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Yes, you can shutup about Colorado and keep your opinions on gun control to yourself

Reading Time: 6 minutes

I moved to Colorado about ten months ago.And though I am a native Texan, Colorado is my adoptive state. In my 31 years, 18 were in Texas and 12 were in Illinois, so that should tell you something. I love this state and the people in it. Just as the people of Texas are my people, the people of Colorado are my adoptive people. Recently, my Colorado people have suffered through forest fires. And now they’ve suffered through an horrific tragedy. My upbringing has been between one of the most conservative states in the union and one of the most liberal, as far as gun laws go. So I have a lot of friends on both sides of the gun issue that want to share their thoughts. And you know what? You can shut up about gun control for a day or two.

[Edit: July 26]An introduction to what you’re about to read

I wrote this article around midnight last Saturday. I live 20 or 30 minutes from Aurora. I know the theater. What happened wasn’t a piece of news, it was an event where live.  By midnight, Saturday, my friends in Illinois and Texas had already decided the fate of gun control for this country. I was fed up.

I am a web developer by trade. My blog averages 30 or 40 hits a week and suddenly, I was getting hundreds of views on this article. Business Insider picked it up and wanted to interview me. Because I am weary of what the media will write, I wrote the follow up article “I’m a hypocrite…” where I explained the reason I own an AK-74  was for fun and proposed that mandatory training should be the only regulation we need.  Fox News emailed me this morning and posted my blog post on their site (with an incorrect title).  And now I’m averaging 150 hits a minute.

What I wrote was a reaction to both the arguments for gun control and for concealed weapons. Both arguments have flaws and I wanted to rationalize the issues with both. If you’re looking for my position, it’s  the one where I have a 9mm Sig on my hip and an AK-74  in my hands.

And yes, I know an AK isn’t an assault rifle. I’m not an expert. 

My wife served six years in the Air Force, including time in wartime Bosnia. I applied to three different branches; I am unable to serve due to a medical condition. Saying that I don’t love the country, 2nd amendment, or freedom isn’t nice and it isn’t true.  Now… please put yourself in the context of a Saturday night in a suburb of Denver and keep reading.

[end of edit]

You can shutup about gun regulations and gun bans

I own an assault rifle, two handguns, and a shotgun. And of course, I purchased them all legally. I have a college degree and I don’t have any criminal history beyond speeding tickets. If you’re looking at a background check, I’m no different than James Eagan Holmes. Compare resumes and you’ll pick him; he had a better GPA than I did and actually pursued a higher education than I have.

The difference between James Holmes and me is that one of us walked into a theater and murdered people. One of us wanted to make our home into a giant bomb to kill our neighbors. One of us values human life.  There’s no law on the planet that will change how a man values the life of another. Outlaw online sales, assault rifles, guns, liquids over 3 ounces, and he still would find a way to murder.

You can shutup about how concealed carry fixes everything

Colorado isn’t much different from Texas as far as gun laws are concerned. In fact, Texas is the only state in the union where open carry is illegal ( the ability to carry a gun in public for all to see). Concealed carry is legal and fairly easy to obtain in the state of Colorado. In fact, my wife and I went through the class. Our course was taught by a police officer and firearms instructor; he was rarely qualified to educated us on conceal carry rules and the actual gun laws in Colorado.

So here’s a few things you should know:

  • It is perfectly legal to conceal a firearm in a movie theater in Colorado if you have a license
  • Colorado concealed-carry classes aren’t required to be taught by law enforcement
  • Colorado concealed-carry classes don’t require that you demonstrate proficiency with a fire arm
  • Colorado concealed-carry classes don’t require that you even shoot a firearm

You can shutup about how things would have been different if someone had a gun

I’ve fired and used guns my whole life. I don’t claim to be an expert or even overly proficient. And though I have shot a few thousand rounds in my life, I don’t think that would matter for me or  others in this situation. So here’s what you soon-to-be heroes with conceal weapons permits should know:

  • You’re not Jason Bourne, Jack Bauer, or Bruce Wayne. Situational awareness takes training that you don’t get as a civilian. You won’t recognize a threat until it’s too late.
  • Unless you’ve trained with the exact weapons system you’re carrying, you’ll you could  miss. It takes hundreds of hours with a firearm to really be proficient. Do you know what you’d do if it jams?  Can you reload before the last round leaves your chamber? How many rounds in your magazine? Have you even practiced drawing your weapon if it’s concealed? Now think about doing this in a firefight. 
  • Proficiency deteriorates without practice. When was the last time you fired your gun? Police and military practice regularly for their jobs. You do it irregularly for fun.
  • A thousand hours on the range aren’t the same as a hundred seconds in a real shootout. Can you recognize the threat, obtain a site picture, and neutralize the target with a gun pointed at you?  Police and military don’t just learn how to do this once, they actually train in these situations.
  • There’s a solid chance you won’t even pull the trigger. There is huge psychological trauma associated with taking a life. Estimates are that between 1/3rd and 1/4th of guns on the battlefield in WWII were never shot. There are even police officers and soldiers who have been killed because they didn’t have what it took to kill.
  • Even if you train with your gun, you do it until you get it right. Police and military do it until they don’t get it wrong.  You’re just not ready like they are to use your gun. Your reaction may not be the same as someone who’s trained for this. 

I really don’t care what you think could have been different

Real people died. This isn’t the time to run your mouth about politics and gun control. And while my friends are alive and well, some of their friends and family aren’t so lucky.  This is real to me.

So yeah…I’m betting that 100% of people getting shot would like to have a way to protect themselves. Not one person there was thinking, “I wish it were harder to get an assault rifle…maybe we should repeal the 2nd amendment.” They were running for their lives and praying for deliverance. Every person there wanted a way to end the violence. This is about surviving a shootout, not repealing guns.

I don’t give two craps what you think you would have done if you were there. You weren’t. Hundreds of others were. They could have been armed, and maybe some were. Just a gun isn’t enough. Even if you’re police or military, there’s a difference between training for this and experiencing it. Unless you’ve experienced a fire-fight, shut up.

Just shutup about Colorado

I live in the Denver area, and not very far from Aurora. On July 20th I woke up with the news and was scared for the lives of my church family. I’m not affected nearly in the same way these victims are. But I may meet these victims and their families. My wife may go to work with people who were there.  Families of victims may visit my church. This isn’t something that happened on the news. This is something that happened where I live.

I could have been there. I could have had a gun. I could have done something.

But I wasn’t there.I wouldn’t have had a gun (because I don’t have my license yet), and I don’t have a clue what I would have done.

So all I can do is shutup and pray. So should you.

[July 24, 2012: UPDATE: I’m a hypocrite. Rob Wile from Business Insider had a 45-minute interview with me on the subject of gun control]

[July 24, 2012: UPDATE: here’s a follow up blog post I wrote which summarizes my interview with Rob: ]

[July 25, 2012: UPDATE: Here’s the article on Business Insider]

[July 26, 2012: UPDATE: Fox news asks permission to repost part of the blog, and subsequently the world hates me. ]

[July 25, 2012: UPDATE: On account of the factual issues and general thoughts of what’s been written, I’ve written a small summary of corrections for you  to review]

459 Comments


  1. With a mindest like yours, why even carry a concealed weapon? You are clueless, my friend.


  2. “I’m from the government and I’m here to take your guns.”
    Down here in the South, that would bring a lol.


  3. Great post, however the author is wrong about several things. One, Texas is not the only state that allows ‘open carry’. There are many states that allow this, Michigan is one of them. Two-I absolutely disagree that a legally carrying citizen could not have made a difference in that movie theater. The vast majority of people with CPL’s (concealed pistol licenses) practice regularly. I personally am entirely confident that I could hit a head sized target from any distance or angle afforded inside a standard movie theater.


  4. Frank, I hope you don’t try to get a new job as you have just made yourself unemployable with this post…what a nut


  5. I’ve been shooting firearms since 1982. I learned to shoot during time in both the U.S. Army and U.S. Marine Corps and I agree with everything Frank said. Real proficiency takes hundreds or thousands of hours. Just being able to hit the middle of a target on a range doesn’t make you proficient.

    Most people have no idea how loud guns are when shot in enclosed spaces…like theaters. The sounds of the guns coupled with the screams of the victims would be very distracting to even the most experienced and proficient shooters.

    Had anyone in the theater had a gun (licensed or unlicensed) the chances are that there would be a lot more dead and wounded. YES, guns can and do save lives but they can take lives just as easily even in the hands of the brave or well intentioned.

    A thousand different things contributed to the tragedy in Colorado and access to guns is only one of them. This guy was going to kill one way or another. If he couldn’t have afforded his guns he would have found another way. He could have driven his car through a crowded farmers market or used his bomb making skills to blow up people in a mall.

    This guy was going to kill no matter what and what people need to concentrate on is how we, as a society, can more accurately identify unbalanced people and get them help BEFORE they snap and kill a theater full of people. IMHO


  6. Stupid author. He never does say why he owns an assault rifle.


  7. This guy means well but he is not representative of anyone else. Neither is Colorado. My own experience is almost opposite his in every detail. The concealed carry classes I’ve taken in three different states do require live fire qualification in addition to graded classroom work, all taught by licensed professionals including both active and retired police. I do have formal training in lethal force and at least a dozen other armed response areas. I do practice and have used weapons to save lives. I am not a peace officer.

    So, Franks admission that he is poorly trained is really an admission that he has not lived up to his responsibility to be trained and proficient although he acknowledges he is aware and his training is deficient.

    Thousands of people voluntarily take training from basic to advanced every day. Thousands of responsible armed citizens are better trained than the average policeman who is not very well trained and due to both time and funding spends little time on the firing and other ranges during his work year.

    Every month my American Rifleman magazine among others publishes factual accounts of actual instances where armed citizens defended themselves, their families or otherwise stopped or prevented criminals from continuing their pursuits.

    The message from Frank is one of helplessness, that although he owns firearms he is a victim because he doesn’t have the mindset or training to properly use them.. in his opinion.

    If Frank doesn’t feel qualified, maybe he should sell his firearms to someone who is. Or maybe Frank should get off his butt and show some leadership and commitment to live up to his own standards rather than whine and run down those of us who do.

    Frank is a perfect example of what we don’t want to be or should be. And by the way Frank, feel free to follow your own advice and shut up about gun control until you are qualified.


    1. You’ve made some good points, I haven’t taken responsibility to make myself better-trained for a combat situation. Just yesterday I signed up for a course on that for that exact reason.

      I go to the range regularly, but I’m honest about myself. I didn’t serve in the military or with the police; I don’t have their level of training. There’s a difference between shooting a paper target, and protecting myself and others in a crowded theater. If acknowledging that is a sign of weakness, you’re right. That doesn’t mean I don’t pull my firearm in that situation. That means that I’m neutralizing a real threat, not shooting at a paper target.

      To say that I feel helpless or a victim isn’t a gross overstatement. My argument was, and is, unless you’ve had training for this situation, you really shouldn’t talk about what you would have done there. And again, that was a statement to many friends for whom that was the case.

      If you’re trained for this, excellent. You’re better prepared than I. Rest assured, we’ll pull pull our weapons, you just may neutralize the threat faster.


  8. Nebraska requires a good training course for concealed carry and it is not inexpensive. I believe we do it the right way.

    As far as an Assault Weapons ban, it won’t stop anyone but law-abiding citizens from having Assault style Weapons.

    Frankly, Lee Harvey Oswald did more damage to the entire country with an antique, bolt-action rifle than anyone has done with an Assault style Weapon.

    Perspective, as offered in the bloggers piece, is important.


  9. I think it is about time we train every individual to handle fire arms (Assault weapons included). Every American should have to go through a rigorous training and learn to defend this country and the people in the community. Every household should have a fire arm, including an assault rifle. We have become a nation of weak, dependent, and entitled patsies. History continually repeats its self. This wasn’t the first and will not be the last tragedy in this country or this world. It is not gun laws that need to be addressed but the behavior and psychological aspects of the human being that is being missed. If we open our eyes we can and do see people who are not alright in the head and consistently demonstrate destructive behavior. These pattern develop in the early years and then evolve in later years. It is a psychological issue not a gun issue. If we have the kind of gun control the left and the UN want to impose on our nation then we will continue to go do hill and into the crappy scenario we see in Europe today. If people want to harm other human beings they will find a way to inflict chaos. It will continually happen on a daily basis all around the world. More people are killed on a daily basis in other parts of the world and the media is completely oblivious to it and chooses not to point it out. They make it appear as if it only happens in America.


    1. Did you read “I’m a hypocrite…”? I proposed that training would be the best solution.


  10. You’re right, we are not John Wayne or even John McClane. If a potential future massacre like the one in Aurora should prevent itself to me and my family, I dont plan on becoming a hero, I just want a fighting chance to protect me and mine. I would rather die trying than to be slaughtered.


    1. *present not prevent


  11. The head line suggested that you would be explaining Why you own an Assault Rifle. I did not find an answer to that question. You also held forth on the essential uselessness of Concealed Handgun licensees saying that Colorado Law does not forbid carry in theaters etc.. A problem here is that the Theater chain does prohibit licensed carry. Places like that are free-fire zones for nuts and people with some political agenda. Even the craziest like soft targets.
    Your self-opinionated take on the effectiveness of armed citizens does not square with objective reality. Just a few days ago, a citizen stopped an armed incursion at an Internet Cafe by shooting the two armed perpetrators and driving them away before they could cause any damage.This happens with some regularity and is often reported on Drudge or Fox though the traditional networks and wire sevices disapprove of legal self-help and decline to report the incidences.


    1. Addn: Texas has not allowed Open Carry of Handguns in public since 1872.
      2. We Pro-Gun people are the ones that started calling military look-alike semi autos “Assault Rifles,” so we can’t blaim the headcount for using the same term. ref: The old Guns and Ammo Assault Rifle Special Editions et al.

      It would be refreshing though if people would learn some little something about their subject before launching into print.


      1. Actually if you go back and look at the old catalogs, they hyped “assault weapons”. “Assault Rifle” is a definitive term used long before that, characterizing a select fire intermediate caliber rifle.


  12. Tow pstols and a rifle is fine but the AK47? You never did say why you need an AK-47, all you did as blow a lot of right wing extremist hot air. You are exactly what’s wrong with this country today.Everyone’s “me” oriented and overly influened by movies and video games.


    1. Here, I’ll help you out with that. Because its your God given right. That’s why. His personal reasons are entirely irrelevant. He hasn’t broken the social contract so he retains that right. Who are you to question why he wants or owns an AK47 an AR15, a 9mm or a fully automatic machine gun if he hasn’t been charged, tried, and convicted of breaking the social contract we call the rule of law. Does that clarify? Maybe I can put it more simply “The right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed”.


    2. The 2nd Amendment was not given us to own and “bare” firearms for the purpose of hunting, although many of us do hunt. Tne 2nd A was given because the framers knew “we the people” that are armed are citizens, but “we the people” that are not armed are subjects.


  13. I agree with you 100% except for the statement that you own an assault rifle. Do you actually own one or is it a semi-auto rifle. The words ‘assault weapon’ are thrown around to scare people by the left as most people don’t know the difference. Either way my friend. Load n Lock They are coming.


  14. Assault weapons by definition msut be capable of FULL AUTO!!!!!

    You do not have an assault weapon and the term is mis-used by the media to demonize gun owners. It’s scary sounding, it’s military sounding. Please DO NOT PERPETUATE THIS INACCURACY!


    1. Jack, I’ve been corrected so many stinking times that I’ll be dreaming of semiautomatic rifles for years to come.

      It’s a bulgarian made AK-74 that’s a Semi Automatic rifle. Happy?


    2. Hitlers propaganda minister let the cat out of the bag when he observed “Tell a lie the same way often enough & it will become accepted as truth”.
      This is standard procedure for socialists.
      The term “assault rifle” did not exist until Adolf Hitler named the NAZI STG44. Assault rifle is NAZI terminology.
      Assault rifles fire low powered rifle caliber cartridges & are “select fire”. This means capable of either full or semi automatic fire by moving a control device on the firearm. If the firearm is, in fact, an assault rifle it is controled by federal law, requireing a class 3 license, which takes a year or more to acquire. This license is the only legal way to own, purchase, posess, or sell any & all fully automatic firearms. If it is semi automatic capable only it is NOT an assault rifle.
      But then socialists whether they be Communist,NAZI(National SOCIALIST Workers) or democrats all abide by the “tell a lie —– rule”


  15. Great article, great insight, Very well spoken. When its close to home the pain and reality becomes a lot more personal. Lots of bad mouthing of your opinion in the responses to your blog. Some make sense (when the writer actually has experienced a firestorm.) Some, its obvious have never been in a life and death situation and can only imagine what they would do. I practice, I carry, I am qualified to shoot my weapon. I hope and pray if I am in the position of having to fire my weapon in defense of myself, family or someone else, that I am able to react with just half the ability and prowess some of these people writing here speak of so boldly. My point is, its OK to talk the talk, but you don’t really know if you can walk the walk until its your turn to go down the path. All the physical preparation you can do, as good as you able to shoot, you better have the proper mental mindset before you pull the gun out of your holster. God Bless America!


  16. I think we need to look at the aspect that at the time of the founding of this great country, we just had a war with a government that wanted to control us. The reason for the second amendment was so that if the new government ever got corrupted that the people (who are the government) could take back control from the people that are supposed to represent them. It was also meant that you had a right to defend yourself, your property, your family, or anyone else needing help from tyranny.
    I lived 13 years in Colorado. several in Aurora. My prayers went out to the victims of this horrific crime. I do have a CCW permit and I do carry. It is exactly like instances like this that I do. Nobody will know how they will react in a situation like this one. If you do draw will you even get the opportunity to shoot. no one can really say until you are faced with it. I am a law abiding individual, but I am seeing a lot of our freedoms taken away in the name of safety. The second amendment didn’t specify how you had to carry or what you can carry or how much training you must have, and there is a reason for that, once someone can make a law that says only certain people can carry then they will tighten the law until nobody can carry. Are there people who shouldn’t carry YES, but if I am going to take their rights away I have to be willing to have mine taken away as well. I for one am not willing to lose my rights. The law covers what happened The shooter will stand trial and he will get what is coming to him. We as a people cannot stop violence, but we can deal with it when it happens. We as a people have to defend ourselves we cannot rely on police, they are reactionary and backup to the citizen. Don’t get me wrong here either we need police they are trained and I value them highly, but they are citizens just like us, but we gave them authority. COP (citizen on patrol)
    The thing with concealed carry is open carry panics people. somehow we got the notion in people’s heads that guns are bad. So I conceal carry as I do not wish to scare people. Seems stupid to need a permit for that, but it is the law.
    As for semi automatic rifles I own several. I now live in Montana. we do use them to hunt at times, but mainly being a rural state the Sheriff’s office can take up to two hours to get to remote locals. If something bad happens around my ranch I want my semi auto handy, not just my 5 shot hunting rifle.
    I guess I will leave with one final thought I would rather carry my pistol and never need it my entire life than to need it and not have it.


  17. Frank, you are seriously misinformed about what a trained shooter is capable of. I suggest you attend an IDPA or IPSC shoot in your area. Based on what you’ve written here, I believe you will have a “come to Jesus” moment and begin to understand that the way to stop a mass killing is by having more trained concealed-carriers available to respond to incidents like these. Also look up “Active Shooter Response” and see what the proper response to a mass shooter is according to all legitimate trainers… Best wishes.


    1. I don’t think I’m misinformed at all on what trained shooter is capable of. Last time I checked, it’s more than the untrained one.

      If you read my follow-up “I’m a hypocrite”, I proposed mandatory training.


  18. Interesting post. I agree with some but not all. If someone carrying a concealed carry weapon had fired back, I think the shooting would have stopped. The shooter was clearly a coward – wearing body armor and surrendered immediately when the police arrived. One shot fired at him, hit or not and he would have fled the scene, end of shooting. PS: I’m an ex army officer (1968-1970) and retired law enforcement with 37 years experience. Also a former LE firearms instructor.
    I ALWAYS carry a concealed weapon. I would have taken the shot.


    1. No one has mentioned that the active shooter in question was also…never in the military or police force and wasn’t trained. Yet that untrained shooter…Somehow, I think a legal weapon, openly, or concealed, by someone in that theater, would have made a difference in the positive direction.


  19. I seriously doubt you own an actual “assault rifle”. By definition an assault rifle must have a selector switch for either burst or full auto fire. These weapons are illegal for almost all U.S. civilians to own.

    I too live in Colorado, and I own a Bushmaster AR-15 rifle. It’s semi-automatic, and I’m assuming you know what that means. Chances are you own a similar weapon. Most likely it fires a .223 round, is black, has a telescoping stock and a pistol grip, and is based on the original M-16 platform. But with one major difference. It’s almost certainly semi-automatic, which by definition disqualifies it from being an “assault rifle”.

    Not a bad article, but you should check your facts before you publish it. Also, I can tell you from experience that elite special forces units are certainly trained and qualified to react well under fire, but almost all police and standard military units are not. In fact, police officers fire their weapons less often than many civilians I know.


    1. Totally right. Bulgarian made AK-74 that shoots 5.45 x 39. Semi Auto. Not an assault rifle. I plead ignorance to that fact.

      Never, in the history of the internet, will I ever again call civilian AK or an AR-15 an assault rifle unless I see the selector switch.


  20. If you take the time to research news articles you will find inumerable instances when armed “civilians” *made* a difference. Would they have made a difference in this assault? Its true we don’t know. But it is equally true that we know exactly the outcome if *no one* but the shooter is armed.

    Concerning training of police versus “civilians”. Unless you are talking about SWAT team members, it is just as likely that law enforcement training is sub par. Course the flip side is that when seconds count, the police are only minutes away.

    So unless we want to put heavily armed guards at the back door of every last public gathering place, or forcibly confiscate every last weapon, the best option is for responsible citizens to arm and train themselves.


    1. If you include off duty LEO’s as ‘armed citizenry’, there was an incident not so far from that theater where a possible spree was averted by an armed individual in a church parking lot. Even the anti-gun Clinton justice department claimed (after researching) that firearms are used as many as 1.5 million times a year to defend civilians from criminals. Civilians DO make a difference… They shoot more criminals every year than the police do, and they make less mistakes while doing so. Believe it or not, for every 4 people mistakenly shot as criminals by civilians, 11 are mistakenly killed by police. Armed civilians are in fact, statistically speaking, more effective and less prone to kill the wrong guy.


  21. I take issue with a few of your comments about concealed carry.
    1. I am a former Missouri State Highway Patrol Trooper and your references to police are incorrect when it comes to training. “Unless you’ve trained with the exact weapons system you’re carrying, you’ll miss. It takes hundreds of hours with a firearm to really be proficient. Do you know what you’d do if it jams? Can you reload before the last round leaves your chamber? How many rounds in your magazine? Have you even practiced drawing your weapon if it’s concealed?” Asking a person if they have practiced drawing from their holster when concealed and if a person knows how to clear a jam are the only two valid comments you made. Sorry but it does not take training with an exact weapons system to make a person hit a target, the fundamentals of aiming and firing a weapon are the same across the board. It doesn’t take hundreds of hours with a weapon to become proficient. Overall effectiveness does degrade without practice however getting to the range a few times a month keeps the muscle memory on track. Once out of the police academy police typically re-certify with their weapon 2-4 times a year depending on department, that means they go through the department qualification test. Most departments only require this once a year and most departments do not mandate any additional training time on the range. Using a weapon against another person in a firefight does require a certain mental prospective but don’t overstate the amount of training they receive. Your blog makes it sound as though police train like the Infantry, truth is most police have little more training than the average civilian. I imaging many people will call B.S. on this but once out of the police academies there is not much training involved with police, just enough to get their continuing education requirement met. I do agree that many people do not have the proper situational awareness that is needed however I think you are giving to little credit also. Also and this is very important as your tone implies that other than you and people in and around Aurora, Co should have an opinion, Frank I understand this happened in your “back yard” and you may not like that other people have an opinion but this is America Frank and all people are allowed to have an opinion on things that happen in this country. You may not agree with them because they live 2,000 miles away from you and the murder but that does not make them wrong or give you the right to tell them to shut up. One more thin Frank, if you don’t feel that you have adequate training to defend yourself in an event like this I suggest you take some self defense courses and spend more time at the range. I don’t claim to be Jack Bauer or Jason Bourne, but I do feel that I have the ability to defend myself in a bad situation. So No, Frank We Will Not Shut Up about Concealed Carry, Gun Rights and Laws, We also have an opinion and if YOU don’t like it, YOU CAN SHUT UP!


    1. I never wanted to make it sound like other people couldn’t have an opinion, ever. I wanted them to share their thoughts at an appropriate time. Again, when there are people still in critical condition in the hospital, I really didn’t want to hear how folks in another state would have stopped it.

      I don’t know how it’s anything other than disrespectful when people are recovering from their woulds and someone in another state has decided that the problem is that they weren’t armed.

      To say that you shouldn’t ever share you opinion… no. You SHOULD. But let’s bury our friends, family, and neighbors, first.

      As far as training goes, I’ll be taking a course in about a month or so.

      I never made as far as police academy, so I don’t know how good it is.

      I’ve never claimed to be an authority. This was a rant on a saturday night that gained more attention than I ever would have thought. Thank you for correcting me.


  22. The only thing I really find fault with in this well written diatribe, is the claim that it would have been legal for licensed owners to carry a concealed weapon into that theater. This is incorrect. Once a business states a policy that precludes concealed carry onto their premises, it becomes illegal to carry concealed on their property. Cinema 16 has a publicly declared ‘no guns’ policy. I’m not saying taht this kept people from carrying that may have otherwise, but it well could have.


    1. You’ll need to cite the specific line of the statute. As far as I can tell it is:

      “3. Any public building that prohibits ALL weapons which posts guards and permanent metal detectors at all entrances and requires all entrants to surrender handguns to security personnel before entry”

      That is not a movie theatre


  23. Open carry is 100% LEGAL in NH WITHOUT ANY TYPE of permit.


  24. Oh, and just exactly how much training did the crazy in the theater have that was able to kill 12 and injure 50+ ?????


  25. Frankly, Frank, unless your rifle can fire on full automatic, it is not an assault rifle.I fired both M-14 and M-16 assault rifles in the military. These days I enjoy my semi-automatic AR-15 sports rifle. The media doesn’t know or doesn’t want to know the difference.


    1. Lord knows I know the difference now. But thank you again for the correction.


  26. Words have meanings. Just because you or a political person or the news calls a weapon an assault rifle does not make it one! To be an assault weapon,

    It must be an individual weapon with provision to fire from the shoulder (i.e. a buttstock);
    It must be capable of selective fire;
    It must have an intermediate-power cartridge: more power than a pistol but less than a standard rifle or battle rifle;
    Its ammunition must be supplied from a detachable magazine rather than a feed-belt.
    And it should at least have a firing range of 300 meters (1000 feet)

    If it conforms to the second item you must have a class 3 Federal Firearms License to own it, as it is a felony to own a full automatic weapon with out a class 3 FFL. What you have is a normal semiautomatic rifle it does not matter what it looks like, it is still just a semiautomatic rifle. The AK47s you can buy in the states are not assault rifles as they can not be switched to full auto by throwing a switch. They are semiautomatics just like any semi auto deer rifle, will not shoot any faster, and will probably not shoot as accurately.


  27. I am in my early sixties, have handled weapons my entire life, Purchased all my weapons legally, I am very proficient in handling a hand gun or a long rifle. More importantly I am very proficient in controlling the matter between my ears. Situational awareness is essential in these trying times. Had I been in the theatre, I assure I have the mental fortitude and the strict gun control in my wrist, to place a well placed .45 round to his plastic face shield, from the back seats, or the front seat, to have stopped the madman.


  28. The debate about gun control seems to always be around and it always will. It is a pointless debate. Politicians know that no matter what side of the debate that they are on, they win! It allows them another moment in the spotlight which is what they want. I say that the debate is pointless because gun violence is not the problem but a symptom of the problem. Other symptoms are drug abuse, rape, pornography, etc. The problem is that we have take our moral compass and thrown it out the window in favor of political correctness (enter the politicians again). Without a moral compass we all do as we feel right seems like. If we are doing what we feel is right, we have no responsibility to change. That is the real problem and it belongs to every individual. We all need to take responsibility to take the moral high road in every situation. Mike Huckabee recently said “We don’t have a gun problem, we have a sin problem”


  29. Wow…I’m almost speechless.
    1) I have a concealed carry and utilize the right to carry. I have an obligation if i do; train myself even though the law of my state does not require so. For years I have honored my promise to shoot a minimum of 250 rounds in every firearm I choose to carry
    2) You own an assault rifle? How sad. My rifle has never “assaulted” anyone. However, I do own many tactical “firearms”
    3) This article needs some fact checking. It stinks. Period. It may pass as entertainment, but never as true journalism


    1. Very well said. ^This^


  30. Wow, honesty, so rare on both sides of the gun issue. This is not TV, you don’t get to walk away with a band aid and sling on you’re shoulder after a shoot out with the bad guys. Not enough folks come forward with this kind of reality. This is what separates mature, lawful American gun owners from the self-serving fanatics on both sides of the issue.

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