Originally Posted by Deadscott

I live in one of the only two states that do not allow concealed carry for private citizens, Wisconsin and Illinois. All 48 other states allow some form of concealed carry.

In my city, Milwaukee Wisconsin, on July 4th 2008, 8 people were shot, 6 of them died. The gunfire from THIS SHOOTING woke me up. It happened at the end of my block. This brought our murder rate up to 41 people so far this year. I haven't added this weekends murders yet.

Wether you agree with it or not, our Founding Fathers included in the Bill of Rights my right to keep and bear arms. You may argue that it was meant for militas. I point you to two of our Founding Fathers statements that address this concern.

“Americans have the right and advantage of being armed- unlike the citizens of other countries whose governments are afraid to trust the people with arms.”
-James Madison

"The great object is that every man be armed. Everyone who is able may have a gun."
-Patrick Henry

These men clearly belived so stongly that I should have the right to keep and bear arms that they affirmed it along with 9 other rights that cannot be abolished or modified by creating the Bill of Rights.

On January 26th of this year Lodewikus Milford was fatally shot after he and three female co-workers were stopped by assailants in Milwaukee's Third Ward during a robbery. SOURCE The assailants shot him in the head after the victims had given them their money. I live in the Third Ward.

For most of you who argue this issue, it's a matter of political debate. For me it's an issue of life or death. The only people who have weapons in their pockets on my streets are criminals. My State laws bar lawfull citizens from defending ourselfs outside our homes. I love my city. It is my home. But with our per capita murder rate one of the highest in the nation SOURCE, taking away my right to bear arms in public denies me my right to life and the pursuit of happiness.

Originally Posted by Deadscott

I live in one of the only two states that do not allow concealed carry for private citizens, Wisconsin and Illinois. All 48 other states allow some form of concealed carry.

Originally Posted by goober

I was reminded of a George Carlin line today "Think of how stupid the average person is, and by definition half the people in the country are stupider than him."
There is no problem with sober responsible people carrying firearms, or at least not much of a problem.
But when you open it up, then you have drunk people, depressed people, psychotic people walking around with the tools to destroy the people around them.

Originally Posted by Si modo

Ah, I didn't think of the "need" factor. Good point.

Originally Posted by Wallaroo

Question - did the nutcase who killed 38 people with a full-automatic in Porth Arthur Australia buy the firearm/firearms legally?