More Guns Less Crime, John Jr [free novels TXT] 📗

by illegally carrying a concealed handgun—a gun that he wasn't even allowed to own legally in Chicago, let alone carry with him.

In the pre-dawn hours Tuesday, 81-year-old Bruno Kosinski looked like an easy mark for a robbery. Kosinski, a frail man with thinning white hair who shuffles his feet as he walks slightly hunched over, was getting into his car in Ukrainian Village when he felt something wet on his head. In a few brief moments, two teenagers allegedly squirted pepper spray in his face, pushed him to the ground, took his wallet and, still unsatisfied, threatened to kill him, police said. Kosinski did something authorities said was rare: The 5-foot-5 elderly man used a concealed handgun he carries in his pants. Without saying a word, he got to his feet and fired once.... Kosinski, admitting he illegally carried a concealed handgun, was

unapologetic. "I don't feel at all sorry that it happened," said Kosinski "The

least that I could do was defend myself." (Bechetta Jackson and Todd Lightly, "Aged Hold-Up Victim Shoots Teen Suspect," Chicago Tribune, Dec. 8, 1998, sec. 2, p. 8)

119. Mene Tekel Upharsin, "Homeowner Grabs Gun for Self-Defense, Assists Police in Capture of Escaped Murderer," Associated Press Newswire, Aug. 21, 1999, 8:37 EDT. What would have become a multiple-victim public shooting at a business in July 1999 was stopped by a person with a concealed handgun ("Gunman Turns Weapon on Gun Store Employees, Is Wounded in Shootout," St. Louis Post-Dispatch (from Reuters), July 7, 1999, p. All; and see also Thomas Sowell, "Why Does Media Hide Benefits of Arming Citizens?" Bergen County (NJ) Record, July 19, 1999, p. L3). Typical is the story of a Greenville, North Carolina, restaurant owner who prevented a robbery with a gun that he carried with him all the time "in the small of his back" (Travis Fain, "Man Shot, Killed in Attempted Robbery," Daily Reflector, June 2, 1999, p. Bl). Other articles on prevented robberies from June 1999 can be found in the Providence Journal, June 18, 1999; the Prescott (AZ) Daily Courier, June 13, 1999; the Augusta (GA) Chronicle, June 16, 1999; and the Aiken (SC) Standard, June 2, 1999.

120. "Man Charged in Robbery Hurt in Intimidation Bid," Buffalo News, Jan. 16, 1999; "Cops: Woman Shot by Man She Tried to Rob," Orlando Sentinel (from Associated Press), Jan. 10, 1999, p. B4; Seth Muller, "Homeowner Fires .357 at Night Burglar," Martinsburg (WV) Journal, Mar. 2, 1999; Valerie Bauertein, "Woman Kills an Intruder in Her Home," Winston-Salem Journal, Mar. 2, 1999, p. Al; "Woman Shoots Golf Stalker to Death during Attack," Palm Beach Post (from Associated Press), May 12,1999, p. All; Kirk Swauger, "Shooter's Brother: Break-in Not First," Johnstown (PA) Tribune-Democrat, Apr. 10, 1999, p. Al; Bill Blair, "West End Man Slays Intruder," Johnstown (PA) Tribune-Democrat, Apr. 9, 1999, p. Al; Bill Hanna, "Robbery Victim Shoots Suspect," Fort Worth Star-Telegram, June 15, 1999; Mark Duncan, "Hall of Fame Cowboy Stems Tragedy at Ranch: Family Survives Knife Attack," Yavapai County (AZ) Daily Courier, June 13,1999, p. Al; Dan Richardson, "Armed Homeowner Drives Off Intruder," Valley News (VT), July 2,1999; Heather Romero, "Intruder Is Wounded As Shots Fly 'All Over,'" Arizona Daily Star, July 3, 1999, p IB; Beena A. Hyatt, "Intruder Is Killed in Home," Chattanooga Times, July 22,1999, p. Bl; Kate Folmar and Luise Roug, "Late-Night Intruder Gets More Than He Bargained For," Los Angeles Times, Aug. 2, 1999, Orange

NOTES TOPAGES 235-241/307

County edition, p. Bl; and "Homeowner Shoots Man Climbing into Window," Knoxville (TN) Knox-News Sentinel, Aug. 1, 1999.

121. While I find the claims greatly exaggerated, another recent study has come out claiming that sixty-four children under the age of two die every year from sleeping with their parents (Shari Roan, "Baby's First Year: Dangerous to Doze with Baby Alongside?" Los Angeles Times, Oct. 4, 1999, p. SI).

122. Brenda Rodriguez, "Notes Begin to Tell Story of Rampage in Atlanta: Killer Wanted to Exact Revenge," Dallas Morning News, July 31, 1999, p. 1A.

123. Rhonda Cook, "To the Rescue: Salesman Grabs Gun, Prevents Tragedy," Atlanta Journal and Constitution, Aug. 3, 1999, IB; Lyda Longa and David Pendered, "Armed Patient Shot in Grady," Atlanta Journal and Constitution, Aug. 4, 1999, p. IB; Hannity and Colmes, Fox News Network, Aug. 11, 1999 (21:30 EST); and "Armed Georgia Defenders Thwart Two Gunmen," Washington Times (from Reuters), Aug. 4, 1999, p. A9.

124. Carol Robinson, "Gunman Opens Fire at Alabama Business," New Orleans Times-Picayune, Aug. 6, 1999 p. A17.

125. Editorial, "Lethal Weapon," Daily News of Los Angeles, May 6, 1999, p. N20.

126. Elaine Gale, "Grieving Mother Haunted by Crash Scene," Los Angeles Times, May 6, 1999, p. Al.

127. A Nexis search of news stories for the one week after both incidents indicates that Buford Furrow was mentioned in the news about five times as often as Steve Abrams, and that while news accounts of Furrow tended to be full-feature news stories, virtually all of the mentions of Mr. Abrams were fairly minor recounts of the Associated Press story that ran on him. Later in the day it was discovered that Furrow had killed a U.S. Post Office worker, but the initial news coverage was based upon the attack at the community center.

Other writers have done an excellent job of pointing out these biases (Sowell, "Why Does Media Hide Benefits of Arming Citizens?" p. L3; JefTJacoby, "Media Bias Revealed by Crimes That Go Unnoticed," San Jose Mercury News, Aug. 24, 1999).

128. This total includes