The Richmond Times Dispatch recently reported that the number of gun-related crimes at bars and restaurants throughout VA decreased somewhat over the first 12 months of a new VA law allowing individuals with permits to carry concealed guns into places of business that serve alcohol.
At the request of the Richmond Times-Dispatch, VA State Police compiled statistics on gun-related violence over the first year of the new gun law.
There were 145 gun related “incidents” in fiscal 2010-2011, compared to 153 the prior fiscal year, culminating in a 5.2% decrease.
Proponents on both sides of the issue have been quick to question any definitive conclusions drawn from the data or to point out the success of the new law.
However one reads the data, it’s clear that the issue isn’t going away anytime soon.
For my own part, I’ve always felt that America’s two-faced attitude towards guns is somewhat misplaced. For example, why not teach kids how to use firearms responsibly to begin with? Don’t Americans have a constitutional right to bear them? Perhaps a greater sense of the magnitude of damage that can be done by firearms will prevent even more gun related crimes.
Of course, not everyone in VA or America wants their children, or anyone else for that matter, dealing with firearms. Their opinions should be respected too.
In VA, the experiment with our new gun law may help to finally settle the issue of concealed weapons in public places serving alcohol once and for all.
Wherever you stand on the issue, everyone no doubt agrees that a drop in gun related incidents is a good thing.
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