The Pros And Cons Of Concealed Handguns

Imagine waking in the middle of the night to a burglar rummaging through your house. You look next to you, and your significant other is missing; you walk downstairs and he/she is being held at gunpoint. Next thing you know, another burglar is pointing a gun at you from across the room. Unfortunately, you have no way of protecting yourself or your loved one because your right to bear arms was revoked. How does this scary thought impact you? This is an extreme scenario but it is reality for many Americans, and similar events happen daily. Yes, giving citizens the right to carry concealed weapons also gives these criminals easy access to weapons, but as noted in the example, criminals will get their hands on weapons legally or illegally, so it

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

Because any confrontation may become fatal with weapons other than concealed handguns, the likeliness that these confrontations have daily deadly outcomes is low, so it is just as implausible that banning handguns will prevent these outcomes. Raven Clabough reports for the New American Magazine, “according to the FBI, more hammers, clubs, and other blunt objects are involved in murders than rifles or shotguns. In 2011, 323 murders were committed with a rifle and 356 with a shotgun, while a staggering 496 were committed with hammers and clubs…Also in 2011, 1,694 people were killed by ‘knives or cutting instruments,’ far more than rifles and shotguns combined,” (Clabough). If taking away American citizens’ right to bear arms, the government should also place a ban on hammers, clubs, and steak knives. These items accumulate more murders than the firearms did. This statement provided by the FBI proves that any confrontation can turn deadly using everyday household items that any person of any age or criminal background has access