Guest Editorial: Carrying a pistol at a rally?

There has been a lot of talk lately about the guy who was carrying a pistol in Portsmouth near a presidential appearance. Comments from the press often include terms such as "concealed permit", "automatic weapon", and even "racist" and "second amendment." Code words like that are injected for many reasons, but usually to sell papers, or simply out of ignorance.

They also often include the shocking fact that it is legal to carry a sidearm in New Hampshire! They ask "why would anyone carry a gun openly in NH, of all places?" I think that is a valid question.

Let's change gears while I ask you to please consider the following excerpt from today's Manchester Union Leader:

But it was in tiny, quiet Mont Vernon, where she had settled with her husband, David, and their daughter Jaimie, 11, that she became the victim of the brutal, random attack, allegedly by a gang of teenagers, that killed her and seriously injured her child.

-- Kim Cates overcame her share of obstacles, unionleader.com

Our hearts go out to the family, friends, and community of Kim Cates.

For those of you who do not live in New Hampshire, you may not know what a beautiful place it is. Fall foliage, all four seasons, ocean coastline, mountains, and much more. We do not have much crime here, so when something like this happens, it shocks many of us back to reality, and in the case of this writer, almost to the point of being physically ill.

This wasn't about being white or black. The police say the crime was committed by white people, against white people.

It wasn't about guns or gun violence. The crime mentioned above was reportedly committed using knives.

It was about 'the right of the people to be secure' and "namely, the enjoyment of life and liberty". Kim Cates had her enjoyment of life and liberty taken away from her.

The guy in Portsmouth didn't want his taken away from him.

--
Dave Bushong, Hudson NH