- Here in the U.S., we have the right to ‘bear arms’.  This ‘right’ was established for us by Article 2 of the United States Bill of Rights.Â
– The original idea, I think, was that a government is suppose to serve its people, not oppress them. Â Allowing the country’s citizens to bear arms is a way of ensuring the government’s good behavior.
– I know that most other countries consider this an odd idea and even here in the U.S., there has always been a lot of debate about it.
– Regardless of what you might think about it, the article below is, I think, a reflection of the growing sense of insecurity here in the U.S.   This article is about the State of Washington where I am currently living here in the U.S.
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SEABECK, Wash. – In Julian Piercy’s mind, the small bulge in his shirt near his lower back is a way of “leveling a situation.”
The clip that he fastens to his waist band before leaving the house isn’t just another accessory. It gives him an option, he said, when all others are off the table and a life is on the line.
When he feels the pressure of metal on his back, it gives him confidence that he has a chance of protecting those he cares about most.
“As a parent, I am the first line of defense for my children,” he said. “Not the police.”
Piercy, a nursing student at Olympic College, lifts his shirt to reveal a .45-caliber Springfield XD, a black semi-automatic handgun that weighs about 30 ounces when loaded. He carries constantly with a few exceptions mostly when he’s on campus and prohibited from doing so.
Having carried in his younger days because, frankly, he could, Piercy, 38, has once again obtained a license to carry a concealed weapon and is getting used to the feel of carrying again.
“The gun doesn’t make me invincible, smarter, or tougher than anyone else,” he said. “It’s merely there as a tool.”
Spurred by fear of a violent attack or because they have actually survived one more Washingtonians are getting a concealed pistol license. The license, or CPL, allows them to travel with a hidden gun among an unknowing public. License holders jumped from about 179,000 to 258,000, 43 percent, between 2003 and 2007. The state Department of Licensing says permit applications in Kitsap County jumped from 1,587 in 2004 to 3,339 in 2007.
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