license to carry. Now, after September 11, 2001, there is a new threat to us all. We must again look at history to see the direction. In Israel, there are no restrictions on the carrying of weapons by citizens. America could face the same type of terror incidents that Israel faced for years. In situations regarding "suicide" bombers, some have been stopped by legally armed Israeli Citizens. One was in a grocery store when a legally armed Israeli female "neutralized" a man running into the store with his arms under his vest. She "neutralized" him with two head shots. She had been trained not to shoot a "bomber" center mass. We could face the same type of incidents in America.

Violent criminals, terrorists, and those intent on committing violent acts, do not care about the law until they are caught [if they are caught]. Lets have a level playing field between the legally citizen and the predators. Laws were enacted to allow self-defense against the actions of these predators. Until there are no restrictions on a legally armed citizen, the only people who will obey the "no weapons" restricted zones will be the law abiding legally armed citizen. As a result, these restrictions only create "sanctuaries" for those intent on causing terror, harm, violence, and death!

Make a copy of the following letter, sign it, and mail it to your state officials. If we all work to pass a "No Restrictions" provision in our home state, we are helping each other. I ask that when you send the letter, you also e-mail a note to: gene@legallyarmed.com so that a data base can be established and posted regarding how many letters have been generated in each state. If it works, we all will have helped each other and the U.S.A..

Best regards,
Gene Kennedy

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Dear _______________,

Our state has a law that authorizes citizens to carry a weapon for self-defense. As my elected representative, I ask that you implement and support an amendment that removes all the restrictions where weapons may not be carried by citizens who have received this authorization. I ask this because the original intent of this law was self-defense. Now with all of the restrictions that have been imposed on tlegally armed citizens, the result is that the law now favors the predator. They don't care about the law. The only people who obey the restrictions imposed by the law are the very people that the law was intended to help. As a result of these restrictions, violent criminals, thugs, and terrorists, are the ones who benefit under the current law. I respectfully ask you as my elected official, for your assistance with this issue.

Laws are implemented to benefit the public. They are amended from time to time in order to make them better laws. Restrictions placed on legally armed citizens need to be removed. There is now historical data showing that legally armed citizens are not a danger to society. Whereas, those intent on committing crime and terrorist acts are a danger to society. Please help to increase the odds of survival for legally armed law abiding citizens, by introducing a proposal in the State Legislature that will remove all the restrictions now included in our state carry law.

Thank you for your assistance with this matter.

Very truly yours, 



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