Pro-gun letters in Washington Post
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http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A18817-2004Nov28.html

Responsible Use of Firearms

Monday, November 29, 2004; Page A18

The Nov. 20 editorial page carried three letters ridiculing the
lawful carry of firearms for defensive purposes. Yet in the same
day’s Metro section was coverage of incidents of violent crime that
potentially could have been averted by the responsible use of a
firearm in a defensive capacity.

When I choose to lawfully carry a concealed firearm, it is to defend
my family from serious harm. Firearms ownership is a personal
decision bearing tremendous responsibility, and publishing unilateral
ridicule does little to stimulate productive debate.

Note the word “responsible.” Firearms owners who allow children
unsupervised access to their guns or who leave them about while
showering, playing volleyball or spending time at the beach deserve
severe punishment.

Firearms education is strongly recommended for gun owners, and many
local groups offer such education to gun owners and opponents alike.

T.J. MEYER

Oakton

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David Mendelsohn ["Put the Guns Down," letters, Nov. 20] seems not to
know that the FBI uniform statistics report upon which he based his
observations has a critical shortcoming: Nowhere does it track
incidents in which a firearm used or brandished in self-defense has
deterred a crime. Also, Mr. Mendelsohn did not acknowledge that the
44 states that have right-to-carry laws have lower overall
gun-related crime rates than states without the laws. Virginia, for
example, has a lower gun crime rate than Maryland and the District
combined.

Although the public display of firearm possession lacks taste, if a
criminal entered a bar or restaurant with the intention of robbing it
and saw a person with a gun, I believe the criminal would go
elsewhere to perpetrate a crime. Concealed-carry laws have a similar
effect because a criminal can’t know who is armed.

Virginia’s right-to-carry law is one of three main reasons crime in
the commonwealth is lower than in many other states. The other two
reasons are a vigorously enforced Project Exile program and a lack of
parole.

PAT HAMP

Oak Hill