Timothy Ritter

Resident of Malta

Editorial Board,

You noted with enthusiasm that conceal carry will not be allowed in public parks. As you said, why should anyone bring gun to a park? After all, it’s a place for kids to play, not a place for violence.

I wholeheartedly agree: It should be totally unnecessary to have to bring a gun to a park.

At the same time it should be obvious that no place should be a place of violence, but any place can be. It is decided by the one who chooses to be violent.

At the end of the day, we as free human beings should have the right to defend ourselves.

What the state has done is essentially say that there are certain areas where we do not have the right to do so.

Criminals know full well where guns will not be allowed. Given that only law-abiding citizens will obey these exemptions, wouldn’t it make sense for an assailant to strike at those places where they know guns will not be?

That’s why so many of these exemptions are nonsense: Designating certain areas as gun-free zones will not stop criminals, only leave the responsible public defenseless and at their mercy.

Conceal carry is meant to enable regular Joes and Janes to protect themselves and others should the need arise; state exemptions do the exact opposite.

We should empower ordinary people to protect themselves in any place they might be and stop pretending that criminals play by the rules.