Response for Mr. White…

Dear Editor,
I had to respond to Mr. Christopher White’s absurd letter from the Sept. 1 edition. First of all, Mr. White continues the liberal diatribe that people who support gun rights have “issues”or are more likely to resort to violence. This is nonsense. Secondly, he claims that seeing guns in public causes discomfort. There is no right to “comfort.” And the reason children these days feel uncomfortable when they see a gun is because people like Mr. White demonize gun owners. When I was a child growing up in the South, we carried our guns in truck gun racks. We shot skeets on the practice football field behind the elementary school DURING SCHOOL HOURS with one of our coaches. Not a single child in that elementary school ever wet themselves when they looked out the window and saw teenagers with guns. I see things everyday that make me uncomfortable. I get nauseous every time I see a Hillary Clinton bumper sticker on some idiot’s Subaru, but I recognize that idiot’s God-given, First Amendment right to free speech, and the fact that I have no corresponding “right” to not feel uncomfortable.
Mr. White suggests concealed carry as the answer. I am glad Idaho recognizes that right, but there are problems with concealed carry. Summer clothing doesn’t support it. A concealed weapon is less-readily available. And a concealed weapon is not a deterrent to crime. The worst crimes take place in gun-free zones. Open carry lets the bad guys know they are not welcome here and actually prevents crime.
Finally, he suggests that businesses put “no guns allowed” signs in their windows. These signs hold no legal weight in Idaho. A business can ask me to leave, but if they want my business, they cannot tell me to leave my gun at home. I can get pretty much anything I need from Amazon, but considering the support for gun rights in Idaho, does any business really want to alienate their largest customer base? I promise very noisy, public boycotts of your business if you want to go that route.
Self-defense is the most important civil right. No other rights exist if they cannot be defended. So, Mr. White, how about putting on some big-boy pants, teach your kids a healthy attitude about firearms or move to Chicago if you don’t like seeing law-abiding citizens with guns on their hips.

Samuel C. Hogue
Sandpoint