As of 2013, all 50 states allow concealed carry of handguns (Concealed Carry Reciprocity Maps), although a few states don’t require a permit and the standards for licensing vary greatly from state to state. In the U.S. most states are “Shall Issue” states. This means they will grant anybody a permit that meets certain guidelines such as being 21 or older and not having any felony convictions, a history of mental illness or domestic abuse. A handful of other states are “May Issue” states. In these other states, such as Maryland, a permit will only be issued if you can prove you need it. This can be a large obstacle and these states will usually only issue permits to people in the public eye, wealthy individuals that are well-connected or business owners frequently transporting large sums of cash (Concealed Carry Reciprocity Maps). Although the requirements and standards are different wherever you may live, one thing holds true- concealed carry permit holders are rapidly growing. The market for handgun training, concealed carry courses and smaller, more concealable handguns have opened up. When concealed carry was first gaining popularity there were two very different schools of thought. Some thought that violent crime would decrease, as criminals would fear the everyday person that just may happen to be armed. Others thought that having people carrying around concealed handguns in public would lead to an increase in violent crime with people losing their temper and shooting each other. When analyzing the data and crime trends, it is clear that with this influx of concealed carry permit holders there has not been a corresponding increase in violent crime.
Many opponents of concealed carry suggest that an increase in concealed car...
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... 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.
The majority of permit holders understands this and they tend to take the approach to be more aware of their surroundings, and avoid confrontation and dangerous situations.
Many Americans are now applying for a license to carry licensed concealed arms with them. The rate at which licenses are being approved is worrying. This development is concerning law enforcement authorities. Putting so many firearms at the disposal of the public is counterproductive to the gains that are being made on improving security and especially in the cities where incidences of gun crime and violence are on the rise.
“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).
John R. Lott, Jr., PhD, author of More Guns, Less Crime: Understanding Crime and Gun Control Laws, stated, "States with the largest increases in gun ownership also have the largest drops in violent crimes... The effect on 'shall-issue ' [concealed gun] laws on these crimes [where two or more people were killed] has been dramatic. When states passed these laws, the number of multiple-victim shootings declined by 84 percent. Deaths from these shootings plummeted on average by 90 percent and injuries by 82
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.
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
Although legalizing concealed handguns create an easy access to firearms by criminals and emotionally disturbed people, it is less likely that these individuals will use their weapons if they feel their target is armed as well. Allowing citizens to carry would always cause the question of ‘who is carrying?’ to arise in the criminals’ minds. According to economist and political commentator John Lott, had the states that did not have concealed handgun laws in 1992 actually allowed concealed carry, the murders would be reduced by “1,839; rapes by 3,727; aggravated assaults by 10,990; robberies by 61,064; burglaries by 112,665; larcenies by 93,274; and auto thefts by 41,512,” (Lott 58). Simply by allowing individuals the right to carry concealed weapons cuts major crime rates dramatically. When criminals are aware that their potential victims could also be armed, they are less likely to act on their violence for fear of the assault turning against them. Whereas, if concealed carry was illegal, criminals would know that their target would most likely not be carrying, thus making these individuals more likely to act on violent
In fact, five states, California, Florida, Illinois, New York, and South Carolina think that is better to keep conceal carry over open carry. Concealed carry is different then that of open carry. Both laws let a person carry a handgun out in public around other people, but with concealed carry the user must hide the handgun underneath some form of clothing making it invisible to others. It could be placed in a multiple of places underneath a coat, vest, at the lower back, hip, leg, or on one side of the rib cage. Open carry only lets you carry the firearm on the side of your hip. Also, each person must get a license or permit showing the proper use of the firearm and pass a background check. This lets only people who are not hostile with experience of a firearm the right to carry in public. Making sure that not only is the user safe from the firearm, it makes sure that citizens around them are not in
College is seen as the beginning of young adult life, but campus crime can prevent the continuation of that life.Yet, campuses still prohibit students from carrying essential self defense weapons. This is most likely due to their ignorance of the benefits involved with allowing campus carry. Campus carry improves the overall environment of a college and promotes safety. Students should be allowed to carry guns on campus due to the current lack of protection offered through the university and an individual’s lawful right, despite the belief that it would cause an escalation in violent crime.
Since 2007 the amount concealed gun permits have increased from 4.6 million to 12.8 million. Even last year the number of permits issued had increased by 1.7 million. As a result of more permits robbery, violent crimes, and murder rates have plummeted. The number is most likely to increase to since that gun permits are now not required to carry a gun in eight states. Citizens should be able to carry a
-States who do let their citizens have gun ownership have the largest drops in less crime, these state laws allow citizens to carry a conceal weapon if they don’t have no mental illness or criminal history. As more people get their permit there will be a decrease in less
This is caused because the more guns there, are the less violence there is. Dangerous criminals will think twice about robbing someone that has a gun. A victim with a gun is no longer a victim because they can not fight back against the attacker. Therefore, they can save their lives and save lives of the public which need help at that moment. Lott states, “The estimated annual gain from 1992 from allowing concealed handguns was over $5.74 billion” (House Report). This states that when a decline in violence goes down the amount of money goes up. Concealed guns can only benefit everyone in multiple ways. Concealed weapons can help create the feeling of safety and reduce violence. No one wants to live in
Gun control is a highly controversial topic in today’s world where the fight is between the liberal and the conservatives. Many people believe that guns should be banned due to many recent massacres that have happened whereas others are wanting people to have background checks done before owning a gun. I am against gun control because banning handguns in the United States should not be allowed because handguns fail to protect the people and it is ineffective.
Citizens want to conceal carry a handgun because every day there are dangerous individuals who prey on the weak. In addition to that, concealed handguns are an effective non-lethal form of self defense the majority of the time. Gary Kleck from the Federal Bureau of Investigation “estimated that, 2 million to 2.5 million victims annually use handguns to repel criminal attackers” (Kates). The surprise of being armed is the advantage for the victim, which the victim has the disadvantage of knowing the time and place of being attacked. Concealed carry actually provides protection to citizens that do not carry because the criminals are not sure who is able to defend themselves....
In today’s world violence and crime are everywhere. Crime is particularly bad in the United States. All these different crimes like robberies, assaults, school shootings, murders need to be slowed down and these are not the only crimes being committed. There are many different ways to try and deter crime. One of these ways is having a concealed carry license.
Concealed weapons are a strong way to keep ourselves and our families safe, but it can also be a danger to all of us as we would not know the intentions of those who could carry a concealed weapon! While concealed weapons may not reduce crime, it can still be a way of to prevent mass shootings and support our constitutional rights. In the past, there has been some major discussions whether to pass concealed carry laws in some states to help in deterring crime and or to pass a law of gun control.