Gun toting more rife in rural areas

[WhitleyStu]

Good article in the Sunday Fort Wayne paper with stats on Indiana gun permit holders.
Gun toting more rife in rural areas | The Journal Gazette | Fort Wayne, IN

 

[Bill of Rights]

I would not call this a good article at all. Excerpts below, with my comments.
Gun toting more rife in rural areas

Fear of feds, meth among factors cited

Jeff Wiehe and Ron Shawgo | The Journal Gazette
FORT WAYNE – …
In Indiana, a person can have a handgun at his home without a permit, but a permit is needed to carry the gun outside the home. False! Can carry anywhere on your own property without it.
…
Before July 1, the identities and addresses of those who had handgun permits were a matter of public record. But the General Assembly voted to close the records this year. In a final look before they were swept from public view, The Journal Gazette analyzed the 323,950 permits valid as of June 23, 2010, and calculated the concentration in urban and rural counties. Dramatize much?
…
Brian Malte, of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, said he knew of no reason for the rural-urban difference. But, he said, it reflects what is happening in states where local law enforcement has discretion to limit concealed-carry handgun permits, especially in densely populated cities. So we quote Brady, but no one on the pro-gun-rights side? (Local LE is supposed to be neutral on the issue.) Bias much? Phrasing clearly favors their view, too.
“They don’t want more concealed guns in their city, and they don’t issue them,” he said.
…
Previously, those seeking a handgun permit had to renew one every four years. Some state legislators said they wanted law-abiding citizens to be able to forgo the hassles of registering and introduced the lifetime permit option.
Now, nearly three of four are lifetime permits. If you think like an anti-, this is scary… "What?! They have them forever?!!" Also, "some" state legislators? Sounds to me like the majority of them, else it would not have passed.
…
“I think some people take on the aspect that they need to protect themselves until law enforcement gets here,” he said.
And that’s why the farmers, Carol and Mark Roemke have handgun permits. Although he wouldn’t carry a handgun into town, Mark Roemke said, “if someone shoots me, I’ll shoot back.”
Carol Roemke isn’t so sure. Although the handgun is for protection, “I don’t know if I’d have the guts to use it,” she said. He wouldn't carry into town-what? No one would shoot (at) you there? And she sounds like a prime candidate for the "gun being taken away and used against her" thing (which happens if you don't have the will to use it.)
[FONT=&quot]jeffwiehe@jg.net[/FONT]

This article is fraught with anti-gun bias. The writer makes it clear that his preference is in line with the Bradys'. He does quote several sheriffs and other police officials, but the general tone of it is "scare the sheeple".

The same writer also penned this article: Sheriff in DeKalb discovers state ignores his gun advice | The Journal Gazette | Fort Wayne, IN

See excerpts:

Sheriff in DeKalb discovers state ignores his gun advice

Jeff Wiehe | The Journal Gazette
FORT WAYNE – It doesn’t happen often, but DeKalb County Sheriff John Dennis will sometimes recommend to the Indiana State Police that someone not receive a handgun permit.
Local law enforcement officials have the right to do that, but ultimately the state police make the decision as to whether someone receives a permit. And Dennis said most of his recommendations to refuse a handgun permit go unheeded.
“I’ve found that disapproval (of a permit) doesn’t mean a whole lot,” Dennis said.
…
If state police suspend a person’s handgun permit, that person can challenge the suspension.
For instance, people arrested and charged for murder but not convicted could have their permit revoked.
…
Allen County Sheriff Ken Fries said he’s recommended that someone not get a permit only once since he was elected in 2006. His reason was the person’s criminal past, he said.
The only time Dennis recommends against issuing a permit is if he catches someone lying on the permit application. One of the questions asks whether the applicant has ever been arrested.
If that applicant checks “no” and Dennis finds an arrest, even for a misdemeanor, he automatically recommends against a permit.
[FONT=&quot]“Some people say, ‘I forgot,’ ” Dennis said. “I say you’re lying to me.”[/FONT]

While this article seems to focus more on the ways to prevent someone from having a LTCH, to me, it seems as does the OP's posted article to be a "scare the sheeple" type. Suggestions are made that LTCH applicants might be liars or unconvicted murderers, and both the title and the text suggest that ISP is in some ivory tower, ignoring the poor, honest police officer who pleads with them not to issue to this or that person :dramaqueen: The article closes on the hyper-suspicious comment of the DeKalb sheriff, who "only recommends rejection if the applicant lies", but whose recommendations are nonetheless rejected. Why do they even ask that, if they're going to search anyway?

Not that this surprises me; I don't expect pro-gun-rights anything from Paul Helmke's former feifdom and certainly not from their liberal rag of a paper.

Blessings,
Bill

 

[clt46910]

Rather if anyone thinks it is good or bad, it still brings LTCH out in the light and let more people know that they are a available and that people do have them.

 

[leftsock]

Gun toting more rife in rural areas

This just in! Scientists now confirm that bears **** in the woods!

 

[TheDude]

This just in! Scientists now confirm that bears **** in the woods!

 

[Scutter01]

You can tell it's going to be an anti-gun article when they use the words "gun toting". I'm also wallet-toting, car-keys-toting, and pocket-knife-toting, but that just doesn't have the same alarmist ring to it, does it?

 

[doublegunbum]

The last time I saw that Fort Wayne rag write an article on Right to Carry they were mad they couldn't get your name and address if you were CC.

I'll swithch brands of TP if I find out the recycle the Gazette!!!!!