Gun purchases up 200 percent in The Big Easy
April 3rd, 2007 by Syd
Sixty-four-year-old Vivian Westerman couldn’t seem more peaceful. She’s a New Orleans artist, sculptor and a vegetarian, but don’t cross her.
The former gun control advocate is now the proud owner of a 38-Smith and Wesson. She said she has changed her tune since Katrina, committing herself to be prepared to ward off future looters or criminals.
“Nobody’s going to walk over me,” she said. “You have to protect your property. Anybody comes into my property and they get shot! This is my new protect-yourself-from-hurricane-and-thug-life.”
Law enforcement officials and gun store owners say the fear of crime after the storm has led a huge number of locals to arm themselves. They say the number of concealed gun permits in the area has at least doubled…
…Mike Roniger of Gretna Gun Works says among the most popular guns are small revolvers that are light and easy to carry, but that come with a laser to make aiming really easy. Source
The Brady Campaign, employing its typically vicious rhetoric, has called concealed carry permits “a license to kill,” and if they had their way, there would be no concealed carry permits and no lawfully armed people outside the narrow confines of the law enforcement community. What they are really talking about is denying people like Ms. Westerman a fighting chance against the thugs and goblins of the world who mercilessly exploit any weakness in the fabric of society.
I am sure that Ms. Westerman and the hundreds of thousands of others who have qualified for concealed carry permits do not consider them as a ”license to kill.” If this kind of rhetoric were to be leveled against other groups who were simply seeking to exercise their civil rights, it would quickly be branded “hate speech” because it is. It is abusive, unfair and inaccurate. Its purpose is to marginalize and diminish its target. It speaks chapters and verses about the ethics and morals of organizations like the Brady Campaign and the Violence Policy Center that they resort to such abusive and deceptive tactics.
It’s a bad thing when the gun controllers continue to promulgate the myth that the police will protect us. (Silly me, I must have missed the police officer doing guard duty on my front porch.) It’s a good thing when people like Ms. Westerman recognize the realities of the world and begin to provide for their own self-defense.
I live in Florida and got my permit ASAP. I had lived in NJ for 55 years. It’s true I lived in a safe area, far from Newark or Camden, and never encountered any shootings in my area. But they did happen in the county and could happen anytime. I now carry a ParaOrdance Trac Four (13+1) and go to the range weekly for 3 hours. I can hit a dime at 20 feet with ANY gun I own (I have 6) or borrow at the range. I know I am a better shot than 99% of any cop out there. (No offense, there are cops in my family, but they aren’t given the time and money to shoot as often as I do.) Cops CANNOT protect me 24/7 so I insist on the right to do it myself. I usually take a second gun for deeper concealment along with the big .45. I would never want to use any gun, but if I’m threatened, I will, and if my training pays off, someone will have several in him in 2 seconds. I refuse to allow myself or my 80 year old father, whom I live with, to be taken advantage of because a few Northern anti-gun idiots don’t understand life. We concealed carry people are a huge army waiting to help the cops if needed during emergencies like Katrina. We also watch when cops stop people on the road to see if they need help. We are ready to aid cops who are ambushed or overwhelmed. We are highly trained, competent, and calm people. We are not cowboys waiting to “waste” someone. I hope I never have to fire my guns except at the range. But knowing I have the ability to use my excellent skills brings me peace of mind. And it makes the world safer (I live in Florida) all around. Criminals must think twice who they want to attack because they don’t know if they will end up shot to death. Until the state can guarantee my safety 100%, I demand the right to carry (I already have it from the constitution) and I will carry at all times.
I am always happy to hear that gun sales are up. That means there is more support for the rest of us.
Other encouraging news is that the NRA’s image is improving to the public and anti-gun activity and sentiment are on a downward spiral.
The reasons for this may include the general discrediting of major news agencies, such as CBS, and the increase in FOX News viewership.
Whatever the reasons, I am happier than I have been in many years and hope the trend continues.
I live in St. Tammany Parish about 50 miles from New Oreleans. I am a registered nurse. During and after Hurricane Katrina several hospitals and medical facilities were over run by thugs and dope addict’s. My husband had to evacuate to another state and I was stranded at my job for several days. I have a concealed carry permit and was given a Lady Smith for my birthday . My husband insisted I carry my weapon but my employer forbids weapons on their property. I still carried carried it . When I finally got the chance to go home to check on my property I was confronted by two of New Orleans finest thugs near the hospital. I had to pull my weapon and the thugs dispersed. I always wonder what would have happened if I did not have it with me.