“Matilda Crabtree, 14, was shot and killed by her father when she jumped from the closet and yelled ‘BOO’ to scare her parents; her last words were, ‘I love you, daddy.”(Rottenberg 87) Laws that regulate carrying concealed weapons (CCW) have been wildly debated in the California and the US. There have mainly been two different types of laws. One is a type of legislation known as “may need” laws, which issues licenses to people who are in absolute need of carrying a concealed weapon. The other is known as “shall use” laws, which is a lot more lenient for people and makes it easier for the general public to get a gun. This law gives state authorities to issue concealed weapon licenses to any adult who does …show more content…
According to the FBI, there were 49 handgun murders for every one civilian justifiable homicide in 1994 (Fisherman). In fact, carrying concealed weapons makes you more vulnerable. Researcher Arthur Kellerman, Director of the Center for Injury Control at Emory University, warns, “If the bad guys know more people are carrying guns, they just might shoot first and reach for the wallet later.” (Sojourners)
Legalizing concealed weapons would make sense if the public supported more lenient CCW laws. An April 1995 study, Illinois Statewide Survey on Public Attitudes Toward Concealed Handguns, found that more than 73% of Illinois residents do not think that citizens should be able to carry concealed weapons, which also happens to be one of the Mafia capitals of the world. A Michigan survey of 600 state residents found that 71% opposed laws that make it easier for people to carry concealed weapons. (Kirchner)
There are many arguments that gun clubs and the NRA try to reassure society about concealed weapons. Many say, society is safer if criminals do not know who is armed; but if that is what society thinks, then why conceal weapons in the first place? It could be argued that concealed weapon laws might make criminals more violent; criminals might anticipate a potential victim to be armed and shoot first. Another argument gun lovers say is, an armed society is a polite society. Surveys taken
I feel that more guns equal more gun violence. A research that was conducted by ProCon.org in 2000, states that citizens who carry concealed weapons are more than five times less likely to be charged with committing a violent crime and fourteen times less likely to be arrested for other offenses than those who do not carry (ProCon.org). I think why any individual without any criminal record should not be able to carry a concealed weapon is because, first of all, it increases the chances of something minor turning lethal. For instance, if a man confronted another man at a bar about something minor, the confrontation could turn into a screaming match and the man with the concealed weapon could shoot the other man. These chances can increase also when the person with the concealed weapon is intoxicated, afraid, or angry (Argument Essay). In addition, not just checking background is enough. What if a person gets his licensed gun and something bad happens to him later on, and he is very upset or say short tempered, and because he hold a gun it would not take much time for him to become bad and dangerous. Secondly, why citizens should not be able to carry concealed guns is because most adults who carry them are not trained properly (Argument Essay). Even though according to the law, one of the requirements to get licensed for a gun is to pass the test, I think it still is not
In the past six months, there have been a total of 19,635 gun incidents. Out of those 19,635 incidents, 107 were mass shootings, 829 were home invasions, and 604 were for defensive use, according to Gunviolencearchive.org. It is unbelievable to see the number of gun related incidents that have happened in just the past six months. What is even more unbelievable to imagine is that so many of those incidents could have been avoided if people were allowed to carry concealed guns in certain places. Concealed carry, or concealed weapons, is the practice of carrying weapons, such as a handgun, in public in a concealed manner. All fifty states in the United States allow concealed carry in public places to some degree. But, some places, for example, schools, restaurants, and stores, prohibit concealed weapons. The controversy about whether concealed weapons should be prohibited in certain locations has been debated for years, and more often in the past decade. On one side of the debate, supporters of the “gun-free zones” claim that prohibiting concealed weapons in certain locations will reduce crime and ensure that the location is free of gun violence, allowing concealed weapons can result to more guns landing in the hands of criminals, and some even insist that public safety should be left to professional, qualified police officers, not ignorant citizens with little to no expert training. However, it is absolutely necessary to know that prohibiting weapons in certain locations
The most common reason why people argue that they need to have a gun is for safety, so they can protect themselves against burglars. If a burglar would come into your house, you would have a better chance defending yourself and your family with a gun, than if you did not have a gun. The number of concealed weapon owners is at an all time high. In comparison the number of homicides had drastically decreased alongside the growing rate of legal concealed weapons. This number had been nearly cut in half in the past 20 years(Goldberg).
Carrying a concealed weapon is the biggest factor of most crimes. The people involved in the crime do not know of the weapon, at first. It is hidden, concealed. If the laws and regulations are revised and “tightened up” this will not be such a great factor. If every concealed carrier has to go through background checks and other items, such as proper training, this will insure public safety and drastically reduce the immature use of firearms. Rules of the current day have worked “good enough” in the past, but in a world where crime is current every which way you turn, there is steps needed to be
Secondly, we should have the right to conceal one at all times for safety reasons. According to “Should Adults Have the Right to Carry a Concealed Handgun?” “States that implemented ‘shall-issue’ concealed carry laws reduced murders by 8.5%, rapes by 5%, aggravated assaults by 7%, and robbery by 3%, according to a 2000 analysis of FBI crime data by economist and political commentator John R. Lott Jr., PhD. Lott calculated that 1,570 murders, 4,177 rapes, 60,000 aggravated assaults, and 12,000 robberies could have been prevented between 1977 and 1992 if concealed carry had been legal in every US state during that time period. In addition, a 2013 peer-reviewed study in Applied Economic Letters, found that between 1980 and 2009, ‘states with more restrictive CCW (carrying concealed weapons) laws had gun-related murder rates that were 10% higher.’Detroit Chief of Police Larry Craig said permitted concealed weapons are ‘a deterrent,’ and ‘Good Americans with CPLs (concealed permit licenses) translates into crime reduction.’ A 2013 survey of 15,000 current and retired police officers found that 91.3% support the concealed carry of guns by civilians.” Crime numbers reduced when states allow citizens to conceal a weapon at all times, while states that made it difficult to conceal a gun saw the crime rates jack up. We should be able to carry concealed weapons to stop crime in its tracks.
One major argument for this is that potential villains see places that ban concealed weapons as an easy target. In an article titled Groundswell for Guns at July’s GOP Convention by Doug Stanglin it talks about how twenty-five thousand people have signed a petition to allow firearms inside the Republican National Convention. The need for petition comes from the fact that the Quicken Loans arena is a gun free zone. The petition which is quoted in the article says that “Without the right to protect themselves those at the Quicken Loans Arena will be sitting ducks utterly helpless against evil-doers, criminals, or others who wish to threaten the American way of life” This quote brings to light some of the dangerous possibilities areas suscep
People feel more protected when they carry a concealed handgun than no handgun at all (procon.org).
After enacting laws that allow permitted adults to carry a concealed weapon a number of states have witnessed significant, and even rapid, declines in crime rates, including murder, rape, and assault.
People in this country assume that more guns will equal more crime. This is simply not true. States with shall issue permits have 10% fewer gun homicides than may issue States. After Florida passed their shall issue concealed carry law, the State saw homicide rates fall from 36% above the National average, to 4% below the average. Another argument that is commonly made, is that people who conceal carry are more likely to commit crimes now that they can lawfully carry a firearm. That statement is yet another myth in the debate of gun control. Since 1988, crime rates involving concealed carriers has consistently been around .02%. People possessing a concealed carry permit are 6 times less likely to be arrested for a violent crime, and 13 times less likely to be arrested for a non-violent offense. This facts are also echoed by the National law enforcement community, who adamantly support Americans right to defend themselves. A study that was issued in 2013, found that 91% of law enforcement personnel believe concealed carry should be permitted, “without question and further restrictions.” Another 2013 study by a National police gun policy organization, found that 86% of law enforcement officers in the United States believe that concealed carry is the single most effective way to stop mass casualty shootings. Concealed weapons are frequently used to prevent crimes and mass shootings in the United States. A Florida State University study asked 4,978 people, if they have used a concealed weapon in any way, to prevent or stop a crime. 1.33% of respondents reported having done so within the past year. If you multiply these numbers to fit the United States population, that would come to 1.9 million crimes that have been prevented by a concealed firearm. The numbers and facts present do not lie. If you put these statistics next to the testimony from law enforcement, you cannot deny the
Recently, the topic of gun control has been at the top of everybody’s list in regard to what this country needs to focus on. With the recent tragedies in Las Vegas and Orlando, some may claim that giving more people the ability to carry a concealed weapon would deter some criminals from committing crimes due to fear of failure. This theory was discussed and tested in an article by David Fortunato entitled, “Can Easing Concealed Carry Deter Crime?” This article shows results of many surveys and case studies completed within the US regarding topics like types of permits, ease of issuance, and the perceived number or carriers per state. It then goes on to break down this data, and draws a conclusion from it that may surprise some.
You have to be a certain kind of person to be able to properly carry and operate without making it obvious or having the risk of an accident. Some states are taking this to lightly. Georgia and Maryland require no training before receiving their concealed permit. In Alaska, Arizona, Wyoming and Vermont you don’t need a permit to legally concealed carry. This should be taken more seriously. I think that every state should force you to get training before having the chance to get a concealed permit. If an uninformed person is carrying
Concealed gun laws have been very important to the discussion of gun control. There have been many who have challenged and defended the right to carry a concealed weapon. The history of concealed handgun laws have many explanations and theories for the reasoning
Concealed weapons get rid of crime. States that allow concealed carry have lowered murders by 8.5%, rapes by 5%, aggravated assaults by 7%, and robbery by 3%. What that means is that states that allow concealed carry have lowered gun related assaults. Along with that a 2013 writers associated with Applied Economic Letters, found that between 1980 and 2009, states that did not have concealed carry permit available had gun-related murder rates that were 10% higher. This is explaining that states
There is a small percentage of the population that has a concealed weapons permit. In that small percentage everyone is a law abiding citizen, except for a few here and there. They are a set of citizens hard to tell apart in a crowd because of their normality. This meaning that they do not plan on doing harm with their weapon. They respect the fact that having a concealed weapon is serious business. They are willing to go through the tests and classes that one must go through to obtain their permit. They know all the laws, which they must fallow, with that one could safely say that a concealed weapon would be handled safely by this set of people.
Additionally, in states that have laws permitting concealed weapons for those who qualify, there has been a measurable reduction in violent crimes and murder. There are forty states that allow those who have permits to carry a handgun. Consequently, there are approximately 3.5 million U.S. citizens that are permitted to have a concealed weapon on their person, or in their car (Kates & Mauser, 2007). John Lott and David Mustard conducted a study on the concealed handguns law. They analyzed FBI crime statistics for the entire United States, covering the years from 1977 to 1992. With conservative approximations, states enacting the concealed weapons law had a reduction in rape by 5%, robbery by 3%, aggravated assault by 7%, and murder by 8.5% (Lott, n.d.).