Anti-2nd Amendment Civitas Media Should Create a Criminal Data Base
An internal memo from Civitas Media described how the newspaper hoped to build “state-by-state databases” that would list people “who have the right to carry a concealed weapon.”
When news of the memo got out, Civitas Media backtracked on the effort and dropped the plan.
Civitas Media President and CEO Michael Bush sent an email that the original email about building the conceal carry data base “should not have been sent.” Bush wrote:
“Civitas Media never had any plans or intentions of publishing in print or online lists of holders of ‘concealed and carry’ permits. Nor will Civitas Media develop databases of permit holders. A poorly crafted internal memo meant to highlight editorial discussions and planning incorrectly indicated that such a database was being planned; it has been considered and rejected.”
Civitas got caught; that’s why they backtracked. Chalk one up for the new media.
After thinking about the list, I had a few immediate reactions.
First, if Civitas really wants to help, the media group should concentrate on criminals, not law-abiding citizens.
Second, a list of people who have a concealed weapon permit might keep criminals away from people who were armed and dangerous. It would be like posting a sign on a permit holder that said, “If you attack me I’ll shoot you dead.” In this case, the list might be a good thing. It’s like where I live. Guns go off on a regular basis. A hundred yards from my house, I target shoot. Gunfire can be heard around the neighborhood. Criminals know this and stay away.
Third, it’s possible that somebody at Civitas who had some historical training might have reminded those who came up with the memo that a list of concealed carry permit owners might show the voting strength of gun owners and demoralize liberals. Gun owners might realize how much voting power they really have and get even more energized to vote Second Amendment haters out of office.
The historian Edward Gibbon estimated that there were more than sixty million slaves throughout the Roman Empire. Tacitus, a Roman historian of the first century, wrote that the “city of Rome was in constant fear of an uprising of the slaves. When a measure was proposed in the senate to have all slaves dress alike to distinguish them from freemen, the suggestion was promptly killed by the argument that to do so would reveal to the slaves their great numerical strength and endanger the peace of the city by a possible revolt.”
Fourth, a better compilation of data would be on criminals. Instead of going after law-abiding people who file for and receive a concealed carry permit, why not develop a data base of people who have committed crimes with guns. Give us their addresses so we can avoid and keep an eye on them.
All the gun laws in the world will not stop criminals who are hell-bent on killing someone. If they can’t use a gun, they’ll use bombs, bats, knives, fists, cars, and any weapon they can find to get the job done.