I Suppose You're Right

I suppose you're right about quoting sources. I can't do anything about the stuff that I read 20 years ago, but I can try to remember to write down the specifics about the current stuff so that I can be more accurate about my sources. Nevertheless, just because I read something and report it here, doesn't necessarily mean that I believe it myself. That hasn't changed. Conversely, just because you quote a source, doesn't mean that I have to believe it myself. Please understand that I am not calling you a liar when I do that. I'm sure that you believe what you say you believe but, since I don't believe half the stuff I am reporting, don't expect me to believe all of your stuff either. The reason I say things like "I read that somewhere" is so you don't think I just made it up. Would you rather that I didn't put that disclaimer in there? Then how will you know what I made up and what I got from somebody else?

I do not own a handgun, and I have no interest in getting one, therefore I have no use for a concealed carry permit. The only reason I support handgun owners is so that they will support me if the government goes after my rifles and shotguns. That's also kind of why I support legalizing pot, so that the pot smokers will support me if the government goes after my beer and cigarettes. I don't know how much luck I would have with that one, though. I have met people who allow pot smoking in their house or car, but not cigarette smoking. Still, I think it would be harder to pass anti cigarette legislation if pot smoking was legal. (I don't have a source for that, It's just my opinion.)

Anyway, I was not saying that the increase in concealed carry permits was causing the crime rate to go down. I have been reading for decades that the violent crime rate in the U.S. has been generally trending downward. The next time I read that or hear it on the news, I'll try to remember to write it down. I didn't think that was a controversial statement to make, I thought everybody knew it. Have you read or heard anything to the contrary? I have not heard or read anything that said the crime rate has gone up since most of the states liberalized their concealed carry regulations. Have you? I remember, when they were debating the proposal in Michigan, that there were a few letters to the editor published in our local paper that predicted gun violence would increase if the law was passed. To my knowledge, that hasn't happened. The point I was trying to make was that, even if it had happened, it wouldn't necessarily mean that the concealed carry permits caused it, anymore than they caused it to go down, if it indeed did go down. What would be more relevant is if somebody had some numbers about how many people with concealed carry permits were committing gun crimes. I don't know if I would believe the numbers or not but, to my knowledge, those numbers don't even exist. We can't argue about numbers that we don't have, now can we.