After attack at florist shop, victim becomes 'the victor' by getting a permit to carry
Beth's got a gun
Beth's got a gun
Alan Hawes
The Post and Courier
Beth Ferguson gets instruction as she prepares to fire a .22 caliber gun under the supervision of firearms instructor Frank DiNardo as she trains for her concealed weapons permit. Ferguson was brutally attacked and tied up by a man after she stopped by a North Charleston flower shop to pick up an order.
She was beaten, kicked in the face, gagged, tied to a chair and locked in a closet.
After escaping that nightmare, Beth Ferguson needed nearly two weeks to garner the courage to step out of her home. Her first trip was to church, her safe haven.
She went on a Saturday night, hoping fewer people would be there as opposed to the heavily attended Sunday morning service. But it was packed.
"It's odd, because when you're a victim of something like this, you almost begin to act like a victim. I got real overwhelmed and nervous. I was scared half to death, and I didn't know why," Beth said. "Have you ever seen a scary movie and been scared afterward? That's what it's like."
She endured the glances from curious church members, who couldn't help but see the bruises and cuts on her face. After that night, Beth decided she needed to return to a normal life. But she still felt violated, unsafe. She was living in fear.
Her second trip out of the house: a gun shop on Cross County Road in North Charleston.
"I'm going back to work one day," Beth said. "And when I do, I'll have a gun."
The attack; the recovery
Beth, 41, was the only customer in the Carolina Florist shop on Ashley Phosphate Road late in the afternoon on April 10.
The man behind the counter advised her to look through a book so she could pick out a corsage for her son's prom. Suddenly, he held a knife to her throat.
Video
Beth Ferguson attempts to get her concealed weapon permit in the wake of her being attacked Watch »
She fought, but he choked her until she was unconscious. She woke up to find him standing over her. When she fought again, he kicked her in the face until she agreed to cooperate.
In the locked closet, Beth sat tied to a chair, a tennis ball stuffed in her mouth. But then the man drove away, and Beth seized the moment to free herself. After she climbed through the false ceiling and dropped down into the bathroom next door, she smashed her way out through the front glass window to freedom.
Lemar "Tommy" Mack, the 45-year-old husband of the florist shop owner, was arrested two days later. He was charged with kidnapping, armed robbery and assault and battery with intent to kill.
Mack had previously been convicted and served jail time for abducting a woman at a Kmart on Rivers Avenue and raping her. He also had been convicted for attacking women in 1979 and 1984. He remains at the Charleston County Detention Center because he can't make the $3 million bail.
Beth has filed a $1.5 million lawsuit against Mack and his wife, Deborah Mack, and Carolina Florist.
Nadine Parks
The Post and Courier
Kidnapping victim Beth Ferguson talks with firearms instructor Frank DiNardo June 11 at Trader World Gun Shop as she tries to decide which gun to buy. Ferguson was beaten and tied up inside a locked closet at Carolina Florist on Ashley Phosphate Road.
Weeks after the attack, she walked into a gun shop for the first time.
A steady stream of customers flowed in and out of Trader World Gun & Indoor Range, where dozens of shotguns, rifles and assault weapons line the walls.
Shaking, Beth headed for the glass encasement filled with handguns. It runs the length of the shop. Boxes of ammunition sat on the counter. Behind it stood Frank DiNardo, a handgun in a holster on his side.
Frank, a firearms instructor for nearly 30 years, was expecting Beth. Her instruction began with their first handshake — firm, thumb straight forward, not to the side.
"That's how you hold a gun," Frank told her.
As the two talked, Beth saw a fellow church member from Cathedral of Praise. The woman had heard of Beth's kidnapping; she was there to buy pepper spray. Several women from the church, in fact, had come in for spray and stun guns. A group of them was considering purchasing handguns. One of them already was receiving private firearms instruction from Frank.
Beth asked Frank if she needed to buy her gun before her firearms lessons began.
"You're not ready," he said. He worried about her emotional state so soon after the attack.
"One minute I'm fine, and the next, I'm crying for no reason," she had told him. Counseling sessions were being arranged.
Frank scheduled her gun classes to start about 10 days after their first meeting. Four hours each class. Five classes. Maybe then she would be ready, Frank said.
Men, women and guns
Mic Smith
The Post and Courier
Beth Ferguson fire a pistol during gun training at Trader World gun shop.
Frank sees a difference between the sexes when it comes to buying a gun.
Men tend to walk in and buy on the spot, then schedule only the training required if they decide to apply for a concealed weapons permit.
Women are more cautious. They want to learn how to properly handle and fire a gun first, then decide if they will buy, Frank said.
Frank recommends taking three courses before the purchase — a basic course in the handling, firing and storing of a handgun; a personal protection course; and a course on carrying concealed handguns.
On May 6, Beth started classes, and she found a new friend in her instructor. Frank listened as she told him her story and cried.
"We're going to go through this together," he said.
The bruises on her face had healed. Some redness in her left eye was the only visible trace of the assault.
"My outside's healed a lot, but my inside needs healing," Beth said.
She cried less often, and she and her husband had resumed their weekly date nights. Still, she sometimes had panic attacks when she was alone, or if she saw someone who looked like the man who attacked her.
She found strength in the 100-plus cards and letters from friends and strangers. She resolved to arm herself with a gun.
"What the Lord told me is, 'You're going to be the victor, not the victim.' "
A gun in the hand
The three basic rules for handling a gun were in large, capital letters on a screen in the training room May 6:
ALWAYS MAKE SURE THE GUN IS UNLOADED.
ALWAYS POINT THE GUN IN A SAFE DIRECTION.
ALWAYS KEEP YOUR FINGER OFF THE TRIGGER.
Frank takes a slow and easy approach to teaching people how to use handguns. He starts with a toy gun, then uses dummy cartridges to teach people how to load a real revolver.
In the hot, darkened firing range, the first gun Beth shot was an air pistol. The recoil is slight when the gun is fired, and it makes little noise. She fired at inflated balloons, which made a pop that helped prepare her for the sound of a gun blast.
Next, Beth brought in a .22- caliber pistol. It is loud, and the recoil made her hand jiggle slightly as she shot off 10 rounds at the target — a paper figure of a man. Tiny puffs of smoke wafted from the gun, and the metal casings pinged against the concrete floor beneath her.
Beth grinned. "It's not so bad."
June brought a different Beth to the Trader World gun shop for her second class.
She prepared a short speech for a judge when her accused assailant requested that his bond be reduced. She was relieved when she learned the judge would not consider it.
A counselor had helped her deal with post-trauma stress. Panic attacks came less frequently, and she felt much stronger.
Frank took off the kid gloves and put a 9 mm pistol in Beth's hands.
A startling blast and a bright red flash erupted from the gun, and Beth's hand jumped upward. She winced and then stood motionless in a cloud of gray smoke.
"Your whole body just jolts. It was so powerful. I felt like I couldn't control it," she said.
Beth learned that choosing a firearm is like buying a good pair of shoes. It has to fit.
The 9 mm was too much. The .38-caliber revolver was easier to control — less recoil, but the trigger was more difficult to pull and it had no safety lock. She definitely wanted her gun to have a safety feature.
Something between those two, a .380-caliber pistol, seemed just right. Moderate recoil, good control and a safety lock. It was small to boot — the perfect concealable weapon.
Back to work
By mid-June, Beth felt a lot more like her old self — the one who was strong and trusting and confident.
She had vowed not to return to work without a firearm, but she was needed to help run the six mattress stores she and her husband own. Pepper spray would do while she finished her firearms classes and applied for her concealed weapons permit.
Her first day back overwhelmed and frightened her. Finding a full day too much at first, she eased herself back to work.
"Baby steps," Beth said.
With the basic gun course behind her, Beth started an eight-hour concealed weapons course that would teach her the laws about guns.
Although citizens with a permit can carry a weapon, the gun cannot be visible. Beth experimented with a variety of options, including keeping her gun in her purse, in her pocket or in a holster on her hip or ankle. She quickly ruled out keeping it in her purse, because one of the first things her attacker did was take her purse.
"If there was a gun in my purse, he would have had it," Beth said.
The big day
On July 2, Beth was strong again, empowered even. She held a pistol with conviction as she stepped onto the range for the shooting test for her concealed weapons permit. She had to hit the target at least 35 times out of 50 shots, and she made it look easy.
"She shot a 46 out of a possible 50," Frank said. "She did extremely well."
Beth aced her written test as well, and the permit application was off in the mail.
In mid-October Beth's concealed weapons permit arrived. She met up with Frank and purchased the little .380-caliber pistol that she had eyed months earlier.
The attack earlier in the spring was behind her. Beth has her life back, and now she's packing heat.
"If I'm in a situation that's life or death, I want to live," she said. "So I'm prepared."
To get an S.C. concealed weapons permit
Requirements for acquiring a concealed weapons permit in South Carolina:
--Age 21 or older
--Resident of South Carolina for at least 90 days
--Have three photographs taken
--Eye exam
--Fingerprinting ($5)
--South Carolina identification card or driver's license
--Eight-hour concealed weapons course, which includes instruction on handgun storage, use and safety and information about state gun laws
--County, state and federal background checks
--$50 application fee
Handgun purchase requirements in S.C.
Like any other person walking into a gun shop, Beth Ferguson was subject to a federal firearms purchase law.
Law-abiding citizens will find a gun fairly easy to buy. There is no waiting period in South Carolina, and you can generally be in and out of a shop with your new gun in less than an hour.
Show proof that you are age 21 or older and have lived in South Carolina for at least 90 days. A driver's license will do. The gun shop calls for a federal background check and has a response in about 20 minutes.
Not everyone can buy a gun. Felons, fugitives, drug users, illegal aliens, the mentally ill and people who have been convicted of domestic violence are among those restricted from owning firearms in the United States. Even if a potential buyer is not prohibited for one of those reasons, the gun dealer can refuse the sale for any reason.
--Age 21 or older
--Resident of South Carolina for at least 90 days
--South Carolina identification card or driver's license
--Federal background check (generally takes about 20 minutes)
--Note: There is no waiting period for a gun purchase in South Carolina.
Who can't buy a gun
--People who have pending charges for or have been convicted of a felony punishable by more than one year in prison or a misdemeanor punishable by more than two years in prison
--Fugitives
--Users of illegal drugs and those who have been convicted of controlled-substance crimes within the past year
--Any person who, in a court proceeding, has been involuntarily committed to a mental institution or has been deemed mentally defective or incompetent
--Illegal aliens
--Someone who has been dishonorably discharged from the armed forces
--A person who has renounced United States citizenship
--Anyone who is the subject of a restraining order
--People convicted of criminal domestic violence
Places a gun can't go in the Palmetto State
Where you can't take a gun in South Carolina:
--Law enforcement building
--Detention facility
--Courthouse
--Polling place on election day
--Government building
--School
--School athletic event
--Day care or preschool
--Religious sanctuary
--Medical facility
--Publicly-owned building
--Someone's home without their permission
--A building with signs posted that state "No Concealable Weapons Allowed"
--An establishment, including restaurants, where alcohol is served for consumption on premises
Reach Nadine Parks at 937-5573 or nparks@postandcourier.com.
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Comments
This article has 38 comment(s)
Posted by jerseylegal on December 2, 2007 at 1:58 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Way to go Miss Beth. Don't let anyone give you grief for your decisions, you deserve the power of protection and confidence.
Posted by MC29461 on December 2, 2007 at 3:39 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Now if we could just get SLED out of their highly bureaucratic permit process and allow local Sheriffs to issue the weapons permits like most other states, then many more folks might be willing to defend themselves with a firearm.
SLED has resisted weapons permits from the beginning and convinced lawmakers to include a battery of prohibitions including the requirement to keep the weapons completely hidden.
The politically appointed State Constables and SLED agents run around the Lowcountry with their guns hanging out every day, so why restrict the average citizen?
Who give a darn if the weapon is exposed?
The anti-gun bureaucrats at SLED.
Posted by MDW on December 2, 2007 at 6:40 a.m. (Suggest removal)
MC - I'm still relatively new down here. You're right, to get a permit to carry is a ridiculous and purely bureaucratic process. I would call it the 'How Much Money Can We Drain From Your Wallet' process.
Once again though, this is perfect for first time owners because they have no idea how they're getting ripped off.
Posted by poorboy on December 2, 2007 at 7:46 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I know Frank personally and he is one of the best gun guys you'll ever meet! I saw this lady after her attack in public and what she must have went through was horrific. Good for her on getting her permit. As someone with 2 daughters I taught my girls how to physically defuse an attacker and to be aware of your surroundings but there was no way this woman could have known or suspected something like this was about to happen, in a a florist shop. Scary that there are perps like this walking around this earth!
Posted by Halcyon on December 2, 2007 at 8:03 a.m. (Suggest removal)
MC29461, open carry is dangerous for a person with little or no training and simply asking for trouble. Police officers open carry but they're typically clearly identified as such by a badge or ID and also have the appropriate weapons retention training to open carry.
I'm a police officer and I carry concealed while off-duty, that should tell you something.
Posted by MDW on December 2, 2007 at 8:08 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Halcyon - Just don't start a shootout at the local Gas 'N Go, umkay? LOL!
Hey! Whatever happened to whatshisname anyway after losing the election? I remember him saying he couldn't keep being an officer after everything he had said about the police department.
Posted by Diamondhead on December 2, 2007 at 8:31 a.m. (Suggest removal)
What I find amazing is this story. You would never find an article like this in any major newspaper in California. I would go as far as any major newspaper in this country. The people in the low country are lucky to have freedom of the press.
Posted by biggieme03 on December 2, 2007 at 8:55 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Why was Mr. Mack out of jail for all the other crimes. This could be a bigger story. I think the Parole Board should have some accountability in cases like this. Maybe then there wouldn't be so many repeat crimes.
Posted by jeffyoung007 on December 2, 2007 at 9:19 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Good article; thanks Post and Courier. Most media sources try to make legal firearm owners feel like social misfits.
Posted by juniemoon1957 on December 2, 2007 at 10:12 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I have a 40mm glock, a concealed weapons permit and I carry on a regular basis. I am not afraid, or live in fear of being attacked, but I sleep much better at night knowing I have a weapon. I do think what the article missing is the real conviction of being able to use your weapon to kill someone in time of need. That is what the weapon is for, protection. If someone were to come in my house at night, or in the daytime, I would shoot to kill. I would not feel guilty about it either. I live in a house in the middle of three acres. My family, friends know to come blowing the car horn, calling my name at the door.
Posted by RTC on December 2, 2007 at 10:19 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Way to go, Beth. It takes alot of courage to take control of your life after such a horrific act.
Thanks to Mr. DiNardo for being such a patient and caring man.
BTW- for anyone that is interested you can download a CWP application off the web.
The rules that I read were a little different than the ones posted in this article, but they are basically the same.
One thing I didn't see listed above is that you have to report if you have ever had a moving traffic violation. It won't keep you from getting a CWP, but they want to know about it.
Posted by MDW on December 2, 2007 at 10:26 a.m. (Suggest removal)
BTW - Beth - I'm glad that you survived this horrid crime and have gotten over the fear of living. There was no way of knowing the situation you were walking into. You survived. Kudos!
Posted by Hef on December 2, 2007 at 11:16 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Regarding the "No Concealable Weapons Allowed" signs:
To be legally enforceable, the signs MUST meet certain statutory requirements, including size, letter size, color, height range, and location. Those requirements are as follows:
(1) clearly visible from outside the building;
(2) eight inches wide by twelve inches tall in size;
(3) contain the words "NO CONCEALABLE WEAPONS ALLOWED" in black one-inch tall uppercase type at the bottom of the sign and centered between the lateral edges of the sign;
(4) contain a black silhouette of a handgun inside a circle seven inches in diameter with a diagonal line that runs from the lower left to the upper right at a forty-five degree angle from the horizontal;
(5) a diameter of a circle; and
(6) placed not less than forty inches and not more than sixty inches from the bottom of the building's entrance door.
(C) If the premises where concealable weapons are prohibited does not have doors, then the signs contained in subsection (A) must be:
(1) thirty-six inches wide by forty-eight inches tall in size;
(2) contain the words "NO CONCEALABLE WEAPONS ALLOWED" in black three- inch tall uppercase type at the bottom of the sign and centered between the lateral edges of the sign;
(3) contain a black silhouette of a handgun inside a circle thirty-four inches in diameter with a diagonal line that is two inches wide and runs from the lower left to the upper right at a forty-five degree angle from the horizontal and must be a diameter of a circle whose circumference is two inches wide;
(4) placed not less than forty inches and not more than ninety-six inches above the ground;
(5) posted in sufficient quantities to be clearly visible from any point of entry onto the premises.
The statute is 23-31-235. Signs that do not meet these requirements are not legally compelling.
Posted by majstoll on December 2, 2007 at 11:31 a.m. (Suggest removal)
SC is one of only 6 states banning the open carry of handguns. In most states, no permit is needed to open carry - essentially, as some state courts have ruled, open carry is the right, and concealed carry is a privilege requiring a license.
Halcyon's histrionical comment (see above) that open carry is dangerous is not born out by the facts in the 44 states where open carry is legal and done often - including at public meetings in many states!
While their may be some tactical downsides to open carry, their are tactical upsides as well. it's sort of a "tasts great, less filling" debate.
But politically, open carry has huge upside - it gets gun carry out of the closet!
Mike Stollenwerk
OpenCarry dot org
Posted by MDW on December 2, 2007 at 11:51 a.m. (Suggest removal)
majstoll - Thanks for the link. I see that several states are way behind the times in their open carry laws. I really like the travel map and while looking at it, realized that I sure have broken a lot of laws in my travels. I guess one tends to take advantage of the freedoms they have in one state while another restricts those same freedoms. It will be in my car from now on.
Doug - You sure post on it a lot! LOL!
Posted by SCChuck on December 2, 2007 at 2:06 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Beth,
I appreciated the article and your response to the event.
Periodically, I teach a half-day class on women's self defense and rape prevention. I will use this article to help make some of my points about preparation. I will probably teach the class again in February. I'd like to invite you to attend my class. It's free. I'd be willing to teach it at your church as well, if that's something you would like and there is an interest.
My only goal is to help women avoid the type situation you had to go through and be better prepared if it happens anyway. Contact me if you're interested.
Chuck
areadydefense@gmail.com
Posted by suec on December 2, 2007 at 3:31 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Who would pay the 1.5 million if the lawsuit is won? An insurance company?
Posted by mare1313 on December 2, 2007 at 3:38 p.m. (Suggest removal)
The real story here is that repeat offenders like Tommy Mack are allowed to roam our streets and work in our local businesses. It is a testament to how extremely debauched our legal system is when it comes to sexual offenders. Our laws allow people to buy a gun in one day, but they don't keep a convicted rapist and kidnapper like Mack behind bars? SC lawmakers need to get their priorities straight.
Posted by Hef on December 2, 2007 at 4:29 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Mare1313:
Laws don't "allow" anything. Laws "prohibit".
Posted by proudmomma on December 2, 2007 at 4:36 p.m. (Suggest removal)
As someone with very little knowledge of guns- to my regret-can anyone let me in on when you CAN carry concealed? That list is pretty inclusive on where you can't, seems that the only places remaining are in your car or on the street.
Posted by Hef on December 2, 2007 at 5:57 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Proudmomma,
The laws are very simple:
You can keep a handgun in your car, loaded, in either the glovebox, center console, or locked container with integral fastener, without a permit of any sort.
You can carry, openly or concealed, without a permit, in your home or fixed place of business, provided that business is not licensed to sell alcohol for on-premise consumption.
You cannot carry a firearm into any business licensed for the on-premise consumption of alcohol (bars, restaurants, and clubs), government buildings (except for highway rest stops), medical facilities, and any place posted with legal signage.
It's not nearly as confusing in practice as it might appear to be. I carry every day, and I rarely need to disarm.
You would be surprised at how many buildings are posted with "No Concealable Weapons Allowed" signs that you can legally ignore.
Posted by SCPDBLUE on December 2, 2007 at 7:46 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I heard their was talk about a so called friendly restaurants amendment,where as people who do not drink alcohol would be permitted to carry in these restaurants that serve alchol.Has anybody heared about this? Also are not those stores who display "No concealed weapons allowed" dening your right to self defense if you have a permit and are taking your safety in their hands should a robbery happen and you get shot giving you or your family the right to sue for damages?
Posted by Hef on December 2, 2007 at 8:31 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I've been lobbying some of our House members to amend 16-23-465, so that employees (with valid CWP's and written permission), owners, and managers of establishments licensed to sell alcohol for on-premise consumption could legally carry while at work. All laws regarding inebriation and consumption of alcohol while armed would still apply, and the abovementioned people could carry openly or concealed, just as in any other business under current law.
I would like to see this expanded in the future to include patrons, followed by South Carolina adopting a permissive open-carry policy similar to Virginia.
Posted by majorjohnson on December 2, 2007 at 8:36 p.m. (Suggest removal)
How can you ignore the no weapons signs? The law clearly states that that is a no weapons zone.
I'm a weapons lover so I'm not bashing, but it certainly seems to me that if a business puts up a sign that says no concealed carry you can't legally do it. Of course unless you shoot someone, hopefully a bad guy, no one would ever know.
Posted by SCChuck on December 2, 2007 at 8:42 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Major Johnson,
Re-read what Hef posted on sign requirements. If you put a "no concealed weapons" sign on a tiny decal on the back window, you couldn't expect people to abide by it. SC law has specific requirements for the sign. If those requirements aren't met, you aren't required to follow them.
Posted by kellemac on December 2, 2007 at 11:52 p.m. (Suggest removal)
my heart goes out to beth for finding the strength and courage to take these classes and no longer live in fear, i was the victim of a violent crime also.i was assaulted and had a 9mm glock pistol held to my head and kidnapped.this actually just made me relive my experience.my assailant drove away with me in a car and took off on a high speed passing two and three cars at a time at well over 90 miles an hour on a two way highway.i am considering now taking this same class beth has taken. this happened to me in 2004, and i am still scared.but the next time i want to be ready if anyone thinks that they are going to harm me or my children.i want to know the proper way to handle a gun,because i wouldnt want to hurt myself either. i never took the class before because i was afraid of guns, and in a way i still am. but just reading this article made me relive the crime and how very easily that gun could have gone off and blown my whole face off.its very traumatizing, but i commend beth, because i know EXACTLY how she feels/felt. after reading this, i am most certain that i will be scheduling an appointment with Frank for these classes.
Posted by Hey_U_Guys on December 3, 2007 at 8:55 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Yes, carrying a gun is the answer. Holy Hell.
Posted by ccfromsc on December 3, 2007 at 10:35 a.m. (Suggest removal)
To Hey_U_Guys:
Of course carrying a "gun" is not the only answer. A firearm is a tool. The most important weapon is your brain. A firearm is an inanimate object. It cannot move, think, or react on its own. The point of a firearm is that a person or persons do not want to be hurt, maimed or die like a sheep being led to the slaughter. This lady was being faced with being tortured, maimed and possibly killed, she was very lucky she had the opportunity to escape. If faced with a situation as hers, I just hope I have fortitude to be as brave and resourceful as she was.
Posted by eyfigueroa on December 3, 2007 at 11:22 a.m. (Suggest removal)
"I do think what the article missing is the real conviction of being able to use your weapon to kill someone in time of need."
when i first entered active duty i never gave firing a weapon a second thought. it wasn't until i was sent deep into Iraq during Desert Shield/Storm that I had to do decide if i had the fortitude to raise my weapon and 'shoot to kill'. then i remembered i left a 12 week old breastfeeding baby to go to the middle east and if it meant the difference between dying and her living motherless or living so i can rear her, then killing another human being is what i would do.
it's all fine and dandy to extoll the virtues of gun ownership, but ALL PEOPLE need to understand that if you want to own a gun, you must be willing and able to 'shoot to kill' if you aim that gun at ANYONE!
if you can't do that then owning a gun is an effort of futility.
Posted by bagballa on December 4, 2007 at 3:22 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I got my Conceal carry permit in washington state with no training time required, Wa is also a open carry state, but nobody open carries, its crazy to, what if sumbody rushes you and takes your weapon? I know alot of you are small fragile people, so when a 270lb man punches you an grabs your gun your gonna be laying there looking stupid.
What I'm trying to say is: If you want to open carry, at least take steroids.
Posted by PO1401 on December 4, 2007 at 1:07 p.m. (Suggest removal)
All of my training as a Law Enforcement Officer as well as my CCW classes upon retirement addressed the need for careful examination of your willingness and ability to take another human being’s life if necessary. This MUST be addressed prior obtaining a weapon for personal defense. From reading the article, I am sure the Instructor addressed this with Beth; I know of none who wouldn’t. It is not uncommon for individuals to get up and walk out of a CCW class when this is addressed and they realize that they simply cannot do so. I also think this should be an ongoing evaluation. The issue of open carry will not be resolved soon and I must admit having mixed emotions. We were required to carry our duty weapons concealed AT ALL TIMES with our badge beside the weapon. Generally “concealed” does not mean undetectable, so I don’t know how much safer one is with one “concealed” as opposed to openly carried. Honest citizens never noticed my weapon, but about every criminal I came into contact with did.
Posted by fr8dog on December 4, 2007 at 7:45 p.m. (Suggest removal)
My wife had a similar, though not as physically violent an experience. But unfortunately we live in the "Peoples Republik of Kalifornia" where it's impossible for most law abiding citizens to get gun carry permits. In this Socialist controlled State, one must submit a "Reason" to carry a gun. And no reason is ever good enough. So I solved the problem by giving her a 9mm. which she carries without a permit. Our attitude is: SCREW THE LAW. Better tried by 12 than buried by 6. And remember: In a Life or Death situation, where SECONDS count, the police are only MINUTES away.
Posted by stooxie on December 4, 2007 at 8:33 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Responding to the "Could you actually kill someone" tripe...
Let me tell you, if some punk shows up in YOUR bedroom, with your wife or your kids, or kidnaps you or the like, are you going to sit there and think "Oh! This poor human being, he just needs love"?
Whatever. Said punk waives his/her right to life at that point.
Gimme a break. If someone kidnaps you, you could end up dead in a ditch. If you have to think "Well, gosh, will I really get hurt or should I shoot?" then you deserve what you get.
That's a little something called personal responsibility. Like, being personally responsible to come home to your family, alive, and in one piece. I have no moral responsibility to someone trying to do harm to my family.
Posted by Woodpiggie on December 4, 2007 at 9:04 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Conceiled cary obstructionists whether elected or appointed to office, need to accept a measure of responsibility for rapes, murders, assaults, muggings, etc. of legally but unconstitutionally disarmed victims within their jurisdictions. Even if a victim would not have chosen to be armed,anti gun officials are only encouraging street thugs to act out their urges.
Consider the humble porcupine. He walks the forest floor slowly and at peace, knowing that he has the respect of the mighty wolf without a need for mortal combat. I fear and predict rivers of blood flowing in an America rendered gun free by the radical left who are now dangerously close to power.
Posted by mainelyguns on December 6, 2007 at 8:35 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I use a slightly different wordage when i conduct Introduction to Shooting for Women classes. Rule 1: Never point the gun at anything you do not want to destroy.
I start by saying 'at anything you don't want to hit' then explain that anything you hit will be destroyed, whether it is the tv or your toe or a loved one or an assailant.
Eleven years of studying karate has convinced me that it is essential to develop a mind-set as well as hit a target in order to defend oneself and others.
Posted by SW460 on December 16, 2007 at 9:56 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Thanks to a news organization for printing an article like this.
To Beth, I sincerely hope you will never be in a situation where you might have use it.
To those who think it's an expensive, bureaucratic process, at least you can get a permit; many cannot even own a gun without jumping through many hoops only to be told no at the end. BTW, you’re real close to Georgia. When I was there it was only a trip the county Probate Judge a few dollars (depending on the county) & fingerprints.
Posted by bagballa on March 21, 2008 at 12:11 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Frank is a pretty solid dude, a good person. But Randy on the other hand, no comment to him.
But yeah, if your looking for a gun and you don't know anything about fireamrs I'd give Frank a call.
Posted by bagballa on March 21, 2008 at 12:14 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Halycon Wrote "MC29461, open carry is dangerous for a person with little or no training and simply asking for trouble. Police officers open carry but they're typically clearly identified as such by a badge or ID and also have the appropriate weapons retention training to open carry.
I'm a police officer and I carry concealed while off-duty, that should tell you something."
yes it tells us that open carry for an off duty LEO is illegal.