To the Editor:

There seems to be a bent in this publication about taking away the gun rights of decent citizens. All this because some psycho is shooting people somewhere. The state finally made a good decision in allowing responsible permit holders to carry concealed weapons on state lands. Waynesville leaders are being unreasonable in their attempt to prevent responsible citizens from protecting themselves in town parks. Anti-gun advocates are always shouting that people are running around carrying guns and that is simply not true. Only psychos and criminals have guns because they really don’t care what the law is. In North Carolina, less than 10 percent of the population has a permit to carry a concealed pistol.

A study will show that those in this group are among the most highly responsible citizens we have. What is not widely known is that, because of severe restrictions in North Carolina, hardly any of them ever carry a concealed pistol. My guess is far less than 1 percent. If you have a “carry permit” you cannot carry a pistol to the bank, the ATM, the VA, the post office, DMV, any school, any government building or office, the movie theatre, a ballgame, or anywhere that someone else is drinking alcohol. As a former NYPD detective, I can tell you that you are probably in the most danger when you go to an ATM at night. If there was a transient drug user that was desperate for cash to get a fix, he’ll be there.

This has to be the most ridiculous and impractical law that North Carolina has. Most states will issue pistol carry permits to business people based on their need to take receipts and cash to the bank.  I have never heard of one case in the U.S. where a permit holder has held up a bank, or has ever committed a crime with their pistol.  These are our most responsible citizens and they always want to protect their right to their permit to carry.

I’ve researched every mass shooting and it is always a psycho who was the shooter, absolutely never a pistol permit holder. In all these unfortunate incidents there was never a citizen present with a concealed pistol who could have stopped the shooter. This is because people with carry permits never actually carry a pistol! They may take it in the car on trips, or when camping, or hiking through the forest, but they seem never to take it with them on their daily chores. Just too many restrictions.  

The shooting of the congresswoman and so many others in Arizona is an example. There were hundreds of people in that shopping center and none had a pistol to stop the shooter. And in Arizona you don’t even need a permit to carry a concealed pistol!

The psycho knows that he can walk into any school or army base and because of restrictions no one will be carrying a pistol.

Personally, I would not hike in the woods without a pistol in my pocket. There is no cell phone service out there and no law enforcement available. Read the newspapers:  we’ve had numerous people killed in the forests in this area and a recent rape also.

Last year, in Macon County, they found a young man (a psycho) carrying an unloaded rifle in the county park. The liberal publisher of the local newspaper, who is from (anti-gun) California, immediately called for a law to prevent legal permit-holders from carrying in the county park. This was ridiculous! Responsible permit-holders are not known to shoot anyone or misuse their pistol. In fact, all the more reason they should carry a pistol in their pocket to protect their children and grandchildren from the psycho in the park!

In North Carolina you need to have eight hours of instruction on the firearms laws and restrictions, and you must demonstrate safe proficiency with the pistol at the firing range before you can even apply for a pistol carry permit. I teach the pistol carry permit classes and I am impressed by the quality of the citizens who attend. In fact, I have refused to issue certificates to several people, so far, who appeared to be “unstable.”

After a citizen gets a certificate from me, they then apply to their county sheriff and they undergo an investigation not just for criminal background but evidence of mental problems. Only a responsible citizen can get a permit to carry. Creating more firearms restrictions on responsible citizens will have no effect at all on the unfortunate acts of psychos and criminals.

Jim Sottile

NC Certified Firearms Instructor

Franklin