Robert Rowe: GOP not gun-shy

It is with dismay that I read the March 31 news article “Several gun bills filed, with more on the way.” More and more freedom and legal rights for gun owners seem to pass the legislature every day. I really thought after the Sandy Hook tragedy this country would finally take a stand and say, “Enough!”

At what point does an individual’s right to bear arms outweigh our society’s responsibility to protect its children and other residents from the casualties that result from the widespread availability and proliferation of guns?

Senate Bill 708, proposed by Sen. Jeff Tarte, would create a new secret class of concealed weapons permit-holders, allowing them to carry handguns anywhere that law enforcement officers can. And the public would not be allowed to know who these people are.

Tarte’s SB 648 would not disqualify anyone treated for temporary insanity from obtaining a concealed handgun permit. What? This was printed on the same page as another article about a woman who was shot in front of three children by her boyfriend.

What good could possibly come from these new proposed Senate bills? What are the senators thinking?

This story was originally published April 27, 2015 at 5:04 PM with the headline "Robert Rowe: GOP not gun-shy."