Saturday, June 7, 2008

I knew a hero.

One of my older blog posts has been chosen as a headline story for the entire weekend at Buckeye Firearms.

A deeply personal story, and difficult to tell, I wept as I wrote it...
So, go. Read.

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

It is #1 on today's KeepAndBearArms.com presentation of articles.

An OUTSTANDING document, Breda.
It brings the issue of CCW limitations into clear and undeniable focus.

I've saved it and plan to offer it to any friend or acquaintance who expresses the slightest hint of an open mind on the subject.

Thank you for sharing.
Fud

Earl said...

Excellent every time I read it, thanks and I should have left a mark but think they have other ways to note my visit. Seattle Mayor is trying to get guns out of his parks, but State Law trumps, so far. It always has to be a fool elected in Seattle, must a software flaw.

qmmcw QuietMinuteMenConcealedCarry

Anonymous said...

When will the PSH over guns stop? When will "John Q. Public" see the positive about those who plan not to be victims?

Breda, I'm with you. And, all the others who beleive in personal freedom and responsibilty.

doubletrouble said...

Well written young lady, however sad the story is.
My belated condolences.

But, congrats on being "front page above the fold"!

Anonymous said...

I couldn't read that without tears. Thank you for sharing such an important story.

Brent Greer said...

Was excellent -- and heartwrenching -- the first time I read it. It brought it all back. I'm glad the BFA folks thought to use it too, and that it was picked up by KABA.

Keep up your excellent work, my friend!

the pawnbroker said...

here and in most similar cases, five minutes is a lifetime, or several...

sounds like pete would have been the perfect final armed defense, and could still be alive to receive his honors...these exclusionary laws are beginning to be beaten back, as earl noted and also incrementally in ga and fl...pushing for eliminating limitations on licensed carry is critical right now.

difficult but lovely and important story, breda: thank you for sharing it...jtc

Mark said...

Oh, Breda - I am so sorry. This is going with Tam's essay on why HCI wants her dead, to be presented anytime anyone argues for gun control. Even though I'm here in the UK, and it's a lost cause - doesn't stop me fighting.

You did know a hero - be proud of that. Peter Christopher was a Man, of the stripe not found often these days.

My face is soaking, and I'm not ashamed - a good man fell nobly, when he may have fought nobly - and may people learn from this, the lesson you're teaching.

Check six, Breda, and all my heart with you this moment.

Anonymous said...

Thanks Breda, a profoundly touching story, and a wonderful piece of writing.

Anonymous said...

"...but I do know that no man should die because he was unable to protect himself from someone who meant him harm."

I cannot understand those who would disagree with this creed.

Mostly, there are good, innocent, law-abiding people in this country. But there are some bad people, too. To deny the good ones the right to defend themselves and each other from the bad ones is incomprehensible.

Will the bad ones stop being bad, or at least go away, if we don't resist and just give them what they want? I don't bet my life on it. Other people seem perfectly willing to bet my life on it. I resent that.

I resent the fact that - as a means toward their utopian, socialist, communal, gun-free, classless society - I'm expendable.

Should we allow teachers, etc. to carry arms in schools? For self-defense, absolutely. As part of the school security plan, no. That's what trained law enforcement personnel are for. True, the knowledge that some administrators might be carrying would indeed be a deterrent. That's the whole concept of CCW.

We can afford the presence (or the perceived presence) of armed law enforcement on school campuses. It's all a matter of priorities. If we can set up a police sub-station in a strip mall, we can give them a desk and an office in every school.

In fact, that should be the mandatory alternative. If school employees are prohibited - by law or by policy - from carrying concealed weapons for self-defense, then the school district should fund and provide facilities for full-time law enforcement. They might want to throw in a $1,000,000 insurance policy for each employee who may be injured or killed as a result of criminal activity against which the use of deadly force would have been justified.

My primary concern is the ability to maintain custody and physical control over the firearm. It must be on your person at all times when not otherwise stored in a secure room and container. You must be willing to fight with and cause serious physical injury or death to anyone who might attempt to take it away.

I'm not sure a school employee could bring him/herself to take the drastic step of shooting a student. You'd have to ask yourself that question every morning and answer "yes" or else leave the gun at home.

But it's a moot point. Federal law prohibits knowingly OR recklessly discharging or attempting to discharge a firearm within a school zone. There are a few exceptions, but self defense isn't one of them.

Assrot said...

Breda,

Thank you for sharing that story. I know from my own personal experience how traumatic such an occurrence can be and how you never really forget and you never fully heal.

People need to see things like this and know what they are doing when they vote for stupid, feel good laws like not allowing a trained and licensed, law abiding citizen carry protection wherever they see fit.

They just made it legal for Floridians to keep a gun in their locked car at work if the person that owns the car and the gun has a CCW permit.

The law does not apply to educational institutions and if anyone is caught with a gun on the property of an educational institution anywhere in Florida, it is an automatic 3 years sentence if you are convicted. The judge has no leeway or choice of any kind on the sentence.

Among other places, I spend a great deal of my time working at one of Florida's Universities. Just about a month ago we had a student bring a gun on campus and shoot up one of the on-campus student dormitories where I work occasionally.

Thankfully, the guy was drunk or high and apparently could not hit whatever his intended target was so no one was hurt. The entire campus was locked down and only level one employees were allowed on campus.

My thoughts have always been that if I have no history of mental illness, substance abuse, violent tendencies and have passed the background checks for not only a CCW but also an FFL why am I not trusted to carry protection everywhere I go?

I am a level 1 employee. I have the same training and security clearances as a police officer yet I am not allowed the freedom to protect myself or my fellow innocent citizens and being a level 1 employee, I am also not allowed to leave. I will lose my job if I leave during an emergency because I am level 1 but I am not allowed to do anything else but sit in my office like a deer in the headlights.

Our government at its finest heh? When will these moron anti-gunners learn that if the nutjob that wants to shoot up a place thinks someone might be armed and might shoot back that they will give their actions a second thought?

It's been proven time after time that less guns = more violent crime. What we have to do is speak out as you did and keep speaking out and stop electing anti-gun politicians.

Good luck and be safe. My prayers to you and your lost friends due to what I see as ignorant government negligence.

Joe

Xavier said...

My wife and I wept too. Thank you for sharing.

phlegmfatale said...

I remember when you posted this originally. What a lovely and heroic person Pete was. His unnecessary death was a loss to all of us. We all are diminished when our government prevents good from triumphing over evil.