Misfire from an elected gun-toter

In Virginia, a 16-year member of the legislature shot a bullet into his own bulletproof vest this week at the state capitol. Jack Reid apologized to his fellow lawmakers in Richmond after his .380 handgun went off in his office.

In Virginia, Reid needs a concealed carry permit to bring a gun into the legislature. Here in our state capital, legislators also need a concealed carry permit, available for $140. The license entered our lawbooks when then-Gov. George W. Bush signed it in 1995. The Texas Rifle Association celebrated the five-year anniversary of the law by taking note of a survey of the law's effect on Texas crime:

[Engineer Bill] Sturdevant compared the arrest records of concealed handgun license holders with the arrest records of the general population. [His 43-page report] found that Texans without concealed handgun licenses are eight times more likely to be arrested for crimes of violence than license holders.

Bill carries a handgun, just like the author of the Web page article on the anniversary. Apparently, if you can cock a hammer, every problem looks like a nail in the coffin of crime.