Concealed Carry News: July 31, 2019
Tim Schmidt - 07/31/2019
Friends:
We’re all familiar with the Virginia Beach tragedy, where a crazed, disgruntled city employee murdered 12 people at the Virginia Beach Municipal Center. We’ve also heard the frustration from one victim’s family, along with many others, that the city of Virginia Beach prohibits its employees from carrying “any weapon” while working on city property because of “gun-free zones.”
This Time Around…
But there was another shooting in Virginia Beach that many in the national media aren’t talking about and which makes clear why allowing law-abiding men and women to protect themselves is so important. This was a shooting where a number of innocent lives were likely saved because of a good guy with a gun.
Barrie Engel, a local café owner,
stopped at her nearby 7-Eleven to get a late night snack around 2 a.m. Thursday. As she was waiting for her friend, two masked and armed men barged into the 7-Eleven with their guns out. They told her to stay where she was, guns pointed. That wasn’t a problem for Engel, who was frozen with fear.
As the clerk begged for his life, telling the robber, “Come on, man, don’t do this,” Engel heard gunshots. She dropped to the floor and started praying. Those gunshots, however, were from another bystander — a legal concealed carry holder who decided to take action. Engel is nothing but grateful to the bystander who possibly saved her life Thursday, allowing her to go home to her son.
The Best Defense
We hope that no one is ever put into a position where they have to defend themselves from a criminal. But the scary truth is that there are bad people in this world. And as these stories — along with countless others — show us, the best defense against a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun.
As the media and anti-gun politicians try to capitalize on shootings to push their anti-gun agenda, it’s important to draw attention to the other side of this debate. Guns can be a solution, as seen in the 7-Eleven story. The continuation of conversations like this are why we are so dedicated to educating law-abiding citizens across the country about the importance of exercising our Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms.
Want to have more conversations about exercising your Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms? Join the USCCA Community!
Around the Country
Arizona…
Florida…
- News Service of Florida: Review Time Cut for Concealed Weapons License, State Official Says
Earlier this month, Nikki Fried, Agriculture Commissioner for Florida, tweeted that the concealed weapons license program is now more efficient and more accountable. Review times for concealed carry applicants with no prior issues have been reduced from 50 days to one day since Fried took office.
Michigan…
- MLive.com: Michigan House Republicans Look to Reduce Penalties for Gun License Violations
Gun-rights supporters in the Michigan House are working to decriminalize certain firearms-related offenses as part of a larger effort to roll back regulations on gun ownership and use in the state. House Republicans named protecting Second Amendment rights as one of its top priorities this session. So far, many of the gun-related bills taken up for hearings focus on reducing existing penalties for violating Michigan’s current gun laws or removing restrictions on certain gun use.
Quote of the Week
- After an armed bystander prevented a robbery at gunpoint, Barrie Engel said, “Thank God for that guy because who knows what could have happened … I want to thank that guy personally. I want to buy him a steak dinner.” (The Virginian-Pilot)
Data Point You Should Know…
- According to the Foundation for Economic Freedom, more Americans use a gun in self-defense than die in motor-vehicle-related accidents each year. (Fee.org)