On a cold December night, Linda, a hard-working investment banker, was returning home late at night from her luxurious office in Houston, Texas. It was Christmas Eve, but Linda had to work late to finish a big deal she was closing. It was snowing lightly outside, and since Linda liked snow, she decided that walking the short distance to her apartment rather than driving would be relaxing. Her husband and two children were impatiently awaiting her arrival to spend Christmas Eve with family. As Linda walked, she began to get the strange feeling that someone was following her. As she looked behind her, there was a man walking a few hundred yards back on the otherwise empty sidewalk. This frightened Linda a little and she quickened her pace slightly. The man followed suit, increasing the speed at which he followed the nervous woman. Linda wasn't sure what to do; this had never happened to him before. She turned around a second time and felt a wave of horror wash over her as she saw the man's face, dark and fierce. She also saw something in his gloved right hand, long, silvery and glowing faintly in the dim light of the streetlights. Linda knew the object was indeed a knife and now realized she was in serious trouble. As she turned a corner, she began sprinting. The mysterious man turned the corner, looked down and saw a pair of high heels sitting in the middle of the sidewalk. Looking up, he saw Linda running as fast as she could, her bare feet kicking up the snow. The man chased after her, furious at having let her put so much distance between them. Linda tried to open her purse to use her cell phone to call 911, but in her haste, the zipper broke. She quickly glanced behind her... middle of paper ... reducing the speed at which criminals carry weapons. Armed citizens increase the risk for armed criminals, who generally prefer to avoid life-threatening risks and are therefore less likely to use firearms to commit a crime” (qtd. in Cola 19). John explains that where there is an increase in concealed carry permits (CCPs), there is a decrease in violent crime. Works Cited “Fables, myths and other stories about gun laws, crime and constitutional rights.” NRA-ILA. National Rifle Association. Internet. January 30, 2011. ProQuest Staff. “Gun Control Timeline.” Chronology of the main questions. June 28, 2010: np SIRS researcher. Internet. January 30, 2011. Cola, David Alan. “Police killings decline as concealed carry permits increase.” Human Events 65.43 (2009): 19. MAS Ultra - Academic edition. EBSCO. Internet. January 30. 2011.