More "Enlightenment" From Academia

If ever you read a campus editorial on gun-related matters, you can pretty much expect it to lean left, be long on wild speculation, and short on any real, careful thought.

I came across this in a Wisconsin-Madison editorial on concealed carry a year or so ago. A lot of "what if's," speculation, and very scant on any actual research done on the matter. It doesn't really encourage me about the sort of reporting we'll be seeing entering into the media in a few years.

Sadly, even my alma mater isn't immune to it, although those who really know about the issues are ready on hand to answer what is obviously more propaganda than fact.

Then there's this Danielle Rather, lamenting out of the depth of her ignorance over allowing guns in Indiana's state parks.

Readers will be sorely disappointed at Miss Maire Gurevitz's lack of substantiation for her opinion. There's a lot on the order of "I don't understand," "I feel," "I really think," "In my opinion," and "I believe," but gives us no reason why she thinks that way, or why we ought to give her thoughts any consideration.

Well, with the exception of this line, which tells all: "I am pretty much done with trying to understand the logic and conscience of the gun lobby making it legal to carry guns in more public places and for granting lifetime licenses on handguns."

She doesn't want to know. Why the hell should she bore us with her apathy, then?

I would expect this from a high schooler, not a Junior in Journalism at a University. But it seems her enthusiasm for quality reporting is as sincere as the photo that graces her editorial.

But addressing her opinions directly, concealed carry is a very good idea when confronted by a thug. The business end of a .45 is a lot more effective on the spot against a would-be assailant than a lecture on social ideals. Most of the time, according to studies done by those who have researched the successful use of guns to thwart crime, you don't have to pull the trigger to convince a thug to think the matter over.

Concerning carrying in parks, we're not just talking about grassy lots with swingsets. We're talking about undeveloped land with wild animals on it. I don't know what sort of beasts are found in Indiana, but here in Alaska, you don't want to wander around in the bush with anything less than a .44 magnum on hand.