"Law abiding citizens" - that's how the Utah gun lobby describes people that are issued permits to carry concealed weapons. Well, according to Utah's Bureau of Criminal Identification, the gun lobby is a thousand times wrong.

The Bureau of Criminal Identification, a division of the Utah Department of Public Safety, reports that it has revoked the permits of more than 1,500 concealed weapon holders because they were convicted of criminal conduct.

The Utah Shooting Sports Council, a lobbying group that advocates the carrying of concealed weapons in schools, churches and on your private property, says on their web site that concealed weapon permits "have been revoked for various reasons, including alcohol, subject to a protective order filed in a routine divorce case, and some more serious crimes."

What the gun lobby doesn't want to tell you is what those "more serious crimes" really are. Fortunately, the Utah Bureau of Criminal Identification spells it out in plain English in their Quarterly Reports that list the number of permits that have been revoked and all of the crimes committed by people with permits to carry concealed weapons.

Those crimes include murder (6 convictions that we are aware of), attempted murder, negligent homicide, kidnapping, rape, aggravated assault with a firearm, assault with a deadly weapon, forcible sexual abuse, rape of a child, sexual exploitation of a minor, multiple firearm offenses, domestic abuse, and drug violations.

And yes, as the Utah Shooting Sports Council admits, permits have also been revoked for, as they put it, "alcohol reasons" (i.e., felony drunk driving) and protective court orders (i.e. domestic violence - spouse abuse).

The next time you hear someone mention "law-abiding citizens" with concealed guns, be sure to ask just exactly what laws they all abide by. And then ask yourself and your friends if these are the same people you want to be carrying guns into our childrens' schools.