MORE GUNS, LESS CRIME? These guys are believers:
At the Vol Market No. 3 on Western Avenue, the person preparing your food, cashing your check or ringing you up at the register likely will be wearing a holstered handgun on their hip.
But unlike most Tennesseans who have a handgun carry permit, Vol Market owners have decided that open display as a visual deterrent is preferable to concealment as final protection. . . .
Store employees have been carrying guns openly after the 1996 carry permit law went into effect. Since then, it has not been robbed but was burglarized three times. And several persons who tried to cash stolen checks were detained by employees until police arrived.
“We are not trying to be police officers, we just want to protect what is ours,” said Frye’s co-owner, Rich Nichols, 32. “We’ve never had to draw the guns.”
Interesting, and about what I would have expected, actually. Nothing’s foolproof, of course, but cops wear guns, and they’re seldom mugged.
UPDATE: A reader emails:
I love this. It’s a free market – you can choose to go to the supermarket where the help carry guns, or the one down the street where they don’t, wherever you feel safer!
I know which one I’d choose — especially over on Western Avenue.
ANOTHER UPDATE: As Spoons notes, Chicago is less progressive than Knoxville in this respect. Chicago needs to update its gun laws. If it saves just one life, it’s worth it!
YET ANOTHER UPDATE: Hey, the traditional approach to crime is making a comeback!
Following the recent armed burglary at Cilla Black’s house, another great old dame of British television has decided to take the Tony Martin approach to home protection.
“I’ve just bought myself a gun,” says Lily Savage star Paul O’Grady at the launch of Black’s autobiography, What’s It All About? “After what happened to Cilla, I’m not taking any chances. If I’m lying in bed and any gob-shite burglars are in my house, thinking I’m not going to do anything, then they’ll be in for a shock.
“I’ll shoot them in the kneecaps and feed them to my pigs. I’m with Tony Martin on this one. If you’re in my house and you shouldn’t be, then I’ll shoot you, simple as that.”
You go, girl.