Yet another case for concealed carry

Let me start by saying that I'm whispering this post, as Mrs. Jib and I do not see eye to eye on this topic.

The Journal Sentinel editorial board on Friday ran this editorial in which they assert that government needs to do more to protect judges from those who "menace" the system. The two solutions they offer? The Federal Government paying for security systems at the homes of judges and security improvement at court houses. I agree with government being responsible for better security at court houses, although that would not have prevented what happened in Atlanta today. I disagree with the Feds paying for security at the homes of judges, as a security system is a cost that judges should be able to sustain on their own with their salaries. The Journal Sentinel misses the obvious third solution, though. Legalize concealed carry. And not just for judges, a thought that Charlie Sykes raised on his show Friday. Legalize concealed carry for all who meet the legal requirements.

Mrs. Jib believes that this would make police work more dangerous, and one of the last things she wants is to worry about her officers more than she already does. Her concern falls through a crack in logic, though. The person who jumps through all of the government hoops to legally carry a concealed weapon is not going to be flippant about it and risk losing their ability to do so. The people that police would need to worry about are the ones they already have to worry about-those who illegally carry guns. At least with concealed carry, law abiding citizens, including judges and their families, have a chance to protect themselves at the time they are assaulted instead of becoming a part of a police murder investigation later.

The most unfortunate thing about the Journal Sentinel's suggestions and mine is that none of them would have likely prevented the murder of Judge Lefkow's family or the murders in Atlanta. Both were exceptional events. Even a security system would not have prevented Bart Ross from gaining access to Judge Lefkow's home; it would have only given her husband and mother a few moments of warning, and unless they had guns in their home, both would still have been vulnerable to an armed intruder. In Atlanta, the suspect took the gun off of a deputy, and the only solution to that is compromising courtroom safety by taking guns away from those responsible for protecting those in the courtroom, making everyone vulnerable to the individual who can sneak a firearm into a court.

Update
Blogger Beer has more on concealed carry in Wisconsin.