| Dear Havelock City and Park Officials, It has come to my attention that you intend to ban concealed carry permit holders from carrying a concealed handgun in certain areas of Havelock parks, such as athletic fields and playgrounds, in response to recent ratification of HB 650, "Castle Doctrine and Concealed Carry Permitted in Parks". The Sun Journal recently quoted Parks & Recreation Director Dave Smith as saying "I can't think of a single reason why there would ever be a need for a handgun in a playground area where we have young children and families participating. I can't think of any good reason for a handgun to be in any of our parks that we have..." If you took the time to review the existing evidence*, you would know that in every jurisdiction where law-abiding citizens with CCH permits have been allowed to carry a concealed firearm, violent crime has gone down, not up. This includes states, municipalities, parks, restaurants, and even bars. CCH permit holders have been vetted by local law-enforcement and the FBI to be law-abiding, sane, sober, trained in the use of a firearm, and knowledgeable of the laws regarding self-defense. Everyone, including parents and children at a ball game, are safer when one is nearby. Someday your life or the life of someone you love may be saved by a CCH permit holder. We live in a dangerous society. I'm sure you recall the deadly massacre at Virginia Tech in 2007. By banning guns from responsible (and permit-carrying) adults in your parks, you are creating an environment much like the Virginia Tech campus where guns were banned, yet a criminal came with a gun anyway. Is it not obvious to you that criminals are attracted to places they know they will not meet armed resistance? You should be aware that unless you are placing armed guards to provide security at your parks, your proposed gun ban may open Havelock to expensive lawsuits in the event of an assault by a criminal in your parks. Despite the legal possibility of posting against concealed carry in narrowly-defined areas of Havelock parks, I encourage you not do so; it is a bad idea as it leaves law-abiding individuals and families defenseless against ever-increasing violent crime. North Carolinian Concealed Handgun Permittees have shown themselves to be extremely responsible and are not a problem that you should be concerned about. Places within Havelock where citizens are not permitted to effectively defend themselves IS a problem that you should begin working to solve. I will be following progress and will alert Grass Roots North Carolina if you make it necessary to do so.
Sincerely, A concerned NC voter * suggested reading: "More Guns, Less Crime: Understanding Crime and Gun Control Laws", Third Edition (Studies in Law and Economics) by John R. Lott Jr. | 
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