Concealed carry is younger than me??!

[LWYM425]

I was reading another thread today: http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=514664

And it made me realize that we didn't have concealed carry for as long as we had hand guns. I know some of you are shocked that I would have thought that... thats why I'm posting

My Dad never owned any guns, though he does now. I only shot a couple .22's at cub scout camp. I lived in IL near chicago, so I thought it was just an IL thing that you couldn't really have handguns.

I'm 25 now and living in WA. I applied for a CPL 3 years ago and sat on it for a 6-8 months before I decided to buy a pistol. Obviously, my motivation for carrying is more closely associated with "excercising a right" then a direct fear for my life. For some reason I thought it would be strange to own a handgun without having my CPL. I am curious to hear from those of you who had hand guns (or any guns, really) before states started to warm up to CCW's

Discussion Questions:

What did you feel when you realized your state may allow you to CC after having been apart of "gun culture" for so long and been denied a CCW (What was the anticipation like)? How did you find out your state might start issuing permits?

I guess I'm just that much more grateful that I didn't realize I didn't have the right to CCW before I had the desire to... ignorance really is bliss

 

[Zoogster]

Actually California has one of the oldest concealed carry permit systems in the nation.
Concealed carry with a permit has existed in California long before most of the nation!


What is thought of today as Concealed Carry was actually originally an anti-gun sparked movement!

Before Concealed Carry permits in California carrying a concealed firearm without a permit was perfectly legal.
Then to control who could legally continue to be allowed this freedom and who could be arrested for exercising this freedom, a permit process was established.

In 1917 California created concealed carry. In 1923 taking effect in 1924 the system was overhauled and a new system was implemented.
This made what was previously legal for everyone only legal for those who obtained permission and a permit from the government.
This allowed the government to discretionarily deny the type of people it did not want to have a permit.
The low income minorities of the time were primarily Asian and Hispanics. Both low income communities did actually have sizeable gang activity, like most low income communities today. The legislation was passed with the pretense of reducing "tong wars" and "vendettas".
The majority of the population was still issued a permit when requested, except for a small minority. Over the years this would gradually change as the views of the police and sheriffs responsible for issuing them changed, until it got to the point where the majority are denied routinely, and a minority are granted a permit. But it is the same system most were freely given a permit under before.


So it was primarily passed as a racist and anti gang measure as a form of gun control on a specific minority of the population. It later became a way to deny most citizens a freedom that previously required no permit.




Today a requirement for permission (concealed carry license) to exercise a freedom once available to everyone without a permit is viewed as a positive triumph over a complete prohibition on carrying concealed.
The reverse of its historical origins.

So what was once an anti-gun measure (requiring a permit to exercise a freedom) implemented as gun control is today viewed as a pro-gun victory (allowing you to obtain a permit to exercise a privilege.)

So a permit allowing you to carry a concealed firearm in California is over 90 years old.

 

[danprkr]

I can remember wanting to mount clips for a M1 carbine in my car to comply when then Governor Richards vetoed our initial CHL in TX. Never got around to it, but the only time I've ever voted in a Democratic primary was when she came up for election. I did it simply so I could legally vote against her twice.