State Sen. Blake Miguez, a Republican from New Iberia, is a world-class competitive marksman. We’re talking international award-winning level sharpshooting with a handgun.
He’s good enough to have starred in the History Channel reality show “Top Shot”
Yes, I know they’ve given reality TV shows to the likes of Flavor Flav, Honey Boo Boo and insert your favorite suburban “Housewives” here, but let’s not get away from my point.
And that is, Miguez is good with a gun — like, really good — thanks to countless hours of training and practice.
The same cannot be said of all the people in Louisiana who the senator wants to provide the right to carry a concealed firearm without a permit. His Senate Bill 1, which would make so-called “constitutional carry” legal for anyone 18 or older in the state, was approved Thursday in the Senate and heads next to a House committee.
Miguez’s proposal would provide that right to persons without any handgun training. You could still obtain an actual concealed carry permit that requires training, but it wouldn’t be mandatory if Senate Bill 1 becomes law.
As his proposal has advanced through the Legislature, Miguez has turned to the oft-repeated phrase gun rights advocates have used in their arguments for permitless concealed carry: “The only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun.”
Unfortunately, the provisions of Senate Bill 1 offers no guidance on how to determine who’s a bad guy or a good guy. Even if they were so bold as to wear “I’m a good guy with a gun” on a T-shirt, there’s no real way of knowing if someone is an actual good guy. And even if they are Mr. Rogers- or Mother Teresa-caliber people, there’s still no way of telling if they’re capable of using their gun safely.
— Greg Larose in It’s Hard to Tell if It’s a ‘Good Guy’ Carrying a Concealed Gun
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“it’s understandable that one would react with concern and discomfort upon encountering someone on the sidewalks strapped with an AR-15 and ammo belts — even Mr. Rogers.”
Sounds like a fun AI art project.
Not to mention a belt-fed AR.
“Unfortunately, the provisions of Senate Bill 1 offers no guidance on how to determine who’s a bad guy or a good guy. Even if they were so bold as to wear ‘I’m a good guy with a gun’ on a T-shirt, there’s no real way of knowing if someone is an actual good guy. And even if they are Mr. Rogers- or Mother Teresa-caliber people, there’s still no way of telling if they’re capable of using their gun safely.”
Hmmmm…ok lets take a close look at that…
Unfortunately, the provisions of Senate Bill offers no guidance on how to determine who’s a bad guy or a good guy. Even if they were so bold as to wear ‘I’m a good guy with a drivers license’ on a T-shirt, there’s no real way of knowing if someone is an actual good guy. And even if they are Mr. Rogers- or Mother Teresa-caliber people, there’s still no way of telling if they’re capable of using their car safely.
or….
Unfortunately, the provisions of Senate Bill offers no guidance on how to determine who’s a bad guy or a good guy. Even if they were so bold as to wear ‘I’m a good guy with a medical license’ on a T-shirt, there’s no real way of knowing if someone is an actual good guy. And even if they are Mr. Rogers- or Mother Teresa-caliber people, there’s still no way of telling if they’re capable of using their medical knowledge safely.
or…
Unfortunately, the provisions of Senate Bill offers no guidance on how to determine who’s a bad guy or a good guy. Even if they were so bold as to wear ‘I’m a good guy with a license to make food products’ on a T-shirt, there’s no real way of knowing if someone is an actual good guy. And even if they are Mr. Rogers- or Mother Teresa-caliber people, there’s still no way of telling if they’re capable of using their food product making knowledge safely.
or…. any number of things
The point is, those three things I re-wrote above are not constitutional rights. But state/government license/permit them, and it has 100% not proven to be an indication of if those with license/permit for those things are actually capable of using their “knowledge safely” (and to add, with education and training having been achieved) and that’s proven by the, for example, number of car accidents (with ~ 90,000 children 12 years of age or under injured, some killed, annually in car accidents) – and – food poisonings or adulterated food products recalled, and sometimes deaths from these food products – and around 400,000 injured, some killed, annually due to medical malpractice.
In short, that (quoted) argument as put forth from Greg Larose and cited in this article is based on a typical anti-gun logical fallacy deception.
Now, in the link with this article, Greg Larose also writes this:
“If one of America’s foremost gun rights proponents struggles to earn ‘good guy’ status, it’s fair to question the intentions of anyone who chooses to conceal their firearm.”
He’s writing that in context with LaPierre (late of the NRA) who coined the “good guy with a gun” expression. So basically, Greg Larose is slyly saying ‘because one person did something wrong then everyone is suspect and not to be trusted’. Which again is a typical anti-gun logical fallacy deception, and its used to falsely and deceptively demonize millions of honest law abiding gun owners to make them look like they are the reason criminals do bad things with guns or any sort of ‘thing’ criminals may use in their violence.
I’ve only addressed a couple of things from this Greg Larose missive. But there is a lot of logical fallacy deception in this from Greg Larose, under-pinning and exposing the basics of the lies and deceptions from anti-gun, so much of it.
We’ve been through this already here in AZ. Unfortunately, the cops shoot anybody with a gun. So be careful.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Killing_of_Ryan_Whitaker
Just throwing pasta against the wall here, but if some dude pulls a knife and tries to mug me on the sidewalk, he’s probably a bad guy. If some dude grabs my wife or daughter and tries to drag them into a dark alley, he’s probably a bad guy. I know that common sense is not one of the defining characteristics of leftists, but don’t project your shortcomings onto us.
The same tired chicken-littling every time.
Do they really not know the horse has been beaten to a pulp 1000 times before they decide to beat it for the 1001 time?
Larose thinks that everyone needs training to the level of Senator Miguez or John Wick. Larose thinks that training is a guarantee that accidents will not happen. Well if that were the case car wrecks would be non existent. Besides Larose does not know or care that Rep Miguez is the Legislator who filed HB 868 in 2022 that offered free online (24/7) training to any person and no name, address etc has to be given just sign in and take the course at your convenience. Then in 2023 Rep Miguez introduced HB 446 that improved on HB 868. Rep Miguez became Senator Miguez in 2023. Therefore there is training available to anyone any where who need only go to: https://www.lsp.org/services/concealed-handgun-information/handgun-education-courses/ and take the course any time at their leisure. No matter if training was added it either would not be extensive enough or there would be some other foolishness they would seek to stop bills such as SB 1.
Larose said, “how to determine who’s a bad guy or a good guy.” Even a bad joke will get a laugh or two, but this statement is just bad. It is a wonder this Larose fellow can determine his right from his left of if the sun is shinning or not. This entire tirate by Larose makes me wonder which Louisiana legislature is behind the comments because they are familiar. Larose et al. say they want to find a common sense/ground solution and the common sense/ground if readily available, it’s called the Constitution of the United States and all the law makers who seek to alter the 2nd Amendment took an oath to protect and defend the Constitution. There ain’t no BUT in the 2nd Amendment and our rights don’t end where their feelings begin.
I have followed SB1 from introduction in the Senate through Judiciary Committee C and on the Senate floor. All of the arguments presented against SB 1 have absolutely nothing to do with SB 1. Senator Miguez has handled the opposition with true professionalism and integrity whereas those speaking against SB 1 have at times been crude, rude and socially unacceptable. If SB 1 passes through the House in it’s present form, July 4 will be the date it becomes law. Independence Day, a better date could not have been chosen.
Senator Miguez has clearly stated that SB 1 is about and for the good citizens of Louisiana. He and other Senators have clearly stated that criminals already do as they please and that they do not obey laws. Therefore, SB 1 is for the good citizens of Louisiana. Sadly those speaking against SB 1 never mentioned victums as the Governor did during his address to both chambers this past Monday and the Governor introduced victums in the audience who survived terrible things at the hands of criminals. Yet those opposing seem to have virtually no concern. One more note relative to training, how do those opposing SB 1 expect senior citizens(I am 81) to take the rigorous training that younger people can take. Everyone cannot train to the level of John Wick or Senator Miguez. However although I no longer drive due to poor vision, I can tell the difference between a good guy and a bad guy.
The idea behind Constitutional Carry is that the Constitution affirms Natural Rights, which each person has, until his conduct shows that his rights need to be restricted.
The government-loving writer Mr. LaRose thinks that people need to prove their fitness to enjoy their Natural Rights, as is said about drivers licenses: “Driving is a privilege, not a right.”
Outlaws will always carry guns, the law be damned, but LaRose wants honest people to prove their fitness in order to exercise their Natural Rights, as if those Rights were privileges to be granted by the government at its discretion.
There is little evidence that constitutional carry makes a state less safe from violence. Cities are violent and the country rarely is. This is simply true no matter the gun laws!
Breaking: SB 1 scheduled for House floor debate and final passage tomorrow Feb 28 beginning at 9 A M
https://www.legis.la.gov/legis/BillInfo.aspx?i=245605
https://www.legis.la.gov/legis/Agenda.aspx?c=H&g=BODY
House schedule link^^^^^^^^^^