I Thought We Would Be Safe at the Iowa State Fair?

On the last night of the Iowa State Fair and 18-year-old male was stabbed on the fairgrounds.

The Des Moines Register reports:

An 18-year-old man was stabbed at the Iowa State Fairgrounds late Sunday night, authorities said.

At 10:22 p.m. the man was stabbed near the southwest corner of the midway, said Iowa State Patrol spokesman Sgt. Nathan Ludwig. His injuries appear to be non-life threatening, according to a Monday news release, though authorities have not yet named the victim.

Authorities do not believe this was a random act of violence, Ludwig said.

The stabbing prompted a massive law enforcement response to the fairgrounds. Many people were still at the fair when officers arrived.

Well thank goodness for the police presence AFTER the stabbing had already occurred. When seconds matter the police are only minutes away.  I’m sure this man felt very safe lying in a pool of blood because the Iowa State Fairgrounds are a “gun free zone.” I’m not blaming the police, they can’t be omnipresent which is exactly why Iowans with carry permits should have been allowed to carry on the state fairgrounds.

Governor Terry Branstad assured us just a couple of weeks ago that permit holders didn’t need to carry on state fairgrounds because of the police presence.

“Well, I support the right to carry, but I think the fairgrounds is a little different situation because we have such phenomenal coverage from the highway patrol at the fair.  I am familiar with the fact that we have a significant number of state troopers who are there and protect the safety of the citizens so it is not like other places where you have nobody with a firearm to protect somebody against a violent act. We have excellent security, and I think that the (Iowa State) Patrol does a great job, and because of that I think that is a reason why you really don’t need to have your own firearm for you protection at the fair,” Branstad said during a press conference on August 8th before the State Fair.

I don’t know if this incident could have been avoided if someone with a carry permit was nearby, but we do know this man didn’t have of a chance without that possibility. The 2nd Amendment exists because we have a God-given right to self defense. The Iowa State Fair Board and Governor Terry Branstad had better respect Iowans’ constitutional right to carry next year.