It doesn't take a genius to know you can't tote your .40-caliber Glock through the metal detector at Salt Lake City International Airport. It does take a book of statutes to decipher the no-guns-allowed sign at the airport door, though.Then look at this picture:
It implies that you can't pack inside the terminal, but it lists a state law that says you can.
(PHOTO CREDIT: Trent Nelson/The Salt Lake Tribune)
Actually, I think if you read the "PROHIBITED AREA FOR ALL WEAPONS" part and ignore the statute citations, you probably get the idea that you can't bring a gun into the airport. Unless, of course, you are a newspaper writer for the Salt Lake Tribune. Or a gun rights activist.
Do you really need to bring your concealed weapon into the baggage claim and check-in area when state law requires that the chamber be empty and in plain sight? Is it really that dangerous? I mean we have air marshals, airport, and city police officers, all who have loaded guns-- and far superior training than an average gun enthusiast has. The only person who will have a weapons will be those guys, or other people coming off the street besides our Second Amendment rights friends.
I will freely admit that I am just a city boy, and I a terrible shot (I did go on a turkey shoot down in Beaver once when I was like 13), but just don't get the need to carry a gun with you everywhere...unless you are afraid for your life because of a crazy ex-loved one/rival gang/war zone.
Would it really be so terrible for a concealed weapons permit holder to leave his gun in his car when he goes to the airport? Or to (his kid's) school? Or to church? Or to court? Or to an oil refinery?
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"Do you really need to bring your concealed weapon into the baggage claim and check-in area when state law requires that the chamber be empty and in plain sight? Is it really that dangerous? I mean we have air marshals, airport, and city police officers, all who have loaded guns-- and far superior training than an average gun enthusiast has."
Firstly, cops (and other law enforcement) have no duty to protect you, nor are they liable if they fail to do so. The Supreme Court of the United States has ruled on this numerous times. So what does this mean? It means the only person responsible for your safety is YOU.
Second, your statement about police having "far superior training" than we serfs is total crap. I shoot with a lot of cops, and many of them barely know which end of the gun the noise comes from. That's not to say that there aren't any police who are martially skilled -- there are, just not many.
CFP holders exhibit FIVE TIMES the accuracy of that displayed by the police in shootings. http://www.gunfacts.info/ CFP holders also have an arrest rate that is one third that of the police.
As for "feeling like you need to carry a gun with you everywhere," 88% of violent crimes occur away from home. http://www.guncite.com/gun_control_gcdguse.html
What good is a defensive tool at home when you're out and about? Did the thugs and gansters agree to leave their guns at home, too?
"Would it really be so terrible for a [CFP] holder to leave his gun in his car when he goes to the airport?" Yes, actually, it would. The absolute safest place for a gun is on your person. Most gun thefts occur when the guns are stolen out of the owners' car. That wonderful idea of yours just provided a scumbag with a gun. Congratulations.
Would you rather that the gun be in the immediate control of the thug that stole it, or the CFP holder, who has passed an EXTENSIVE FBI background check, and gets background checked by the Utah BCI DAILY?
I'm trying not to sound confrontational, but you're really barking up the wrong tree. CFP holders are the absolute cream of the crop, and have PROVEN IT. You ought to be worried about the people who stole their guns and don't bother with a permit -- they just carry them, usually stuck in the back of their pants.
One last thing to leave you with: Utah has issued nearly 200,000 resident permits. The population of Utah is roughly 2.5 million people. That means that for every 12 Utahns, 1 of them is probably carrying.
Now, think about all of the things you do every day. You probably see hundreds of people daily. And I'm willing to bet that day after day, you see NOTHING happen. No shootings over parking spots, no gunfights over the last copy of Titanic at Blockbuster. That is proof that we're not the public menace that the SL Trib claims we are.
Wes
Utah BCI-Certified Firearm Instructor.
taprack@gmail.com
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