GUN-CONTROL WATCH : Bullet Proof

A concealed-weapon permit gives a handgun owner the freedom to carry a hidden firearm anywhere in the state. That’s a big responsibility. One that should be drastically limited.

But now a pro-gun lobbying group has filed suit against local law enforcement authorities, claiming that anyone who can “show cause” should be granted the right to carry a weapon.

That claim is as preposterous as it is irresponsible.

Opponents of Los Angeles’ policy on concealed-weapon permits have long argued that authorities have conspired to prevent ordinary citizens from obtaining licenses while unfairly favoring people of status--celebrities or political insiders. But the Los Angeles Police Department has issued only one permit in nearly 20 years--to LAPD Chief Willie L. Williams. Surely few would argue that the city’s top law enforcement officer should be denied a weapon to carry with him.

Presently, fewer than 300 Los Angeles County residents are believed to possess gun permits. Law-abiding citizens already have the right to protect their lives and property by keeping a gun at home. But extending that right to the street threatens everyone.

The lawsuit plaintiffs contend that they must carry guns because their lives have been threatened or because they regularly carry valuables. By that logic, anyone who drives an expensive car or takes a few bucks out of the bank would have “just cause” to carry a concealed gun. Are we to believe that more people carrying more hidden guns would somehow make the streets safer?