Reply #15: It may not be the answer, but there are other considerations...

[SteveM]

(1) The ability to carry concealed weapons is preeminently an individual right; an effort for an individual to protect him/her self. In other words, it is not social policy designed to remedy a social ill. For this reason alone I support concealed carry permitting. (I realize that Lot and others have argued that where CCW is in place, violent crime has gone down. But the evidence is not convincing as yet.)

(2) Those now carrying concealed firearms have for the most part undergone training above and beyond other civilians who bear arms; hence, they are less likely to use their guns in an imprudent and dangerous manner. For this reason I have no real fears about the number of people on the streets who are packing. I have some concern about criminals and the unqualified who are packing.