Concealed Weapons in the United States

1137 Words3 Pages

In the Second Amendment in the Bill of Rights the founding fathers of America gave us the right to bear arms for self-defense. Although everyone in America has the right to own a firearm, you must have a concealed carry permit in order to bring a hidden handgun into a public area. Through people carrying concealed handguns we can reduce violent crimes.
Each state gets to determine if they will allow concealed weapons. If the state does permit concealed carry then people have to go through a long process before they can receive their concealed weapons permit. A person must first fill out the application, then "State police post the names to a private website for local law enforcement agencies to review and object to if police feel there is a concern with an applicant" (Litchfield). This helps ensure that those with a history of violence will not be allowed to receive a concealed weapons permit. If there are no objections then the candidate is required to attend a 16 hour class before obtaining their permit.
In this class they do many things to increase their knowledge on gun safety. They get their picture taken, scan their fingerprints, and pay the fee for the permit. Then the leaning starts. They are taught "Firearm safety, basic principles of marksmanship, care cleaning loading and unloading of concealable firearm, applicable state and federal laws, weapon handling, and understanding when to intervene" (Litchfield).
This class is the most important part of the process to receive your permit. It teaches how to be responsible with your own firearm. It wouldn't be right to allow anyone to carry a gun without knowing how to properly and safely use it.
Why do people go through all of this time and effort to receive a concealed ...

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Works Cited

Hawkins, AWR. Concealed Carry Reduces Crime, Period—But Especially Violent Crime. Breit
Bart. 25 Aug. 2013. Newspaper Source: Web. 19 March 2014.

Litchfield, Heidi. Many steps required before getting a concealed-carry permit. Morris Daily
Herald (IL) 14 Feb. 2014: Newspaper Source Plus. Web. 18 Mar. 2014.

Lott. John. Concealed Weapons Save Lives. New York Daily News. 25 July 2012. Newspaper
Source: Web. 20 March 2014.

Prellwitz, John. 9 mm is faster than 9-1-1. UWM Post (Milwaukee, WI) 19 Sept. 2011: 17.
Newspaper Source Plus. Web. 20 Mar. 2014.

Quinn. Rob. Nebraska Politician Promoter Arming Teachers. Newser. 20 Jan. 2011.
Newspaper Source: Web. 20 March 2014.

Schaus, Michael. America? Mother Banned from Daughter’s School Because of Gun Permit.
Town Hall. 7 Nov. 2013: Newspaper Source. Web. 19 March 2014.

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