CCWthemovie

KSL.com is reporting that the wife killer in Lehi, UT was a concealed weapons permit holder.
We should remember that according to the data,

Permit revocation reasons shows that permit holders do not use their firearms to commit crime.

Obviously, this will never be 100%, so that’s why the rest of us law abiding citizens are allowed to protect our family from wackos. The founding fathers knew this when they conceived the Second Amendment. Not even our government should be the only ones allowed to bear arms in case it goes wacko also.

In light of recent shootings, especially those taking place at churches including one at an LDS church in Utah, I wrote the following e-mail to various publicly known contacts for the LDS church:

***Please pass this on to those in leadership capacities and influence over the decision to support the Utah law which makes concealed firearm permit holders become criminals if they ever carry their defensive weapon in church.***

In light of recent events in Colorado Springs, CO and Lehi, Utah, I feel it is a bad decision to sponsor Utah legislation which makes it a crime for concealed weapons permit holders to bring their defensive firearm into an LDS meeting house in Utah.

In Colorado, a concealed weapons permit holder helped to stop the attack of a mass murderer. In Lehi, UT, no one present had a weapon except the perpetrator since Utah law makes it illegal for a firearm permit holder to go to an LDS church while packing.

In a recent ksl.com news article about the murderer in Lehi, UT, a commenter about the article left this enlightening thought:

“For all of the hand-wringers out there
by Otherjonathon L. @ 5:19pm – Mon Jan 7th, 2008
wanting us to NOT judge Ragsdale, I say this.
Ragsdale pumped four bullets into her torso, ine (sic) into her head, and he was temporarily insane? Not a chance that is ever going to fly. Not a chance. He made the conscience decision to murder her, actually assisinate (sic) her, at a place where she felt most safe. It was an act of premeditated murder. Nothing else. No matter how you hand-wringers try to justify, rationalize, or excuse HIS “bad choices”, he had the presence of mind to plan this out, then carry it out…”

Please note that many people might feel safe at church, but they aren’t safe since criminals do not care about any laws or policies prohibiting firearms in select places. Since it would be unfeasible to set up every Utah meeting house with fences, checkpoints at all gates, armed security patrolling the parking lots and entrances, and metal detectors at each entrance, I would suggest that the LDS church withdraw support for the wording in Utah code 76-10-530.

For example, when I go to church in Idaho, the Church may say no guns allowed, and if someone were to somehow find out that I was legally carrying my handgun with a permit, they could ask me to leave. If I refused to leave, then I could be charged with trespassing. Contrast this to current Utah law which makes me a criminal the second I forget to disarm before entering an LDS church.

Withdrawing support for current wording in 76-10-530 would save face for the church since the Church could still have the policy that no weapons are allowed. Withdrawing Church support for 76-10-530 current wording would allow our legislatures to proceed in changing the law to just make it an offense only if the firearm permit holder is discovered carrying and refuses to leave the premises. (Of course, non-permit holders are already breaking the law and would be prosecuted.)

You can still have the policy that no weapons are allowed in church to satisfied your insurance policies, but at least those of us seriously interested in protecting our families and friends from violent criminals would not become criminals ourselves if the law were to be revised similar to Idaho’s.

If you think about recent shootings, violent criminals attack in convenience stores, schools, churches, and banks. In Utah, I am legally allowed to be armed and defend myself in all these places except an LDS church.

Consider discussing this issue with Clark Aposhian.

Sincerely,
Anonymous member whom you could probably find out who I am by comparing my IP address to IP addresses of those logging in to Ward websites, but who wishes to hopefully remain anonymous since I don’t want my life to be made difficult.