Regarding The Herald’s Aug. 29 story, “County changes process for concealed pistol Licenses”:
When considering that 69,000 people in Snohomish County have a concealed pistol permit, and 627,500 in the state have the same authority to carry a concealed weapon, you must concede that guns are not the problem. Before a concealed-carry license can be issued, people have been fingerprinted and submit to extensive background checks through local, state and federal law enforcement agencies.
It would be interesting to know how many people with permits in Washington have used their weapons during the commission of a crime, as opposed to the population who do not have a permit. According to national FBI statistics, permit holders are much less likely to be involved in any criminal activity than the general population.
We must somehow come to the understanding that people with guns, and legal access to guns, are not the crime problem portrayed in the media. We must once again focus on the criminal, and start strictly enforcing firearms laws already on the books.
John Branthoover
Arlington
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