Guns are the key to L.A.�s crime crisis: Mayoral candidates Villaraigosa and Hahn have both pledged to hire more police officers. Yet there is a more effective solution to LA�s crime that costs the public nothing. The winner of the May 17th election should direct Police Chief William Bratton or his successor, to issue a permit to carry a concealed weapon (CCW) to every eligible applicant. (Felons, children, drug addicts, the insane, etc. are ineligible by law. Furthermore, applicants must attend a gun safety class and pass marksmanship qualifications.) urrently, Chief Bratton routinely denies applications from people who are not celebrities and do not work for the government, regardless of how much these �ordinary citizens� need protection.... There is little to fear from CCW holders, since they tend to be among the most conscientious of citizens. Researcher David Kopel notes, �In Florida, where 315,000 permits have been issued, there are only five known instances of violent gun crime by a person with a permit.This makes a permit-holding Floridian the cream of the crop of law-abiding citizens... The time is now for Los Angeles residents to have the means for self-defense in public when their police cannot.


Ohio: Gun law marks its first year: "Friday was the first anniversary of the Ohio concealed handgun law, marking the end of a year that was significant because of two things that didn't happen. Ohio didn't return to Wild West shootout days as feared by some, and fewer people applied for licenses than proponents of the law had expected."


Michigan: CCW law may change after nearly four years: "It will be four years this summer since it became easier in Michigan to get a permit to carry a concealed weapon. Now some state lawmakers are considering changes. Some gun rights advocates want lawmakers to allow concealed weapons in public areas, such as schools, hospitals and churches, where firearms mostly are banned. Other possible changes include moving the permitting and application process from the counties to the Secretary of State's office and allowing permits to be renewed without turning in new fingerprints."