Yes, the existence of concealed firearms saves lives

Re: “The president and U.S. gun laws,” Jan. 10 letters to the editor.

Letter-writer Margaret Anne Spindler asks: “[H]ave we read of anyone’s life being saved by someone carrying a concealed weapon?”

Every issue of the NRA periodical I have thumbed through contains stories of crimes prevented by law-abiding gun owners.

Spindler also asks: “Did civilian gun owners stop all the mass shootings in this country?”

No, because most, if not all, of those shootings occurred in gun-free zones.

I am not an NRA member, but I am glad every day that lawless would-be gun criminals do not know whether I am a concealed-carry holder. That is how I manage to live “free from fear of a gun ending our lives.”

Spindler is free to spend all of her time in gun-free zones if that makes her feel safer. I’d rather spend less time on the road.

Steve Baur, Westminster