Should States Allow Reciprocity in the USA

“More guns are sold every year, but crime is declining and accidents are at record lows” (Spain). All fifty states in the United States have passed laws licensing civilians to carry a concealed weapon [a handgun] with a valid permit. The right to own a concealable weapon is a constitutional right for self-defense. Marriage and drivers licenses from any state in the U.S. are recognized as legal in all of the other states. This is called a reciprocity law: this is practical. No one would want to take the driver’s test for each state they may drive in or through on a vacation: imagine having 50 drivers’ licenses in a wallet! Concealed gun laws should also be reciprocated. A lot of time victims do not have time to call the police, and often times it’s too late and the police cannot do much to help. But if they have a weapon they can threaten the assaulter and the attacker will most likely back off. All of states should allow reciprocity so they can carry around their concealable weapon for their safety. While an individual may be licensed and permitted to carry a concealed weapon in their home state unless the state the gun owner is visiting has a reciprocity law in effect, a gun owner is caught with a concealed weapon in the new state, a crime has been committed.

Americans should be allowed to carry around a concealable weapon because it helps to decrease crime. “34% of felons said they had been “scared off, shot at, wounded or captured by an armed victim” and 40% of these criminals admitted that they had been deterred from committing a crime out of fear that the potential victim was armed” (Stearns).If criminals are looking around for a victim to harm and they see that they have a weapon or someone around them does, the criminal wi...

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...ill it do if you are only at home half the time. If a citizen can carry a weapon all the time then you will feel a lot safer. Everyone should go against the banning of concealable permits and allowing the reciprocity law so every permitted citizen can have good protection any where a person wants to go.

Works Cited

"Concealed Guns." ProCon.org. 5 Feb. 2014. Web. 19 Feb. 2014.

Ruben, Alam. "The Accessibility of Guns Leads to Gun Crime." Guns and Crime. Detroit: Greenhaven, 2012. N. pag. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 6 Feb. 2014.

Spain, William. "State Takes Concealed-Carry Applications." USA Today. 9 Jan. 2014: n. pag. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 30 Jan. 2014.

Stearns, Cliff. "Laws Permitting Concealed Weapons Ensure Public Safety." Concealed Weapons. Detroit: Greenhaven, 2011. N. pag. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 6 Feb. 2014.