The Deadly Cost
of “Waiting”...
BY TIM SCHMIDT -
USCCA FOUNDER
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When it comes down to the matter of wasted
time, I think Benjamin Franklin may have said it best: “Lost time is
never found again.” No matter how much we plan ahead or how hard we try,
time is always moving forward. We simply can’t turn back the clock.
I sure do wish I had the power to turn back the clock, especially for
Carol Bowne. You see, I’m thinking about time right now, because I am so
deeply saddened by the situation involving Bowne’s death on June 3, at
the hand of her ex-boyfriend. Late at night, outside her own home in
Berlin, New Jersey, this 39-year-old woman was brutally stabbed to death.
This scenario, alone, is tragic and horrible. But what really makes this
situation unacceptable is that Bowne had applied for her firearms permit
in an effort to protect herself…MONTHS before her tragic death occurred.
She knew that a restraining order wasn’t enough to deter this convicted
felon. She knew she needed to take action.
Sadly, Bowne’s own home state let her down. New Jersey—which has some of
the strictest gun laws in the nation—happens to be one of the worst
places for responsible gun owners. And this young woman lost her life
because of lost time.
Lost time waiting for her permit.
Lost time waiting for permission to protect herself.
Lost time waiting for an outdated and restrictive process to tell her she
was allowed to exercise her Second Amendment rights.
Bowne’s senseless murder could have been prevented. If she had been able
to carry a gun, she would have at least had a fighting chance. She did
the right thing. She followed the law and began the months-long process
of obtaining a handgun. But that “may-issue” process failed her. In fact,
she checked the status of her firearms permit just two days before her
murder. But New Jersey’s requirement of time interfered…and cost Bowne
her life. At the time of her death, her 41-day-old request to protect
herself with a firearm was still being processed.
Bowne’s senseless murder is also further evidence that better reciprocity
laws are needed nationwide. This is not simply a New Jersey issue. This
is an American issue. We can’t just shake our heads and take comfort in
the fact that we might not live in the Garden State. Tragedies like this
remind us that we all need to stand together as a nation and defend our
Constitutional rights.
Take my home state of Wisconsin, for example. The state Senate recently
approved a bill that would eliminate our decades-old, 48-hour-waiting
period for handgun purchases. It’s at least a step in the right
direction.
The bottom line, though, is this: Carol Bowne was left defenseless to a
known violent predator, stripped of her right to protect herself with a
firearm.
As Dave Workman points out in the Examiner,
“If Bowne’s tragic death tells us anything, it is that bureaucratic red
tape can no longer be considered a mere inconvenience. Its use can be
fatal.”
Indeed, Bowne paid the ultimate price while she waited for the chance to
defend herself with a gun.
So here’s my message to New Jersey and to all other states who continue
to meddle in the private affairs and with the personal freedoms of
law-abiding men and women:
Carol Bowne’s blood isn’t just on her attacker’s hands. It’s on your hands.
Everyone should be able to protect himself or herself against danger by
bearing arms. Everyone deserves a fighting chance. Everyone deserves
time.
“Shall not be infringed” applies to us all.
Take Care and Stay Safe,
Tim Schmidt
Publisher - Concealed Carry Report
USCCA Founder
P.S. - Don't
forget to check out the 3rd video in the Self-Defense Aftermath Series to
hear the true story of a USCCA member and what happened when he found
himself with his back against the wall - charged with a crime simply for
doing what was right… Listen to his full
story here and feel free to leave a comment...
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