If we were to allow guns on everyone, just like the good old days on Dodge street. Then there would be fewer shootings. why? Well would you shoot your enemy if you knew he would shoot back and may be a better shot then you? No of course not. Arizona allows people to carry guns right out in the open and it has far fewer shootings then here in Baltimore. As the saying goes, Out law guns then only outlaws will have guns. I do Not advocate shooting people rather far from it. Violence is never the answer to problems. However when there is no curb to violence then it shall rule the streets. Blacks killing blacks, Hispanics shooting each other over gang and drug territories. Yet those two races which historically and factually have the highest gun violence against each other do nothing to combat it from with in their own organizations to further their race's other than to condone the breaking of the laws. What do I mean? When a black shoots a black and gets shot by a white cop, a riot ensues. when a Hispanic gang member shoots and kills another gang member then gets shot by a white or black cop, they yell discrimination. What goes around comes around.

Bob,

Just to play devil's advocate, I don't see Canada or most of the UK having issues with gun violence, and nobody carries there.

I know it's a 2nd amendment issue and I respect we are different from those countries in that regard, but correlation =! causation, and the point above illustrates that.

Bob. I know it's only natural to romanticize the days of the old west. But the simple truth is that in what you call "the good old days" of Dodge City the murder rate was thirteen times that of Baltimore in 2010.

I think most of us support the second amendment. But I doubt that many would go out and buy a sidearm if they were allowed to do so. Most of us just don't think like that.

It's not a issue of violence begetting violence. Nor is it solely a second amendment issue. The issue is the natural law of self-protection, which supersedes the Constitution. I should be able to protect myself and my house using whatever means I deem necessary. If that means a firearm, then so be it. My decision to arm myself should be mine and mine alone and not up to the discretion of the state police.

Furthermore, you can't tell me that gun toting thugs wouldn't think twice about randomly shooting someone if there's even the remotest possibility their potential victim could be armed, and the tables could be turned.

All eyes should be on the decision the Supreme Court hands down in Chicago vs. McDonald. Maryland needs to wake up and smell the gunpowder.

Cindy, The sad reality is that the majority of shootings in the inner city involve minorities shooting minorities. In a significant number of these cases, both parties are armed. This fact does not dissuade them from shooting each other almost daily. Your argument that armed civilians would reduce violent crime is patently flawed. In fact, it often creates additional innnocent victims as (2) untrained idiots blast away at each other with complete disregard for who is in the immediate vicinity.

"These guys are walking and riding around the streets of Baltimore armed. They pose an incredible danger to all of us. ... the adjectives can't be harsh enough. And the penalties can't be harsh enough."
Is he talking about Tracy McKissick and Roderick Mitter? Again, BPD has no credibility. We won't get to hear the other side of this story because he is dead. But now is the perfect time for Propagandists Bealfeld and Cherry to try and milk this situation for personal and professional gain. Typical BPD. Always, always, always angling.

GUN CONTROL- the absolute best friend of tyrants, despots, dictators, slave holders, and mass murderers for the last three or four centuries. BPD instigates and facilitates a good portion of the violence in Baltimore so they can clamor for Gun Control. Fred Bealfeld and previous Commissioner Leonard Ham have openly stated they would like to "get rid of all black males between 16 and 24 years of age". 1. Mass disarmament. 2. Mass arrest. 3. Mass murder. Well tried; well tested; and very well proven.

Lest we not forget Officers Jones and Mengela under the leadership of then Colonel Owens kidnappping the alleged gang member, and handing him to another gang where he was promptly beaten down. Only to have him return the next day to kill someone. Charges dropped in order to protect the BPD's involved. This is straight out of the Adolf Hitler playbook.
Baltimore Police calling anyone violent and criminal is the pot calling the kettle black. Again, the BPD has no credibility.

Brian: your comment regarding "untrained idiots" is only true because currently in order to simply buy a firearm, one only has to complete an on-line training course and present that certificate to the gun shop owner. I find this so ironic. If Maryland does lift the "may issue" rule, use common sense and require that potential gun purchasers take live fire training under the auspices of a qualified instructor BEFORE purchasing a handgun, then "untrained idiots" become far and few between.

Cindy - what do you think the likelihood is that the two untrained idiots took an on-line training course and presented the certificate to the gun shop owner? What do you think the likelihood is that they bought said firearm on the streets and/or stole it from someone who had a gun in their home? What you are arguing for seems to be more gun control (now someone has to make sure that a gun purchaser is taking their requisite course of training before PURCHASING a gun..... which sort of, you know, controls gun ownership....) While it may be true that - if guns are outlawed only outlaws will have guns, it is also true that just because guns are not outlawed (but what about controlled?), outlaws WON'T have guns. They still will, and won't give a crap about whether or not you have a firearm to protect yourself. There's already a high likelihood that their adversaries DO have guns, and they keep shooting each other anyways.... Your having a gun doesn't stop them - as evidenced by the fact that it didn't stop this rocket scientist from firing on three armed officers.

You missed my point. We require that teenagers take driver training before they their driver's license, why don't we require the same level of training for a license to carry a firearm? That's not control, that's common sense. It's the "untrained idiots" and their stupid youtube videos of "see me and my cool new weapon" that make the rest of us look bad. Unfortunately laws accommodate the lowest common denominator, and in this case it is the untrained idiots.

Heya just wanted to give you a quick heads up and let you know a few of the images aren't loading properly. I'm not sure why but I think its a linking issue. I've tried it in two different internet browsers and both show the same results.