It broke my heart to open the paper on December 9th and read that Dimebag Darrell, former guitarist for the great band Pantera, had been killed in Columbus by a gun wielding "fan." The sadness of the news was only compounded by the fact that it happened in the town that I live and often see concerts in. However, the tragedy of the concert was overshadowed by disgust when I read in article in Cleveland's Plain Dealer that quoted a statement released by Ohioans for Concealed Carry. The advocacy group claimed that Darrell's death was a prime case where a crowd carrying concealed weapons in a bar (for defense) would have lessened the violence.
OCC failed to notice that the shooting was the result of a deranged man carrying a concealed weapon. The pro-gun community is so enamored with the prospect of concealed weapons that they have shamelessly pegged themselves as the solution to an incident where their issue was the problem. Perhaps the members of Ohioans for Concealed Carry have never been in a bar or mosh pit before, and therefore don't realize that fights are a common occurrence in the realms of alcohol and heavy metal. Legal concealed weapons would only elevate the atmosphere of aggression, not deter it. Heightened security is the solution to tragedies like Dimebag's shooting, not more guns. It's bad enough that people must worry about lunatics carrying weapons. These citizens shouldn't also have to fear the legal, would-be vigilante that may lose his cool under the influence of liquor and crowds.
Kent Cherny Sophomore English and economics
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