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Originally Posted by Roadmedic It has been shown that many of the guns used in the shootings have been purchased legally. Whether one considers a gun free zone or whatever is not relevant. The use of the weapon is the crime regardless of such zones.
There is no proof that a person who takes psychotic drugs will quote "fly off the handle". A lot of the shooters have not been the users of such drugs. This is just plain profiling. Although many have had issues.
There is proof that police officers who have been extremely well trained in the use of firearms, lose control in violent situations. I do not think any of the so called trained users would even have close to their level of training. |
You assume police officers are "extremely well trained". Many citizens are far better with a gun than law enforcement. Basic law enforcement taken at a community college doesn't go into firearms training like you "may think". Some police academy's do. A lot of my closest friends and family are in law enforcement, local police, state troopers, state rangers and deputies. Some take martial arts courses and others do no extra training.
Most states only require police to shoot the minimum 50 rounds at a close range paper target standing still once a year to qualify for the job. (THATS A JOKE!) Some do get advanced training with firearms on their own time. The man who taught my wife's recent NC CCW class trains SWAT tactics for the justice dept. He stated in her CCW class 50% of a nearby counties sheriff's office deputies were well trained with firearms and capable, the other 50% were not good gun people at all. Many CCW permit holders are at the range once a month or weekly shooting hundreds of rounds per year. Some at moving targets while moving themselves even.
In NC one must take a course approved by the justice dept and pass before even being able to qualify to "apply for" the CCW permit. The class goes over every angle of what is legal and not legal including when it is OK to shoot and not to shoot. Then after the classroom study is complete they must prove themselves capable at a firing range.
Once one applies for the CCW they do an extensive criminal background check. Then there are 3 mental health background forms to fill out and you mail each one to mental health facilities local and state level with a payment for the reports. These reports are given to the sheriff in the county where you applied for the permit. If you have no mental health treatment record and your criminal record is clean, only then does the sheriff choose to issue you the permit. This is a lengthy process. You don't simply buy the permit. There are police officers that if they quit their law enforcement jobs they wouldn't qualify for the NC CCW permit. Example: If you ever have had a restraining order against you, then you can't get the NC CCW permit. It wouldn't necessarily prevent you from becoming a police officer.
Check the record on this for yourself. Since NC first started issuing CCW permits in 1995, "NOT ONE" NC CCW permit holder has ever committed a gun crime. Last year 26 other states honored the NC permit. This year 30 are honoring it. Violent crime is lower than before the CCW permit was issued.
IL on the other hand has no CCW permit. If they had a program modeled after the NC or a similar states CCW permit. The man who did the shooting at the University would not have been able to buy the Glock pistol, and "possibly not" the shotgun though I am unsure on it! He spent more than a year in the Mary Hill House receiving psychiatric treatment after being placed there by his parents because he used to cut himself up with a blade.
Last thing, most police who work in CCW states will tell you, during a traffic stop their stress level goes way down once they learn the driver has a CCW permit. They know immediately that person does not have a criminal record. Given the permit holder statistics, it is understandable why their stress would go down.