The issue between open carry and concealed carry has been an ongoing topic throughout Texas. Currently, in order to have a handgun on your person, you must have a concealed handgun license. To obtain a license, the applicant must consent to a background check to make sure they do not have a criminal record and they must take a course on gun safety and how to handle your weapon. I believe that the current policy of concealed carry should remain throughout Texas opposed to open carry so that we, the people know that the citizens that have a firearm on their person are properly trained and capable of handling their weapon. In 2011, Texas had 699 cases of murder by firearm, although that was thirteen less than the previous year, that number …show more content…
This policy creates a big controversy in Texas and Abbott is determined to pass it as a law. While Abbott proposes open carry to the state, that would also allow criminals to carry weapons around as they please. Abbott stated that “An openly carried weapon is no more dangerous than one carried in a concealed manner,” now that is not entirely true. The firearm would do the same amount of damage whether or not it is openly carried or concealed, but the owner of the concealed weapon has been trained and educated on how to shoot and handle his weapon. The owner of the firearm who is openly carrying it around does not have to go through training and may or may not know the slightest thing about his firearm other than it shoots bullets. It would be …show more content…
Some politicians believe that students should be able to carry a concealed firearm on their campus as long as it is approved by the school’s board of regents. This would improve the safety of all the students if properly trained citizens had the ability to defend themselves in the event of a shooting. A school shooting is an extreme case and it rarely does happen, but why should innocent lives be taken because the only person who has the authority to legally carry a firearm on campus is not near the crime scene. If citizens or even just teachers had that authority, it could save lives in these extreme cases. While some legislatures see a need for concealed carry across the US, “19 states introduced legislation to allow concealed carry on campus,” only two of those bills passed. Other legislatures have tried prohibiting concealed carry on campus, but not one of those bills
“Carrying a concealed handgun in public is permitted in all 50 states as of 2013. Some states have “unrestricted carry” and do not require permits” (ProCon.org 1). Law abiding citizens can apply for a “concealed carry permit” if they have no record of mental illness and no criminal record. The permit allows them to carry handguns not only at home, but almost everywhere they go. More women are buying handguns than ever before and going through the training to get a license to carry(The Economist 1). Before, you had to prove you had a need to get such a permit. In 1989 the National Rifle Association (NRA) started a nationwide campaign to get laws passed that made it legal for law abiding citizens to carry a concealed handgun. Their argument was that criminals who knew that their victims were armed would be less likely to attack (New York Times 1).
Concealed carry; should we promote or discourage it? Many who are not supportive of the law, do not understand the pros that come from the ability to carry a concealed handgun. They overlook all the good that comes from the law, they seem to dwell on the very few cons, and do not wish to consider the great pros that can and often do come from the concealed carry law. Guns, though scary to some, provide those who carry with a sense of protection, as one must take into consideration the good that the law does for the people of America, and the power that is granted while carrying a gun.
Very few people want to carry openly displayed guns because the police will hassle them, stores will refuse to serve them, and some people will not talk to them.
Everyone has had that time in their life where they feel that they would be safer if they had some sort of protection, concealed carry is a great option for protection. Over the years it has been growing in popularity, more and more people are going out and getting their concealed carry permit. With more and more people going out and getting their permit, some may view it as dangerous, while others feel it is a necessity. Concealed carry is essential because, it allows added protection, has certain restrictions that the person must meet, and if guns are handled properly they are not as dangerous
The implementation of gun control in the United States is a large problem as it will take away the 2nd Amendment rights of citizens, while preventing law abiding citizens from protecting themselves from criminals.( Noyes, 3) The right to bear arms is promised to citizens of the United States. Crime is very high in states that have loose gun control laws. The state of Texas is known to have the most lenient gun control laws of any state in America.( Noyes, 6) However, the solution of taking guns away from people who are registered and licensed to carry them with no criminal record is not the answer to the problem. Americans have never responded well historically to prohibitions. (Baldauf, 7). Public concern about gun control has grown in Texas in the last two years due to the constant violence caused by Mexican drug cartels on the Mexico and Texas border. People in Texas have different beliefs when it comes to gun control, there are those who believe gun control laws are effective in reducing crime, those who believe that gun control laws are ineffective against crime, and those who believe that private owner ship of guns reduces crime.
Seung-Hui Cho, a twenty three year old performed the deadliest mass shooting on the Virginia Tech campus and State University campus in Blacksburg, Virginia, and then he took his own life. He killed 32 people. The point of students not having a concealed firearm on campus is to protect other students and faculty. Being safe and not in danger can be solved in many ways. Police officers, family, and people with high authorities are around to protect people but not all the time. Students should be prohibited from carrying concealed firearms on college campuses because it causes violence, it could be in the hands of a crazy person, and concealed carry permit holders are not required to have law enforcement training.
Accompanying the high margin for human error, untrained citizens can use firearms in unlawful ways. According to a violence policy center analysis of news reports, CCW (carrying a concealed weapon) permit holders have killed at least 14 law enforcement officers and 622 private citizens since May 2007 (LCPGV 1). Most if not all of those deaths could have been avoided if there was no concealed carry law. People now need to be informed of the facts, and not some old false reasoning. What holds many people back from seeing the truth is the disadvantageous annotation that comes with change. Sure, this country was built on people who rose up and overthrew the unethical government with their own weapons, but that is not what is being threatened; the right of a militia and to own firearms is written in the second amendment. What does need to change, however, is the idea that the constitution is flawless and covers all things. Although the constitution does lay very stable ground rules for a country to be governed, laws are meant to change with new inventions and ideals. New models of more and more deadly firearms are created everyday, each being deadlier that the latter. What could be called into the question is not the banning of the weapon, but the banning of the deadliness of the weapon. New guns can be specially constructed to wound a
There are many factors concealed carry is good for Illinois. Too many innocent people are getting robbed; People should be allowed to defend their self from any danger. Before the law was passed, a person was only allowed to carry in their home. Even if a person legally owned a firearm, if they were caught outside of their home carrying a firearm they could face jail time. Locking a firearm in a case, unloaded, taken apart, and placing the case in the trunk of a car was the only way a person was allowed to transport a firearm.
Concealed weapons in college campus’s have been a big issue since the mass shootings in Virginia Tech and Northern Illinois Universities. Allowing for guns to be allowed in college campus’s would be a bad thing to do since it would create additional risks for students, even if weapons were allowed it wouldn’t deter the shooter, and it would detract from a healthy learning environment. So far there is only five states , Colorado, Mississippi, Oregon, Utah, and Wisconsin, that allow “concealed carry” at school campus.
If a person don’t carry a concealed weapon, how will they be able to protect themselves and their precious family from vicious criminals? Shall issue states are states that citizens may apply and be considered by the state for a gun permit which is also known as concealed carry. John R. Lott, is an economist and has received his Ph.D. in economics from UCLA. He claimed "shall-issue" concealed carry laws reduced murders by 8.5%, rapes by 5%, aggravated assaults by 7%, and robbery by 3%, according to a 2000 analysis of FBI crime data” (Lott, John R.) This refers to how concealed carry reduces crime and information was reported by the FBI compared to the other states that don’t allow concealed carry. This quote shows real evidence on how guns
... was in fact an increase in violent crime. In the data this has been shown to be false. There is also no supporting evidence to show that concealed carry permit holders are committing a significant number of crimes either. In order to get a permit in the first place background checks are done that weed out anybody that has a history of felonies, violence and dangerous mental illness. There is also great legal responsibility that comes with the territory in a self-defense situation. A normal, sane person does not want to have to use a gun in defense. There are lots of serious implications, even if the use is justified, such as civil lawsuits and the psychological impact of the defense itself.
Gun control and self-defense has been a hot topic in the United States in the last couple of years, with the United States having 88.8 guns for every 100 people. People argue whether individuals should have the right to own and carry weapons or whether there should be a stricter regulation on guns. With crimes occurring everywhere in the United States it’s only logical to allow those who qualify for a concealed weapon the right to obtain a permit to carry. With the recent laws of concealed carry weapons being allowed in all 50 states and Jerry Brown banning concealed carry on college campuses, controversy is hotter than it’s ever been. Although we have seen weapons used for hurting, guns, when placed in concealed carry hands, are not the cause
Concealed pistols have always been an issue that the public wants to know more and more about. Most people who were born and raised in the outdoors agree fully on the legality of a concealed weapon, whereas people who were born in big cities where they did not hunt, shoot guns, or have a firearm in their house do not. This is a very large and argued about cultural issue. I personally am all for concealed carry of a firearm. There are many reasons for this such as personal defense, sense of safety, and the protection of others around me. There are some questions that are raised about the carrying of a concealed weapon such as “what states can I travel in with my firearm?”, “what is the process of applying for a concealed carry permit?”, and “can I enter a weapon free zone to stop a shooter?”. Concealed carry has proven able to reduce crime and lower the casualty rate of a shooter who enters a public area with the intent to kill as many people as possible. Some people argue that concealed weapons are just carried by people who are looking for trouble and that you can obtain a pistol without a background check. This will also be explored and explained thoroughly.
Did you know the second amendment states that you have a right to own and use arms for protection? Kentucky passed a law in 1813 that prohibits the carrying of concealed weapons. In May 1987, Florida passed a “shall-issue” law that became a model for other states. There were 11 states that have the “may-issue” law which allowed permits. On July 8, 2011, Wisconsin became the 49th state to allow concealed carry. (ProCon.org) Adults who go through training and obtain a permit should be able to carry a concealed handgun.
Carrying a concealed is truly a human right to every citizen living in the United States . Even if a person chooses not to exercise that right , overall carrying a concealed weapon can not be taken lightly. The significance of this right is it contains much responsibility. Having a concealed gun can honestly save one or many lives.This is very important so an individual interested in having a concealed gun should understand t...