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Straight Talk ***************************************************** March 18, 2008 ***************************************************** Arm ‘Em All! I don’t know whether Karen Johnson is a prophet … or a menace. You decide. In case you’ve never heard of the lady, she is a state legislator in Arizona. And she recently came up with a novel proposal to eliminate the danger of some berserk student, deranged professor, or murderous outsider killing more people on the college campuses of her state. Her solution? Let anyone who wishes to (and who passes a relatively simple test) carry a firearm. Yep, State Senator Johnson has sponsored a bill that would allow anyone with a concealed weapons permit to carry a firearm at the state’s public colleges and universities. (Interestingly enough, you can carry a gun on your hip in Arizona without a permit. As long as it’s visible, no permit is needed.) Ms. Johnson, a Republican from Mesa, said she believes the recent carnage at other universities could have been prevented, or at least sharply reduced, if an armed student or professor had the opportunity to intercept the gunman. The authorities, she says, are often too slow to respond to such incidents. And besides, who has a better interest in preventing violence than the people who are potential victims? The legislator says she originally wanted her bill to cover all public schools, from kindergarten on up. But other lawmakers in Arizona persuaded her that her bill stood a better chance of passage if it were limited to higher education. They apparently were right; the Senate Judiciary Committee on a 4 to 3 vote recently approved the bill. The measure has a long way to go to become law, however. Even if it passes both branches of the state legislature, Arizona’s Democratic Governor, Janet Napolitano, is expected to reject it. Plus, several law enforcement groups – including the police chiefs at Arizona’s universities – have come out against the measure. Arizona is not alone in offering citizens a chance to protect themselves. The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, a Washington-based anti-gun group, says that 15 states are considering legislation to make it easier for people to carry guns on school or college campuses. Currently, Utah is the only state with a law that expressly allows people with a concealed-weapon permit to carry guns on college campuses. The Utah Supreme Court upheld that measure, adopted in 2004, two years ago. The arguments in Arizona reminded me of the situation when plane hijackings first became more commonplace, many years ago. Hard as it may be to believe now, there was actually a time in this country when passengers and their carry-on luggage weren’t routinely and regularly searched. You could actually board a plane with a Colt 45 in your briefcase. I know, because a friend flying with me in Texas – a very proud and defiant native son – showed me his. After those first few hijackings, security became much tighter. Everyone and everything had to go through a screening machine. The difficulty of getting a weapon from point A to city B even became a staple of crime fiction. But I wondered then: Are we actually safer, now that we’ve delegated the responsibility to protect ourselves to someone else? Would we, in fact, be better off if we assumed some of that responsibility again? In the early days of plane hijackings, there actually were proposals that flight crews be armed. And even that some passengers – after being rigorously vetted, of course – be allowed to carry weapons on board. Those of us who supported such measures were dismissed as dangerous hysterics. Instead, we were assured that more careful screening of passengers, plus the addition of sky marshals on many flights, would end the problem of hijackings. Sadly, 9/11 proved the fallacy of those promises. Now, the massive publicity given to one terrible incident on a college campus seems to encourage more carnage. Lunacy appears to be contagious. Who knows how many other potential mass-murderers are out there, just waiting for something to push them into becoming copycat assailants? So I’ve got to wonder: Would we feel safer – would we, in fact, be safer – if responsible citizens were encouraged to learn how (and when) to shoot? And then those who demonstrated their proficiency were encouraged to carry a pistol with them wherever they went in public? What if we treated carrying a gun the same as we do driving a car? What if we had gun-education courses in our schools? And tests to demonstrate proficiency and responsibility? What if we decided that getting more people to take responsibility for protecting themselves and their family were a good thing, not a bad one? It’s interesting to contemplate, isn’t it? Put Some Gold in Your Retirement AccountThe following was written by Steve Kroening, a good friend of mine. It’s been adapted from a weekly column he writes called Wisdom’s Edge. This free e-zine (available at www.wisdomsedge.com) is filled with Biblical tips on finance, health, relationships, and success. There are two reasons most people who want to own gold never buy it. The first is that they’re afraid they won’t be able to get their money back when they need it. And the second is that they simply don’t have the cash. But there’s an easy way to overcome both of these problems – and it can even help your retirement. While finding extra cash is a problem for a lot of us, many have funds available in their retirement accounts. It could be an IRA, a Roth IRA, 401(k), or something else. These are assets we can’t touch until we’re 59½ years old. Why not put some of them into gold? Second, a precious-metals IRA uses a system of growth called “compounding ounces.” This system is much like a dividend-reinvestment plan. As the value of the assets you own becomes over-weighted in one area (say, silver), some of the money is reallocated into other assets, such as gold or platinum. The ounces you gain will never be lost. They’re in your account until they’re liquidated. And in precious metals investing, “ounces are king.” Third, you don’t have to worry about storage, insurance, weight, etc. Because this is an IRA, the custodian holds the metal for you. Of course, you can’t take possession of it until you reach retirement age (if you do, you’ll have to pay a 10% penalty, plus taxes). When you are ready to retire, it’s as simple to get your money out as any other retirement account. All you have to do is call your broker and tell him what you want to do. It’s no more complicated than selling stocks or mutual funds. And one more advantage. If you purchase precious metals through a Roth IRA, you won’t owe any taxes on the gains in your gold and silver when you retire. A precious-metals retirement account is a great way to get all the protection of gold with almost none of the negatives. If you’re interested in a precious-metals IRA, please contact my friends at International Collectors Associates. Their toll-free number is 800-525-9556. They have more funds under IRAs than any other precious-metals company. They have more than 30 years of experience doing this, so they know what they’re doing. ICA has an AA rating with the Better Business Bureau. Chip and I can vouch that they’re highly ethical (which is more than you can say for many gold brokers). They can help you with all the details. Please tell them you heard about their products from Chip Wood and Steve Kroening. We don’t make any money from recommending them. We just know they’ll provide you with excellent service and reliable products. PS. Don’t try to set up a precious-metals IRA through your regular broker. Chances are all he’ll recommend are gold stocks and mutual funds. While these can be good investments, they are not the same thing as owning bullion outright. This Week in HistorySure an’ begorrah, this is the time when everyone is Irish, at least for a day. Yes, Monday, March 17 was St. Patrick’s Day. Or, as they say in Celtic, La Fheile Padraig. It’s the annual feast day of the patron saint of Ireland, St. Patrick, who is generally credited with bringing Christianity to the Emerald Isle. Oh, and in the process, driving all the snakes out of the country. To this day, there are no snakes there. And the shamrock, whose three parts helped St. Patrick teach the Irish about the Trinity, has become a worldwide symbol of the country. Although St. Patrick’s Day is a national holiday in Ireland (as well as on the Caribbean island of Montserrat), the most enthusiastic celebrations each year occur in the United States. In Chicago, the river is died green for the day. Massive parades are held in New York City, Savannah, Georgia, and many other cities. Green beer becomes the drink of the day – and night. So I hope you wore something green yesterday. And enjoyed a pint o’ Murphys, Beamish, Smithwicks, Harps, or Guinness. Or an Irish whiskey, Irish coffee, or Irish cream. May the luck of the Irish be with you all year long. As a favorite poem says, May the road rise up to meet you, Until next time, keep some powder dry. Chip Wood *************************************************
Straight Talk is a weekly commentary written by Chip Wood.
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