Sheriff Chuck Wright Urges Women To Carry Concealed Weapons

Ladies, get your guns.

That's the message from a South Carolina sheriff who urged women to arm themselves after an attempted rape in a public park over the weekend, TV station WYFF reports.

"Our form of justice is not making it," said Spartanburg County Sheriff Chuck Wright, according to the station. "Carry a concealed weapon. That'll fix it."

Wright told ladies they ought to carry guns after Walter Monroe Lance allegedly forced a woman to stip naked and tried to rape her on Sunday. Police charged Lance with kidnapping, first-degree sexual misconduct and grand larceny. A judge denied him bond on Monday, according to WOLS.

The best defense against attacks like this is self- defense, according to Wright. Instead of carrying mace, Wright encouraged women to get concealed weapons permits and get .45 caliber firearms.

"You don't have to be accurate,' he said, according to The Spartanburg Herald Journal. "You just have to be close."

A fanny pack would make an excellent place to store a pistol, Wright said.

Comments

[NewLiberals]

03:21 PM on 11/06/2011

"Our form of justice is not making it," said Spartanburg County Sheriff Chuck Wright, according to the station. "Carry a concealed weapon. That'll fix it."

How about doing your job properly?

Why should your county, your area of responsibility, be so much worse than other areas of similar size and demographics that your department is incapable of maintaining the peace?

Is it that "our form of justice" has failed or has the leadership of the Spartanburg Sheriffs Office failed?

I'll bet the majority of your officers, like the majority of law enforcement officers across the country, disagree with your advice.

Citizens of Spartanburg do your selves a favor next time there's an election for Sheriff.

Vote in someone competent.

[barry444]

12:23 AM on 11/07/2011

Cops know that they get their in time to clean up the mess. Everything until then is up to the people already there.

[ElmCreekSmith]

10:24 PM on 11/07/2011

[I'll bet the majority of your officers, like the majority of law enforcemen­t officers across the country, disagree with your advice.]

I'll take your bet. In fact, "the majority of law enforcement officers" (as opposed to the police chiefs in selected cities governed by anti-gun politicians) support liberal concealed carry laws.

http://www.kc3.com/news/police_ccw_2.htm
http://couriernews.suntimes.com/news/6899128-418/local-police-give-support-to-conceal-carry.html
http://www.myfoxchicago.com/dpp/news/metro/illinois-association-cheifs-police-support-legalizing-concealed-carry-proposal-20110331
http://www.pjstar.com/news/x1730895291/Police-say-concealed-carry-law-would-deter-criminals

Next!

ECS

[NewLiberals]

01:00 AM on 11/08/2011

We can go back and forth citing different statistics and polls on the subject such as this one I found:

"I can see how this would make some people in society feel safer, but myself, as a law enforcement officer, it would not make me feel safer knowing there are that many more guns out on the street," Lt. Bradley Florence, a Green Bay Police Department shift supervisor said.

Florence also noted that although concealed-carry licensing would mandate prior training, such training would not ensure proper actions in a "stressful situation."

The point is people think that they will always do the right thing in the right moment and that's a crock.

It's like how most of us think we're great drivers when in fact it's a miracle that there aren't more accidents.

You want more folks to carry concealed weapons?

Think about that the next time someone cuts you off in traffic. They just might also be carrying a gun with the same skill set.

Why are you so afraid?

[Bystander]

02:07 PM on 11/04/2011

Practical advice: Two in the belly followed by one in the head.

[sandbag1300]

11:02 AM on 11/03/2011

Law abiding citizens should have the right obtain a gun license and to be armed. Women especially!

While I do want the police and justice organizations to work – and they do most of the time – the police cannot be present to prevent crimes. There just aren’t enough of them. There are 300,000,000 people in the US and 500,000 law enforcement officers. Assuming three working shifts that means that there are approximately 1,800 Citizens per officer at any given time. When you add to that violent criminals being paroled every month with 50% of them that end up back in jail, budget cuts for police and prisons, and the lingering recession you have a recipe for more violent crimes against law abiding citizens.

If you don’t allow law abiding citizens to own weapons to protect themselves essentially they become victims(or rather bait) used to identify criminals for arrest. I don't want any women to be used as bait period!

[carmen75]

10:28 AM on 11/03/2011

It is perfectly legal to own and carry a gun, if you have been properly trained and have a concealed weapons permit! This includes everyone age 21 and over. Women are fully capable of arming themselves with a gun. Sheriff Chuck Wright is simply saying women need to be aware that attackers are out there and we have the right to defend ourselves, with a gun, if properly trained. This happens everyday, all over the world and people need to be educated on the proper use of guns. The police can't be everywhere at all times so you as an individual can take the extra step to protect you and your family. Don't be afraid to get educated about guns and learn when it is legal to use them.

[tall coolone]

04:24 PM on 11/02/2011

Sound advice provided you have a permit to carry.

[OdinsEye]

02:28 PM on 11/02/2011

The Sheriff errs in a few areas.

First, he needs to make sure that he is telling people to go through the legal procedures to obtain a concealed carry permit, not simply tell them to carry.

Second, should they elect to get a permit and carry, they should carry the most effective caliber, chambering, make, and model that they can confidently shoot and effectively conceal and deploy. That may or may not be a .45 ACP.

Third, being "close" is not good advice. While the sight of a firearm and the sound of one being shot may deter a would be rapist, you do need to be able to hit your intended target with some degree of accuracy, both for your own safety and for the safety of those around you.

[Lazaretto]

02:54 PM on 11/02/2011

He did suggest women get a permit if you read other articles. Also there is a reason he suggested a .45 ACP. It is slow and wide, thus having a much lower chance of leaving the body and doing a lot of damage to the person you shoot with it.

[rikilii]

03:32 PM on 11/04/2011

The typical .45 round penetrates just as much or more than other defensive rounds. It is the weight of the bullet, not the velocity, that is the primary factor in overpenetration. What he should have suggested is that they carry a caliber that they are comfortable shooting, and be sure to use good quality hollow point defensive ammunition.

[OdinsEye]

07:22 PM on 11/04/2011

Exactly what rikilii said.

As an arms instructor and a cop, and as much as I am not fond of the .380 ACP, I would much rather see a person carry a .380 than a 9 mm or .45 ACP if the .380 is what they are comfortable and accurate with. If they are good with the .45, fantastic, but if they are better with a 9 mm or .380, that is what they should stick to.

And this dovetails into my other gripe about being "close": Hits are what count, not "almost hits". You can have a .500 S&W Magnum, but if you can't hit the broad side of a barn with it, it isn't doing you much good.

As for the superiority of the .45 ACP, that really only works when you are comparing FMJs.

[cdjames]

08:32 PM on 11/02/2011

I'd like to make a point. In South Carolina to receive your concealed weapons permit you must

[topkatnc]

01:45 PM on 11/02/2011

If only women had been born with the same upper body strength as men , we would not need guns to protect us .. and the planet would be a different and better place if we had been .. imo .

[rikilii]

03:37 PM on 11/04/2011

All the upper body strength in the world won't do you a bit of good if your assailant has a knife.

[topkatnc]

12:54 PM on 11/02/2011

I agree with him 100% .. maybe you have to be a woman to see just how right he is ... Women and children are looked at as prey ... I wonder how many men worry about getting raped or murdered , if you decide to go to the store after dark .. which I never do .. I doubt it ever crosses a man's mind , among other things .

[Iconcoclast]

03:22 PM on 11/02/2011

As one becomes older, it crosses our minds much more often than you might think. If we are with women & children that we must protect it crosses our minds even more. And I cannot imagine what any man thinks who lives in an area where violent flash mobs occur....

[zillizli]

11:41 PM on 11/02/2011

You're so right! Years ago I heard a politician suggest that women should get LESS Social Security Benefits per year because they lived longer than men. BELIEVE IT OR NOT! He argued that men should get more money up front because their lives are shorter, while women should stretch their benefits out longer over a longer period resulting in lower benefits per year.

My thoughts at the time were that (1) men spend more time in jail than women creating an extremely expensive police and justice system that our tax dollars pay for, and (2) Women have to live in fear, unable to go out after dark and to unfamiliar places, as a result of actions of strange men, resulting in a tremendous loss of freedom for women.

I recall thinking that women should get huge payments from the government every year (1) to refund the extra money they pay in taxes to support the crimminal system needed to control males, and (2) to compensate for the quality of life losses of women as a result of living in fear.

Males have no idea how much women lose as a result of this and some idiot politician wanted to cut the Social Security benefits to women because women have the nerve to live longer. Thankfully, nothing more was heard about this idea.

[topkatnc]

09:45 AM on 11/03/2011

Wow .. I didn't know that .. it's amazing what comes out of a male politician mouth .. they are the ones who have ruined this country .. and none will never know or understand how much fear that women live in .. and I don't think they could care less ..

[angelfish81]

12:10 PM on 11/02/2011

On the news they interviewed this guy and he was pretty upset that he can't keep women safe in his area. You could see that he does want to protect women and children. The criminal justice system lets these people out and as the Sheriff stated on CNN-he is sick and tired of telling women I'm sorry that a man with 20 arrests was out on the street to rape you. He deals with victims all the time. The police can't be everywhere and you need to protect yourself.

[schotts]

12:53 PM on 11/02/2011

Which is why, this Sherrif and the majority of rank and file law enforcement across the US support concealed carry.

[topkatnc]

12:55 PM on 11/02/2011

You are so right ..

[Kat Ingalls]

11:17 AM on 11/02/2011

Folks in the southern states are all about being armed aren't they?

[topkatnc]

12:48 PM on 11/02/2011

What a silly question .. and don't believe everything you read .. indeed .

[Kat Ingalls]

01:04 PM on 11/02/2011

Not a silly question - y'all are gun enthusiasts to be sure. And I always follow my own advice. Just what is your point?

[Iconcoclast]

02:09 PM on 11/02/2011

Well, carrying a 200lb deputy sheriff around all the time gets tiring.

[Kat Ingalls]

02:24 PM on 11/02/2011

LOL - folks would have an easier time staying out of jail that way. Don't you have to have a permit to carry? Will all women carrying without licenses be given a pass becuase they can't lift that 200 lb sheriff?

[UnRed]

10:30 AM on 11/02/2011

Perhaps if this area of South Carolina had a better sheriff, their form of justice would "make it".

Seeing as how SC requires a *permit* to carry a concealed weapon and this sheriff didn't also include that note in his rant, seems to me that he is encouraging breaking of the law. In MOST places, that's kind of frowned upon from the police. Evidently, not in South Carolina

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Concealed_carry_in_the_United_States

[topkatnc]

01:06 PM on 11/02/2011

Maybe you don't have to worry about someone looking at you as prey .. but some of us do ..

[Lazaretto]

02:51 PM on 11/02/2011

He did, this author just choose to leave it out.

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2011/11/01/south-carolina-sheriff-need-to-protect-yourself/

[dumbblond]

10:25 AM on 11/02/2011

I'm 54, 5'2", 115 pounds. I tried the 45 and it was too much gun for me for carrying. Glocks are too bulky for my size hand. I settled on a 9mm Kahr PM9 for C&C. I came from a hunting family although I've never hunted. Around guns though so have no fear. I passed my C&C test tops in my class of 11 people both men and women. Here's what I would suggest if you want to carry a gun. Try lots of different types. Pick the one that fits your hands. Go practice, alot. Weekly...with both hands. When you are hitting the target and it feels good buy it. I also carry mace. I would use the mace to slow the attacker down while I reached for my gun. All women who want should be proficient with a weapon. It levels the playing field. I have also taken some self defense classes. All these things are important to stay safe in this world.

[bowman420]

10:44 AM on 11/02/2011

no offense most women rock a .22 but a .45 is definitly to much for anyone to start with start small and work your way up to the biigger ones might a suggest the Colt .911 very nice gun i'm a small guy and this was my gun at 16 fit my hand perfectly got me through some tight spots you only got 8 shots thought make em count

[OntheBorder]

01:05 PM on 11/02/2011

Don't be silly, my wife is 5'4'' and 115 lbs and she shoots a 1911 like a pro, in fact she has adopted one of my Ed Browns.

My wife and daughter have CCW permits Both carry a small framed 9mm for comfort though.

[dknowles60]

10:54 AM on 11/02/2011

great one

[billa518]

10:07 AM on 11/02/2011

Everyone here seems to think that a confrontation will end in gunfire. Why? Just the presence of the weapon will probably be enough to stop an attack. Firearms are used 2-3 million times per year to stop crimes but only discharged in about 1% of the cases. The rest of the time, it turns out like when a guy tried to carjack my brother and his family in Minneapolis - my brother drew his permitted, concealed 9mm, pressed it to the man's forehead a suggested that the guy find a new line of work. That was the end of it. Nobody died, nobody got hurt. Did the bad guy 'get away'? Yeah. Will he try to carjack somebody else? Maybe. But he knows that if he does, the next 'victim' might also be armed and might not be as forgiving.

[Iconcoclast]

03:25 PM on 11/02/2011

A good example of why home invasion/"hot" burglaries are much lower in the USA than in the UK--thieves are not interested in victims who can fight back. A good example is the concentration of criminals and predators at the OWS demonstrations after the protestors stated publically they would not call the police (brilliant move, yes?).

[morning697]

10:07 AM on 11/02/2011

Does the sheriff happen to own a gun store? Are women getting raped daily in his jurisdiction? Or is he just a horse's as# ? A man jumps out from the bushes"wait until I get the gun out of my fanny back please". Guns are useless unless they are accessible. Plus most likely it should be in the fanny pack with the "safety on". Lot of good that does!! He takes the fanny back and there's one more gun in the hands of a criminal..Abolish conceal carry laws!! If we have a true 2nd amendment then we should be able to carry weapons openly and not hide them. You'll need a program to tell the good guys from the bad guys! Arm everyone and see who's left standing

[topkatnc]

01:00 PM on 11/02/2011

Are you a woman ?

[ElmCreekSmith]

10:35 PM on 11/07/2011

I don't know, but he/she/it is definitely an idiot.

ECS

[sandbag1300]

10:54 AM on 11/03/2011

Brilliant. A Civilian carrying a gun out in the open. The only thing that will attract are police and criminals that want to take that gun from you. In addition, one loses any opportunity of surprise. Might as well wear a sign saying "come and get me".

[tinyshawna]

10:04 AM on 11/02/2011

I think part of the point this article is making is our justice system sucks! If a man rapes a woman and is convicted then that doesn't mean he spends the rest of his life in jail. He'll eventually be free again to rape other women. If he doesn't get caught then he's still free to rape other women. If you get the chance to take the shot then don't hesitate. It's called taking justice into our own hands.