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I'm a 61 year old teacher and I have a CHL issued in Washington County. My reason for securing the permit was so that I can legally defend my life and property. We live in a potentially dangerous society and we can seldom count on the police to be there at the moment we need them. Secondly, illegal guns are far too easy for criminals to come by, so i want at least a fighting chance. Home invasions out here in Washington County, random "bouncings" in Downtown Portland, and the dangers on the MAX, gangs, etc. etc. Nuff Said.

As to the issue of public access to that info. I would pose this concern:

IF my permit is made public, I have no real concern EXCEPT that any potential theif will then KNOW that there are guns in my home. THAT information makes me and my family potential targets, thereby endangering, not only me, my family and my property, but risking providing criminals with access to guns, AND running the very real risk of a deadly confrontation in my home. If that occurs because some newspaper demands to know if I have a CHP, then the newspaper can live with the knowledge and the potential liability of the moral, if not legal responsibility for any crimes or deaths that are facilitated by their publication of that information.

I think a free press is every bit as important in America as my second amendment rights, but if we CHP holders can be responsible enough citizens to assist in our own protection by securing a LEGAL right to carry, then journalists need to be at least as responsible when considering the potential consequences of what THEY do. Information can be just as deadly in the wrong hands as any concealed weapon.

And finally, the case in Roseburg has nothing to DO with concealment. The legal issue there is simply that is against the law to bring ANY weapon - permitted or not - into a public school. I'm not sure why she thought she NEEDED one, but if its because of the kids she either needs to find a new line of work, or Roseburg needs more school police.

FYI, I'm a lifelong democrat and I voted for Barak. I belong to the NRA, the Sierra Club and the ACLU and I beleive that the gun-ban folks are the Liberal's equivalent of the Right's bible pounders - a noisy, unconstitutional irrelevance.

posted 3 years, 5 months ago
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