Should private cab companies, regulated by the city, have authority to arm their drivers? Is there evidence that guns, or knowing that drivers have guns, would deter criminals? Should passengers with valid permits be allowed to carry in a cab, too? [More]Yo, Gazette Opinion Staff: By what authority does anyone presume to dictate when and where rights they have no claim on can be exercised? And what are people supposed to do after exiting the cab?
[Via Michael G]
3 comments:
After leaving the cab is your problem. Your job is to do what big brother and sis tell you to do and keep your mouth shut! This is the new AMERIKA! If you don't like it men with machine guns will be by to pick you up and re-educate you. Get with the program, there is an imaginary war on terror going on.
Link to this article and read the chain of comments by Ann Smith. I find them fairly typical of those with an academic view on CCW when their source material is suspect, or their view is biased by personal experiences. The anecdotal evidence of the "wild west" being a free for all gun fight is romanticized Hollywood horse pucky. A review of the per-capita murder rates of the 19th century western territories would indicate that one was far more likely to die from disease, accident, or infection than from firearms. Even today something less than 1/10th of 1% of the US firearms population will be involved in ANY category of crime let alone criminal homicide in a given calendar year. Add to that the statistically demonstrable collateral safety benefit to NON-carriers and we are afraid of armed law-abiding citizens WHY? All indicators are that there is an INVERSE relationship between gun proliferation and crime: more guns = less crime. Read Lott, Kleck and others. I think Ann Smith's fears are personal and irrational in that they are not supported by fact. She should instead thank those who jump through the CCW hoops to carry. She is SAFER because others do so.
State preemption law does not allow a city\county regulatory power over a private company. State AG opinion is that they do have authority over their property.
If his opinion is valid (most say it isn't) the city cannot prevent a driver or citizen from being armed in the cab.
We've been pounding the city council and their response is that they need more time to "study and debate" the issue.
When another cab driver is dead, maybe they will decide. But since they don't have metal detectors at the cab door, how are they going to stop them?
They didn't stop the thug who stabbed the cabbie, Cathy Stickley, last month.
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