Blood in Gun Free Zones

A friend in Virginia tried to donate blood at a Red Cross donation center, but was refused because, as a concealed firearms permit holder, he was legally carrying a concealed firearm.

Permit holders undergo appropriate firearm safety training and a full FBI background check to ensure their fitness to carry a gun. Statistics show that permit holders are more law-abiding than the general public. If involved in a gun fight, they are less likely to shoot an innocent bystander than a police officer. In fact, they are more likely end a confrontation without shooting an attacker than is a police officer.

For the Red Cross to deny a law-abiding citizen the opportunity to donate blood simply because he is exercising a Constitutionally-guaranteed right is infantile and short-sighted. The Red Cross is doing nothing more than creating another un-armed victim zone where criminals (who by definition do not obey the rules) are free to reign unopposed.

If the Red Cross is going to prohibit donors from having the most effective means of self-protection (a gun) the Red Cross must immediately put in place an armed security force that will ensure the safety of all patrons or accept full liability for any injury sustained in their gun-free zones.