MORE Guns, Less Crime

By Bill Bunting

The knee-jerk reaction of some people to stop crime with guns
is to ban guns. However, the reality is that gun bans simply stop
law-abiding people from owning them.

A criminal out to do a robbery with a gun isn't going to be deterred
by a no-gun sign on the door. Gun bans leave the law-abiding
citizen vulnerable. Criminals know this.

While law-enforcement officers put their lives on the line every day
to keep us safe, it's impossible to protect all 18 million Floridians
at all times.

Fortunately, Floridians have a right to own and keep a gun in their homes
and to have a concealed-weapons license. With a license, Florida
residents can carry concealed guns in 35 other states. As of Feb. 28,
Florida has issued 793,309 carry licences, 85,129 of which are issued
to out-of-state residents who visit Florida.

This is the main reason crime is down in Florida.

The FBI released crime-report data for the first half of 2010 that
indicates a 6.2 percent drop in violent crime across the nation.
This is in line with the study done by John R. Lott Jr., who teaches
criminal deterrence and law and economics at the University of Chicago.
Lott points out in his book, "More Guns, Less Crime," that from 1977
to 1994, crime was down significantly where people were legally
allowed to have a gun.

Purchasing a firearm is your right. Gun safety is the most important
issue when you own a gun. There are a number of gun ranges that
teach concealed-carry courses, which include gun safety.

People should understand how a gun operates and make sure the
range is reputable. This will lead us to less crimes and an even safer Florida.