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10-year record would vouch for expanded gun law
November 13,2005
North Carolina's concealed handgun law, which becomes 10 years old next month, has worked well. Even gun-control advocates concede that point.Now one gun-rights group - Grass Roots North Carolina - hopes the law will be expanded so that people with concealed handgun permits will have fewer restrictions on where they can carry their weapons.
We think that there is some merit in the organization's idea.
For example, the group's president recently suggested that permit-holders should be allowed to carry their weapons in public parks. It would provide protection for joggers from potential attackers.
Gun-control advocates would likely balk at this proposal, suggesting that such a lessening of restrictions would make parks - where children play - dangerous places.
We disagree.
And we do so because we haven't seen other places that law-abiding citizens are allowed to carry their guns become more dangerous.
When you go into a restaurant that doesn't serve alcohol, are you even aware that the eating establishment is a place where permit-holders are allowed to carry their guns? That is, of course, unless the owner of the restaurant has placed a sign in the window prohibiting such weapons at the business.
How about a department store? Or a clothing store? Or a hardware store?
A lot of places allow permit-holders to carry their weapons. And because these folks just want to have their guns for their own safety, they're not interested in flashing their weapons, so you never know that they're even there.
You never know it because these folks aren't interested in seeing a return to the Wild West. In fact, our guess is they hope they'll never have to use their weapon, or even take it out and brandish it. They just want the protection from would-be criminals that their gun gives them and the security that if need be, they can have a meaningful way of defending themselves and their family members.
The past 10 years have shown us that there is no reason to fear allowing law-abiding citizens who are trained in handgun safety to carry their weapons.
We don't expect the next 10 years to be any different.
10-year record would vouch for expanded gun law
November 13,2005
North Carolina's concealed handgun law, which becomes 10 years old next month, has worked well. Even gun-control advocates concede that point.Now one gun-rights group - Grass Roots North Carolina - hopes the law will be expanded so that people with concealed handgun permits will have fewer restrictions on where they can carry their weapons.
We think that there is some merit in the organization's idea.
For example, the group's president recently suggested that permit-holders should be allowed to carry their weapons in public parks. It would provide protection for joggers from potential attackers.
Gun-control advocates would likely balk at this proposal, suggesting that such a lessening of restrictions would make parks - where children play - dangerous places.
We disagree.
And we do so because we haven't seen other places that law-abiding citizens are allowed to carry their guns become more dangerous.
When you go into a restaurant that doesn't serve alcohol, are you even aware that the eating establishment is a place where permit-holders are allowed to carry their guns? That is, of course, unless the owner of the restaurant has placed a sign in the window prohibiting such weapons at the business.
How about a department store? Or a clothing store? Or a hardware store?
A lot of places allow permit-holders to carry their weapons. And because these folks just want to have their guns for their own safety, they're not interested in flashing their weapons, so you never know that they're even there.
You never know it because these folks aren't interested in seeing a return to the Wild West. In fact, our guess is they hope they'll never have to use their weapon, or even take it out and brandish it. They just want the protection from would-be criminals that their gun gives them and the security that if need be, they can have a meaningful way of defending themselves and their family members.
The past 10 years have shown us that there is no reason to fear allowing law-abiding citizens who are trained in handgun safety to carry their weapons.
We don't expect the next 10 years to be any different.
