I did not vote \Jim Doyle for Governor"" on Nov. 6, 2002. As a daring college journalist, I try to keep my political leanings as close to the middle as possible. I'm a hard-headed conservative on a few issues, a zealous liberal on others, but most of the time, I'm incredibly moderate on most political topics.
Here we are, about a month shy of Jimmy's first anniversary as head honcho, and to his credit, Wisconsin hasn't declared martial law, been subject to forest fires, power outages, SARS infestations or the reality-television epidemic. Alright, alright-he failed on that last one, but give him a break; he's doing the best he can. ""Rich Girls"" and ""Stage Moms"" are tougher than they look.
But now, it's time for Gov. Jim Doyle to show us what he's made of.
It is highly likely Doyle will implement his veto powers some time this week, in order to strike down the conceal and carry bill that has passed in the state Assembly and Senate. In my estimation, this choice will be the most important he'll ever have to make as governor.
I am neither a gun-rights advocate nor an anti-gun enthusiast. I love guns-in movies, TV shows, comic book, and certainly, in video games. I've never gone hunting and neither of my parents own firearms, but I respect hunters and the right to own guns in this country.
However, the repeal of Wisconsin's 130-year-old ban on conceal and carry passed by the state Legislature has nothing to do with those gun-related subjects; it only concerns one's ability to carry a loaded weapon, hidden underneath a jacket or shirt, in public areas and on city streets.
The argument I've been hearing is the same old ""if guns are outlawed only outlaws will have guns"" type of rhetoric-that shady people will always be illegally packing heat, so why not arm the rest of us?
I concede that this is a valid position. Unfortunately, there are many people who genuinely feel that the only way to solve their problems is with a gun. But making it legal for most everyone to carry a gun at all times will mean bad things for us all.
If it's just responsible people that are granted a license to conceal and carry, we have nothing to worry about, right? Wrong. Responsible people, like everyone else, lose their composure and have ""bad days."" All it will take is one minor breakdown in judgment and a concealed gun is transformed into the very evil it was meant to protect against.
I don't want the added worry an increase in people carrying guns will create; worries about friends when they break-up with significant others, family members when they cut someone off in their car, professors when they hand back exams, or about myself, when I knock someone's beer over at a party or tell my neighbors to keep the noise down.
No amount of riders or conditions tacked onto the bill, outlining where someone is or isn't allowed to conceal and carry, will improve anything. Hypothetically, if I was carrying around a loaded gun for ""my protection,"" I sure as hell wouldn't take the time to pack it up during an hour-long class or a quick meal at McDonald's, and neither would anybody else.
When Gov. Doyle signs the veto for the conceal and carry bill this week, he will have my undivided respect and support. I may not have voted for him, and I don't agree with everything he does, but by tabling the bill, for at least a while, Doyle is respecting my life and yours.
writePNL@yahoo.com.
