U.S. Senator Diane Feinstein (D-CA) on terrorism and self-defense:
The following comments were made by U.S. Senator Diane Feinstein (D-CA) during U.S. Senate hearings on terrorism held in Washington, D.C. on April 27, 1995:
"Because less than twenty years ago I was the target of a terrorist group. It was the New World Liberation Front. They blew up power stations and put a bomb at my home when my husband was dying of cancer. And the bomb didn't detonate. ... I was very lucky. But, I thought of what might have happened. Later the same group shot out all the windows of my home."
"And, I know the sense of helplessness that people feel. I know the urge to arm yourself because that's what I did. I was trained in firearms. I'd walk to the hospital when my husband was sick. I carried a concealed weapon. I made the determination that if somebody was going to try to take me out, I was going to take them with me."
Please note that in almost all California cities it is nearly impossible for a citizen to obtain a permit to carry a concealed weapon. In fact, the City of Los Angeles did not issue a single permit for over six years with the exception of issuing one to a new police chief who was not yet certified in California. In San Francisco only those who are have influence with the police department are issued permits. In the city of San Jose (in Silicon Valley) the previous police chief refused to issue any permits at all, no matter how endangered a citizen was.
Source: CSPAN Coverage 04/27/95