Today marks exactly 4 years that Carol Bowne was murdered by her violent ex-boyfriend, Michael Eitel, while she waited frantically for her firearm permit to get “processed” by the Berlin, NJ, police department. Scared for her life she got a restraining order against her violent ex-boyfriend, but she knew that would not be enough.
Standing at 5′ 90lbs, Carol knew the greatest equalizer against 6’4″ 275lb Michael Eitel was a firearm, but after waiting 43 days for her application to get “processed” Michael kept his promise and stabbed Carol to death in her own driveway.
For those that live in normal states and not New Jersey this may sound confusing. In New Jersey to purchase a firearm we have to first go to the local police department and beg for permission to receive a “firearm permit,” wait months for the application to get “processed,” then finally pick up the permission slip and then go to the gun store and wait even longer for the State Police to run another background check. After all of that we can finally purchase a firearm (only 1 handgun per month), drive directly home and are only allowed to keep it at home, our business, or at the shooting range. All of this is justified under the guise of “common sense gun laws.”
Carol followed the rules and applied. Her daily and weekly cries and pleading with the police department did absolutely nothing to expedite her permit, nor did the police department seem to care. Their response? “Just call us if anything happens.” The restraining order Carol had against her violent ex-boyfriend did nothing. The police department dragged their feet and after 43 days her violent ex-boyfriend kept his promise that he was going to murder her.
Many people ask me why I fight so hard in New Jersey for the Second Amendment. And for the past 10+ years I have always discussed how in other normal states people, especially women, have the right to protect themselves with a firearm. And they do.
According to Department of Justice women use firearms millions of times per year to protect themselves against rapist and murderers. Except in New Jersey where women are forced to beg for the ability to protect themselves, and like Carol, found out the hard way what that really means. And to make matters worse and add insult to injury our current governor has made it even harder for women to protect themselves, all while he surrounds himself and his family with armed guards. Funny how these bureaucrats do not follow their own advice and wait for the police when they need protection. Governor Murphy and other Trenton bureaucrats believe their lives are more valuable, period.
Carol’s life mattered and she would be alive today if she lived in almost any other state. New Jersey laws caused her death and did nothing to protect her life.
If you or your loved one were murdered today, would you have fought harder yesterday to make sure we had the ability to protect ourselves? You know my answer and we hope you join us to do the same.
Sincerely,
Alexander Roubian
NJ2AS President and Managing Editor