Concealed Guns Make All Citizens Safer

Re “Gay Firearms Group Takes Aim at Stereotypes,” July 14: I applaud state Sen. Sheila Kuehl’s (D-Santa Monica) support for the rights of the gay community to [participate in the Pink Pistols firearms group]. It takes courage to publicly support this effective, if politically incorrect, means of self-defense.

I would like to address Kuehl’s statement that “carrying a gun does not make you safe.” When law-abiding citizens of any sexual orientation are allowed to carry concealed weapons, it not only makes them safer but those around them as well. These facts were conclusively established by a 1996 comprehensive study of concealed-carry laws. The liberal issuance of concealed-carry permits not only deters hate crimes such as those to which the gay community has so often been subjected, it virtually eliminates mass public shootings such as we have recently seen in schools. The reason these sorts of crimes are so prevalent in California is our failure to recognize citizens’ rights as protected under the 2nd Amendment. Policies that deny law-abiding citizens the right to carry guns virtually guarantee criminals a continuous source unarmed victims within California.

Keith Leavitt

Fullerton

The gay and lesbian gun group Pink Pistols will do more to deter gay bashing than all the hate-crime legislation ever enacted. Kuehl should not contine to push the thoroughly immoral belief that people are safer when they are helpless.

Kip Allen

Palm Springs