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Pasco Letters to the Editor

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: September 17, 2007

Protection For Homes

The 'Ha-Ha-Hayhoe' crowd is back I see, spewing propaganda about not allowing law-abiding citizens to have guns. They want to make sure that if they have their way, we won't have a gun when we need one, and they have the gall to spew that women and children aren't smart enough to intelligently keep and bear arms.

But I have news for them. No one will get my guns, period. Over two-dozen studies have shown that guns make homes safer and, in fact, do deter crime - if a thief knows a homeowner is armed. If the Hayhoe crowd is not, guess which home will be invaded or robbed? Not mine.

Kudos to Bill Bunting and anyone else who teaches 'gun control' for the NRA or anybody else. We should remember that gun control is making sure you know how to hit a target.

JOHN LALLEMAND

Dade City

Deterring Crime

Regarding 'A Higher Place,' letters, Sept. 10:

Arthur Hayhoe's premise that guns in the home are a greater threat to its residents than criminal intruders is false and unproven. In fact, just the opposite is true. He mentions at least a dozen studies, yet cites not one. The reason? There are no such credible studies.

On the other hand, John Lott's published examination, 'More Guns, Less Crime,' clearly concludes that armed law-abiding citizens do inhibit criminal behavior, just as has happened in Florida.

Criminals avoid potentially armed confrontations and often seek victims unable to properly defend themselves - women and men alike. It is the detrimental effect that counts most, as the actual number of shootings in self-defense is relatively low.

Washington, D.C., has banned all handgun purchases since 1976. The murder rate there in 2005 was seven times' Florida's rate in the same year. So much for the fallacy that gun control of any kind saves lives or reduces crime.

According to Safe Kids USA, motor vehicle occupant injury is the leading cause of unintentional injury-related fatalities for children ages 5 to 14, followed by pedestrian injury, drowning, fire and burns, and bicycle injuries. Firearms are not in the top five causes.

The National Rifle Association has been the nation's leader in firearm safety education, including offering the Eddie Eagle program to all youngsters, as well as youth and adult shooting courses by NRA-certified instructors. These programs have undoubtedly led to an 80 percent decrease in firearm-related, unintentional fatalities involving children 5 to 14 from 1987 to 2002.

There are sensible firearm storage laws in Florida regarding children in the home that prevent unauthorized access to firearms kept in the home. The NRA emphasizes safe and secure home storage of all firearms.

Hayhoe doesn't seem to like the idea of women and guns. Nor do criminals. Bill Bunting, as well as the NRA and the Second Amendment Club of America, and all their members, male and female, obviously disagree with Hayhoe. So do I - as usual.

LEE HANSON

Hudson

Just Like Home

Regarding Cafe Trinity:

I have tried a lot of new area restaurants, and Cafe Trinity has nailed it. Great food at a great price, nice people, friendly and smiling faces and high-quality products. Try the gyros or the Cuban sandwiches, which are the best I have ever had.

The brewed coffee is very flavorful, not burned like the one Starbucks wants to pass as coffee. When you come in, they welcome you. They will say 'hi' and use your name, making you feel at home.

Mark, the owner, and Ryan, the manager, know what they are doing, and people are loving it. Great job, guys.

Go see them, and tell them the doctor sent you. I'm there three times a day.

DANAE AYALA

Trinity

Firearm Memories

When I was a small boy, my father had in our home, as best as I can recall, three firearms. We lived on the South Side of Chicago, and it was the 1940s. As the decade progressed, he obtained two others, both handguns returned from Europe.

In that time tens of thousands of firearms returned to the United States with the liberators of World War II. I recall the Saturday in 1944 when a large crate was delivered to our home. When Father opened it, inside were four battle rifles from the war shipped to my father by the son of our neighbor. This practice was common, and no law was being broken.

Throughout my childhood, youth and into my adult years, that collection of guns grew into a sizable one of all kinds. When my father passed away, I became the owner of that collection and added to it for over 40 years. When I retired from law enforcement after 37 years, I divided this collection, valued at $40,000, between three sons.

The point of this letter is to point out to readers that contrary to Art Hayhoe's letter, it is just not true that keeping firearms in your home will cause more people to kill themselves or others. The references Hayhoe points to were dispelled long ago.

As for the collection started by my father, it has survived three generations and five homes with a total of 15 children.

JAMES W. COAKLEY

New Port Richey

Tiresome Rants

Well, Hayhoe, there you go again.

Why is it difficult for him to understand that the Constitution allows law-abiding citizens to own firearms for any number of reasons, including self-protection? Even the leadership of Washington, D.C., is learning this irrefutable fact through a series of court cases that have found them on the losing side of their anti-gun argument.

Hayhoe's usual rant against Bill Bunting and the NRA is more than tiresome; it is simply a re-hash of his previous letters. Citing unproduced, undocumented and unnamed studies does little to support his anti-gun position.

I will cede that we can, indeed, read about the carnage weapons cause on a daily basis but rarely here in Florida, thanks to laws that allow law-abiding citizens to protect themselves in circumstances where they consider themselves threatened by criminals.

Which would you rather see? Firearms in the hands of those who have not been properly trained or firearms in the hands of those who have taken classes from people such as Bunting and NRA-certified instructors of the Second Amendment Club? I don't believe Hayhoe can produce any statistics that show criminals attend these classes.

Produce your studies and 'facts,' Hayhoe, please! Undoubtedly, they will be as flawed as your thinking. Also, please turn in your weapons to Sheriff Bob White, along with your Florida concealed carry permit, just to show that you aren't being hypocritical.

ED ESTES

Dade City

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