Wednesday October 05, 2005 9:20:32 AM
WPDE TV News Channel 15 Myrtle Beach, Florence SC
http://www.wpde.com/news/default.asp
LORIS RESIDENTS WANT NEW GUN ORDINANCE
A handful of Loris residents is asking city council to adopt a new
ordinance that would ask citizens to arm themselves with guns, in order
to reduce crime.
For Neal and Melissa Seaman, their home outside of Loris is a little
piece of paradise. But it wasn't their first choice. Instead the couple
wanted to live a town in Georgia, called Kennesaw. Neal says Kennesaw
has a remarkably low crime rate because of a law passed in 1982, that
required most heads of households to keep guns in their homes. It's
a law he and his wife want Loris to adopt. According to Neal. "If Loris
put up the boundaries like Kennesaw did. Criminals are afraid, they
don't want to die, their not stupid." The Seamans say they've looked
at police department records and they believe crime has gotten worse
in their town. However the Loris Police Chief says the statistics don't
show the whole picture and that he believes most residents feel safe.
Safe or not the couple says what they're asking for can only help. Neal
said, "I think the people, once they learn what the real truth is, what's
going on and they can do something about it, I think they'll be behind
us. I think the opposition is the politicians. They're the ones who
seem to have something to lose." The Seamans say the ordinance they're
proposing is not about guns. It's about the perception of willing and
able force. So even if some Loris residents don't want to buy a gun
they say the ordinance would still be effective. Melissa told WPDE,
"You don't have to get one. Because there are enough people who are
armed and are trained so that not everybody needs to have one." "The
criminal fears the armed civilian, perceived or not, that's what they
fear. We need to throw the fear back into the criminals heart." The
proposed ordinance was brought before Loris City Council. The mayor
says they're looking into it.
For More Information: www.publicrights.org
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