Concealed-carry backers insist on secrecy terms

Madison - If a concealed-weapons bill makes its way into law in Wisconsin, people likely won't be able to find out if their neighbors, co-workers or ex-spouses are packing guns.

The two most recent versions of the bill that have made it through the Legislature had secrecy provisions. Both those bills cleared the Republican-led Legislature, but were vetoed by Democratic Gov. Jim Doyle. Lawmakers have pledged to push a new version forward after the November elections - with the secrecy measure intact.

"When you're talking about something that has the potential to kill another human being, that absolutely should be public," said Rep. Jon Richards (D-Milwaukee), an opponent of the bill.

"If we're going to have concealed weapons as a society, I think we should be able to track who has them."

News flash to Rep. Jon Richards....criminals already carry concealed weapons but you don't make those names available to the public. When you can do that, maybe we could consider having law abiding people who carry concealed available to the public, however, when newspapers freely publish the names of people who followed the law in obtaining a concealed weapons permit, they end up being targets like Bill Singleton in Ohio.

Less than a week after the Cleveland Plain Dealer published Bill Singleton's name among a list of people who have chosen to obtain a license to bear arms for self-defense, Mr. Singleton is dead.

When three robbers came to Singleton's business Tuesday morning - they allegedly shot before Singleton had time to react to their demands.

In an exchange of gunfire, Singleton and a 17-year-old assailant were shot in the parking lot outside the United Check Cashing store on Lake Shore Boulevard near East 156th Street. Both later died at Huron Hospital.

A publishing that they appear to have deleted from their archives now that Mr. Singleton is dead. Thank you, Cleveland Plain Dealer for assisting the criminal element.