Fred Fuller
Moderator Emeritus
http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Society/2012/0311/Gun-nation-Inside-America-s-gun-carry-culture
Gun nation: Inside America's gun-carry culture
Why Americans now carry handguns in so many public places, from parks to college campuses. Is it making the country safer or more dangerous?
By Patrik Jonsson, Staff writer / March 11, 2012
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America's Gun Culture 2.0 essentially got started when Florida passed the nation's first "shall issue" concealed carry permit law in 1987. Since then all but ten states have enacted "shall issue" laws of their own, and a total of four states have gone even further, to "Vermont style" no-permit concealed carry for law abiding citizens (Alaska, Arizona, Vermont, Wyoming). In addition, a number of states have passed "castle doctrine" laws as well.
This is a definite change from an earlier trend of increasingly restrictive gun laws across most of the nation. The usual partisan arguments continue, seemingly unabated in many cases, and with little regard for available data from some quarters. But it is becoming more and more clear to more and more people that more guns do not necessarily equal more crime, as this article seems to grudgingly acknowledge.
I see this article as being interesting for several reasons. First of all, that grudging admission from a not-always-firearms-friendly source that more guns in the right hands might lead to less crime. In addition, the article might provide support from a 'mainstream' media source for anyone trying to decide whether or not to carry, or even to obtain a firearm for defense in the home. It might help convince a spouse or other family member who is objecting to the desire of another family member to provide for their own protection. And it's a good reminder for people new to the concealed carry community just how much has changed in a relatively few years, and how relatively politically fragile these changes might be. Thus it's in all our best interests to get the best training we can in order to make the best decisions possible where CCW is concerned.
So, on a personal note - if your state makes concealed carry permits available, do you have one yet? If not, why not?
Since I asked, I'll answer first. I got my first concealed carry permit in the state of Alabama as soon as I was old enough, which was in the early 1970s. I've had a permit to carry everywhere one was available since then, in NC the concealed carry legislation wasn't passed until several years after I moved here. And my wife (who also has a permit) and I continue to seek the best training we can manage at every opportunity.
Gun nation: Inside America's gun-carry culture
Why Americans now carry handguns in so many public places, from parks to college campuses. Is it making the country safer or more dangerous?
By Patrik Jonsson, Staff writer / March 11, 2012
==============================
America's Gun Culture 2.0 essentially got started when Florida passed the nation's first "shall issue" concealed carry permit law in 1987. Since then all but ten states have enacted "shall issue" laws of their own, and a total of four states have gone even further, to "Vermont style" no-permit concealed carry for law abiding citizens (Alaska, Arizona, Vermont, Wyoming). In addition, a number of states have passed "castle doctrine" laws as well.
This is a definite change from an earlier trend of increasingly restrictive gun laws across most of the nation. The usual partisan arguments continue, seemingly unabated in many cases, and with little regard for available data from some quarters. But it is becoming more and more clear to more and more people that more guns do not necessarily equal more crime, as this article seems to grudgingly acknowledge.
I see this article as being interesting for several reasons. First of all, that grudging admission from a not-always-firearms-friendly source that more guns in the right hands might lead to less crime. In addition, the article might provide support from a 'mainstream' media source for anyone trying to decide whether or not to carry, or even to obtain a firearm for defense in the home. It might help convince a spouse or other family member who is objecting to the desire of another family member to provide for their own protection. And it's a good reminder for people new to the concealed carry community just how much has changed in a relatively few years, and how relatively politically fragile these changes might be. Thus it's in all our best interests to get the best training we can in order to make the best decisions possible where CCW is concerned.
So, on a personal note - if your state makes concealed carry permits available, do you have one yet? If not, why not?
Since I asked, I'll answer first. I got my first concealed carry permit in the state of Alabama as soon as I was old enough, which was in the early 1970s. I've had a permit to carry everywhere one was available since then, in NC the concealed carry legislation wasn't passed until several years after I moved here. And my wife (who also has a permit) and I continue to seek the best training we can manage at every opportunity.