Posted 5/9/01 MCPPA is a sham To the editor: The Minnesota Citizens Personal Protection Act of 2001 is a sham. It has nothing to do with hunting, because hunting your fellow human being is always out of season. It has nothing to do with the Second Amendment and it is even less about personal protection. There is clear evidence that ́carry and concealî states are not safer for the average law-abiding citizen. Carry and conceal not only means more guns on the streets, it means that law enforcement officials must issue a ́carry and concealî license even to those they have concerns about issuing such licenses. No wonder that most law enforcement organizations are opposed to the legislation. They are not alone, so are most faith-based organizations - the moral leaders of our community - and hundreds of other organizations. There are exceptions, of course, the NRA, the gun industry, and many politicians who receive money from the NRA. Not everyone in the latter group are ́radical right wing nuts,î a term Bruce Nelson used last week as label that might be used to describe such advocates. Some are well intended, but are misguided and ill informed. The reason there is a second amendment was to protect society against tyranny. The reason we have law enforcement and reasonable gun laws are to protect society against criminals. Putting more guns on the street will not make for a safer society, but for an armed society, where road rage will take on a deadlier meaning. Where the probability of your children being caught in a crossfire between an armed criminal and an armed, but untrained victim becomes a real possibility. It is another step in becoming not just a gated community, but a declining civilization. I thank all of you that were not intimated by the gun lobby, that equally hold to common sense and the common good. I thank the DFL leadership and our representatives - Senators Ring and Lourey and Representatives Jennings and others for putting our safety above potential political contributions from the gun lobby and other right wing interests. Robert G. Walz North Branch ©Post Review