Letter to the Editor

Missouri using common sense on weapons issue

To the editor:

I'm glad to hear you guys are discussing concealed weapons with calm and common sense.

My wife is a native of St. Louis, and I resided there for seven years. We are both NRA pistol and home safety instructors.

Florida was the first state to pass concealed-carry in 1987. We had the same naysayers as you now have: gunfights over fender benders, shootings over parking spaces and blood flowing in the streets. Guess what? Over the last 16 years none of this has happened. Our crime rate continues to drop, and our lawmakers have learned concealed-weapon license holders are the most law-abiding citizens in the state.

Convicted felons in Florida prisons have said they fear the concealed-weapon holders more than the uniformed law-enforcement officers because they don't know who the concealed-weapon holders are. Good luck, and please keep using common sense. That's what you great Missourians are known for.

DOUG GILMORE

Milton, Fla.