California has long been a gun control breeding ground. It has some of the strictest gun control laws in the country, and though has a process for obtaining a license to carry a concealed handgun, it is a "may issue" permitting process meaning California sheriffs can issue licenses but only if they want to. Most don't.
That may be changing for on sheriff as budget cuts have forced him to realize that some people really are on their own and need to be able to protect themselves.
"I think in the interest of doing right by the public and the constituency, we had to make some acknowledgment of the fact that it's a different environment out there," said Sacramento County Sheriff John McGinness. "As things have changed, our ability to respond effectively and ensure their safety has been compromised. Therefore, I think it's only appropriate that we look at these applications with a different thought process in mind."
It is a well acknowledged fact that the police cannot be everywhere and protect everyone. Now, with resources becoming even more scarce, the situation is getting worse. The thin blue line is getting thinner, and the public cannot just be left to fend for themselves without the tools to do so.
As expected, gun control advocates don't see the problem as being worthy of allowing self-defense.
"By weakening the standards for carrying concealed weapons, it's not a way to deal with the budget cuts to public safety," said Rebecca Gonzales, who defends the gun control measure known as Brady's Law.
Except that she's lying. Sheriff McGinness noted that all standards were going to continue to be the same, only that he is considering allowing those standards to apply to the process instead of automatically denying every concealed carry application.
Gun control advocates can predict doom and gloom all they want, it won't change the fact that armed citizens are not only a deterrent to crime, but they are far better equipped to repel a criminal attack than if they are rendered helpless. Common sense tells us that a man with a gun is far less likely to be successfully victimized than one without.
Hopefully, Sheriff McGinness will follow through with his current line of thinking and start issuing permits. But, we can expect the gun grabbers to fight it every step of the way because if concealed carry does start becoming more prevalent, people will realize their anti-gun arguments are false and residents of other counties will start demanding the same rights.
Comments
This is a good, honest and most positive direction for this sheriff's county. It will open the eyes of many and curtail a lot of crime. The streets are not safe and never have been. We are an armed country, I am an armed citizen and we are proud of it.
When seconds matter, the police will be there in minutes.
Hat's off to Sheriff McGinness if he follows through on this long enough for the statistics to prove his wisdom to the surrounding communities.
Honest law enforcement officers will tell you that trained and lawfully armed citizens have a huge force multiplier effect for crime deterrence. Well done Sheriff McGinness.
Hmmn. While I applaud this Sheriff finally inching slightly toward a more reasonable position, let us not forget that what he is proposing is still an egregious infringment of citizen's unalienable rights. If he were really to be true to his oath, he'd put out a press release along the following:
Upon review of the US Constitution and recent Supreme Court cases, my agency realizes we have no authority to forbid lawful concealed carry. We encourage every responsible adult to decide for themselves whether they wish to seek proper training to arm themselves against the gravest extreme, to defend themselves and their family. We intend to cooperate with firearms ranges, stores, clubs, and trainers to make such lawful defense as easy and safe as possible.
I agree 100% with Sheriff McGinness. But I also say, with this day of age of the worsed crimes ever, all states should be aloud to do so. I live in central, IL., and we don't have that law as yet. But look at Chicago, the thugs have all got them, the crime rate is really bad, and it's the GOOD PEOPLE whom pay for this. BUT I DO want - like every good American, GOOD BACKGROUND CHECKS way before allowing anyone to have a gun. That's a BIG MUST! It's getting BAD all over the USA! "We've got to protect ourselfs and our familys. The Police can't be everywhere!"
It would be nice to see more Sheriff's open their eyes and realize that the people should be allowed to protect them selves. With proper training those who want to and are legally allowed to should be able to carry concealed to protect themselves and their families.
I am a retired deputy who has arrived at many scenes of a crime minutes after the crime had been committed, only to find the victim injured and the suspect no where to be found.
That's great and all, except that in a year or so, if the sheriff follows through with his plan, other counties and municipalities will be more or less overrun with criminal types that have fled Sac'to County for more fruitful environs (i.e., LA, Riverside and San Bernardino Counties).
On top of that, as has already been stated, you can BET life and limb that the moronic minions of the Brady Bunch will doubtless push for the good sheriff's recall.
Guns dont kill! uneducated people DO! I think everyone should be
educated how to use and respect all guns at an early age,PERIOD!
If, parents tought their kids to know,and respect guns, there would not be as many accidents!(FACT)I am a menber of NRA,never
served military,but I would die defending our freedom, and anythreat to our homeland! Wake Up America!!!
The big elephant in the room, people who campaign against rkba always seem to have names like Gonzales, Rodriguez, DuShawn, LaWayne, DuLon, etc., etc. and so on. Now ordinarily it would be imoplolitic to point this out as some people would claim noticing that little fact would be racist. However, since the word socialist is now considered the equivalent of "n*i*g*g*e*r" and it seems so is every other word used to describe people of socialist bent with whom one disagrees, despite the lack of racist connotations legitimately applicable to the words used, like "liar", "liberal activist", "denier", "agent provocateur", etc. I can see no reason to keep ignoring the elephant in the room. The elephant in the room is the minority member of society who believes, and has reason to, that he may do or say anything he wishes no matter how much harm it may cause because anyone who speaks against such action will be labeled a racist and be shut up out of intimidation and fear.
Actions speak louder than words. Until he actually starts to allow people to decide for themselves to exercise their rights his statement is just an empty threat to get more money for his department. Those wringing their hands about how terrible the violence will be if people are "allowed" to defend themselves seem to believe they don't have to outrun the criminal, just to outrun their wife.
What amazes me is that in this day and age, one man controls the Rights of others. If a sheriff denies a citizen their Right to carry a firearm and that person is killed or injured because of that decision, the sheriff should be held accountable. Of course this is California and we all know they think they are in a World known only to them. I can hardly wait until the "Big One" and California is separated from the United States and floats away into the Pacific Ocean.
its a right we dont need permission.....long live the republic
one of the most fustrating things of being a cop is knowing a victim is being harmed and not being able to get there on time. If you are an aggressive (proactive) police officer you are a profiler. If you are reactive your too late to be any good. As usual you can't please anyone but are blamed by those who dont choose to help themselves. I'm a big believer in 2nd Amendment rights.
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