Concealed Guns And Concealed Weapons

To Carry or Not to Carry

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.

First, many people do not understand what rights and what laws are for and against them if they have a concealed pistol. Also, many areas of the public are not aware of the changing laws that can affect the way one carries and where they can carry. For instance, in early December Virginia passed a law that they no longer recognize North Carolina, Tennessee, South Carolina and twenty-two other states concealed carry permits (Portnoy). This can affect the way that many people travel. My family for one travels to and from Michigan to North Carolina s...

... middle of paper ...

...andgun license holders were arrested for a total of 5,314 crimes from January 1, 1996, to August 31, 2001” (Center). This shows that because the person know has the ability to hide a pistol on their person, they are more prone to committing a crime.

In conclusion, many people believe in carry a concealed weapon for self-defense, while others believe that it is an unnecessary evil that creates more harm than good. Due to new laws that have been put into action, traveling is also much harder with a pistol now and when crossing state lines, the laws should be checked. Many crimes are stopped when someone has a concealed weapon on them, but there are also more crimes that are committed by a person who has a concealed carry permit. I guess the question that arises after looking at all of this information is, is it worth it to even get the concealed carry permit anymore?