CONCEALMENT #5

The rise of the armed citizen over the past few decades is something that should get a whole lot more attention from the media than it does. Since 1990, we’ve gone from an estimated 2-million concealed weapon permit holders and 15 “shall issue” states, to around 16-million Americans who are licensed to carry, along with 11 states that have adopted “Constitutional Carry” — no license required. Hyperventilating bicoastal politicians still insist this will result in rivers of blood flowing in the streets, and yet, as the numbers of legally armed citizens increased, our rates of violent crime trended to the lowest they’ve been since the Eisenhower administration.

On January 3, Representative Richard Hudson introduced H.R. 38, the Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act, which would protect legally armed citizens from prosecution, should they choose to exercise their rights in such bastions of liberty as New Jersey and California. Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn also introduced a bicameral bill in early March, and, while there is a significant difference between the two that will need to be reconciled, there’s a better than even chance both will make it out of committee.

Right on cue, Senator Charles Schumer and his junior sock puppet vowed to “fight it tooth and nail,” meanwhile briefing a credulous local media about how dangerous it would be to allow Americans to visit New York City while armed. Apparently, the 23 square miles of Manhattan are unique in the USA, and we must all surrender our constitutional rights upon crossing the George Washington Bridge.

Their resistance is perhaps indicative of how badly CWW reciprocity would undermine the logically, morally, and practically untenable restrictions on the most effective self-defense tools we have. Of course, being surrounded by taxpayer-funded security details might cause a person to have a different outlook on life, but you might think that after the recent SCOTUS decision regarding gay marriage, the concept of recognizing licenses issued by other states might still be fresh in their minds. No matter the outcome in congress, it’ll be amusing to see staunch defenders of federal power arguing passionately for states’ rights.

To preview the issue click here: Concealment 5

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