By: Paul Foreman
Just last week, the U.S. Congress approved a bill titled, “The National Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act.” The bill now needs to be voted on by the Senate, then signed by President Trump before it becomes law. All of you need to contact your senators and urge them to vote YES and get the “Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act” (AKA HR 38) passed. Last I heard, there will be quite a battle in the Senate, to get this badly needed bill passed.
This proposed law, AKA HR 38, will require every state to recognize all other states’ concealed carry permits. This law is badly needed to prevent innocent law-abiding people from being arrested for exercising their constitutional right to keep and bear arms.
Some who are against the law being passed, the anti-gunners, are claiming all kinds of myths and outright lies about HR 38. Here some of them:
Myth #1: Criminals will be able to have guns. Truth: Federal law prohibits criminals from possessing firearms.
Myth #2: Women will be less safe. Truth: Women will be safer when allowed to legally defend themselves and NOT be arrested for possessing a gun even though they have a permit from their home state.
Myth #3: Domestic abusers will be able to get a permit from another state. Truth: In all states, federal law prohibits domestic abusers from possessing firearms.
Myth #4: Gun crime rates will go up. Truth: Concealed carry permit holders, must go through a criminal background check, in order to have a concealed carry permit. They are also the most law-abiding section of society. Statistically they break laws less than law enforcement officers. Criminals get guns the illegal way, they steal them.
Myth #5: This bill will allow stalkers to carry guns. Truth: Anyone who has a restraining order against them is not permitted to possess any firearms in any state (see Myth #3). The people who this bill will help are the very people, the victims, who are being stalked. The law will allow them to carry a gun for their protection.
Myth #6: Even if a person is prohibited from having a gun, this bill will give them the right to carry one. Truth: Once again, this bill does not overturn any laws on prohibited people. If you are banned from possessing a gun by federal law, then you cannot own or possess a gun.
Myth # 7: This is a free pass to gun manufacturers and the NRA. Truth: As of 2017, according to Wikipedia, there are 16.3 million concealed weapon permits issued in the United States. This bill would empower every single one of those permit holders to be able to travel freely from state to state with their firearms. Law-abiding citizens are the people most affected by this law. Criminals will go right on being criminals. The NRA also represents the interest of firearms owners. The NRA is about protecting the Second Amendment rights of the people, and this is what this bill does.
The anti-gun left tried to use a lot of emotion to defeat this bill, and they will still do so as it moves to the Senate. The reason they use emotion is that the facts are not on their side. The people on the pro-gun side need to keep hitting them with factual arguments, aka the Truth, and not get drawn into an emotional battle. This law will make it legal for those who have a concealed carry permit issued in Alabama to also be recognized and legal in all 49 other states, including Washington, DC. Right now, there are a dozen or so states that will throw you in the slammer for entering their state with your firearm which is perfectly legal in your home state. How would you like it if those states did that with your driver’s license?
By: Paul Foreman
