Samuelson 1
Amy Samuelson
Chris Tomlinson
TAG English
02 May 2009
Concealed Weapons
77,700 rapes, murders, aggravated assaults, and robberies would have never
even been attempted by criminals in the United States in 1992 if every state had a shall
issue policy for concealed carry permits (Lott 3). This staggering statistic is just one of
many that show benefits of having concealed carry permits available nationwide.
Concealed carry permits allow citizens to save lives when the police can’t. Police kill in
error three times more often than citizens (NCPA Brief Analysis). Not only do
concealed carry permits save lives through the use of weapons, but the very possibility
that a victim could be armed puts off many criminals. Strict gun control laws hurt the
innocent law abiding citizens, not the criminals and injuries caused by guns are
continuously dropping as more and more Americans own guns. A nationwide law
requiring the issue of concealed carry permits after a training course, test, and
background check would not only make the individual with the permit safer, but it would
decrease crime nationwide.
Concealed carry permits have been an issue in the gun owning community for a
long time. Concealed carry registered citizens go through a course to obtain their permit
(NCPA Brief Analysis). States have different policies on concealed carry from a ‘must
issue to legal recipients law’ in some states to other states where permits are not issued
at all. As more and more states have allowed citizens to carry concealed weapons,
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studies have been conducted over the effect on crime and other gun related issues.
Innocent American citizen lives’ are being put in dangerous situations that could be
prevented if the victim could be armed, deterring criminals from committing crimes
involving direct human interaction. Lax concealed carry means that the state must
issue a permit to citizens that are applying for a concealed carry permit license, who are
not felons and have taken the proper safety courses. Not everyone is allowed to carry
concealed weapons; you must pass a course to do so.
Concealed carry permits reduce murders in the United States. “The most
conservative estimates show that adopting these so-called “shall issue” or
nondiscretionary permit laws reduced murders by 8 percent” (Lott 6). A must issue law
would save eight out of one hundred people who will be murdered and shows that
concealed carry permits indeed do save lives. In a national survey conducted in 1991
by Law Enforcement Technology magazine, 76% of police officers not only agreed that
all trained, adults should be able to get a concealed carry permit but that taking guns off
the streets would not result in lower crime rates (Lott 3). Police officers agree that
responsible citizens should be allowed to carry weapons; even though there are police
on the streets, they may not be able to be in the right place at the right time to act.
Concealed carry permits prevent crime just by being legal and letting criminals
know that some citizens out there are armed gives a negative connotation. In a ten
state survey of 1,847 criminals, the criminals said they were more scared of running into
an armed civilian than into a police officer (NCPA Brief Analysis). This survey backs up
the previous statement in the fact that criminals are truly scared of armed civilians. This
is some data about Vermont which has the least restrictive firearm carry laws:
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In 1980, when murders and robberies in the U.S. had soared to an
average of 10 and 251 per 100,000 population, respectively, Vermont’s
murder rate was 22 percent of the national rate and its robbery rate was
15 percent. In 1996 Vermont’s rates remained among the lowest in the
country at 25 percent of the national rate for homicide and 8 percent for
robbery. (NCPA Brief Analysis)
This shows the effects of lax concealed carry laws in Vermont, giving it one of the
lowest crime rates in the country.
Tough gun control laws like in Britain and Canada allow for their fifty percent rate
of burglaries to be armed whereas in the U.S., only thirteen percent of robberies are
armed with interviews of felons who often comment that late-night burglaries are to be
avoided because “that’s the way to get shot” (Lott 6). Concealed carry permits
decrease nationwide crime because not only are people directly effected by a
concealed weapon saving their lives, but the possibility of armed citizens prevent many
criminals from committing crimes involving contact with the victim because they’re afraid
that the victim maybe armed too.
Strict concealed carry laws restrict the innocent law abiding citizens, not the
criminals. Those who are willing to commit violent felonies are much more likely than
the average citizen to be willing to commit misdemeanors such as carrying a concealed
weapon without a permit” (Huemer 3). This idea breaks down the titles of criminal and
law abiding citizen.
A well-known story involved Alan Berg, a liberal Denver talk-show host
who took great delight in provoking and insulting those with whom he
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disagreed. Berg attempted to obtain a permit after receiving death threats
from white supremacists, but the police first attempted to talk him out of
applying and then ultimately rejected his request. [In 1987] Shortly after he
was denied, Berg was murdered by members of the Aryan Nations. (Lott
4)
This simple denial of Bergs request for a concealed carry permit cost him his life. It
reinforces the fact presented in “Laws That Concealed Weapons Protect Society” which
says “Laws that prohibit or place obstacles in the way of carrying concealed weapons,
or owning weapons at all, are likely to cause a much greater reduction in the proportion
of armed victims that in the proportion of armed criminals” (Huemer 3). “Gun-ownership
advocates have long argued that bans don't prevent criminals from getting guns and
using them. Instead, they say, those laws prevent law-abiding citizens from protecting
themselves” (Second Amendment: SHOOTOUT).
Some in the opposition state counter arguments and here are their viewpoints.
One argument is the ease of getting a concealed carry permit:
Lax or “shall issue” CCW laws require law enforcement to issue CCW
licenses to virtually anyone who is not a convicted felon. In these states,
local law enforcement has almost no discretion in issuing these licenses
and, in many cases, getting a license requires little or no safety training or
even a demonstration that the applicant knows how to use a gun.
(Handgun Control Inc)
This argument is flawed because states with shall issue policies usually require
the following for training: Ten to fifteen hours emphasizing conflict resolution, a test and
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pre-test covering the laws of self defense and misuse of deadly force, stress on gun
safety, and a shooting accuracy test which must be passed each and every time they
renew their permit (Reynolds and Burnett). Some claim that concealed weapons will
only aggravate criminals to use guns. “If more potential victims start carrying handguns,
those robbers who continue to perpetrate street muggings may be more likely to use
guns to commit their crimes” (Webster and Ludwig). This claim is quickly disproved with
the very fact that in studies such as the one taken by 1,847 criminals who said they
were scared of running into an armed citizen even more so than running into the police
(NCPA Brief Analysis). This shows that criminals avoid people if there is the chance of
them being armed. Though some of the counter arguments may sound alluring, they
are proven false with solid, factual evidence.
Crime could be reduced and lives could be saved by nationalizing a must issue
concealed carry permit policy for law abiding, upstanding citizens after a training course.
Concealed carry permits allow people to save lives along with creating a potential drop
of crime rate. Also, the criminals who carry guns illegally will have an adversary on the
street, discouraging them from committing crimes and the armed civilians have a better
chance when being victimized. In conclusion, creating a concealed carry must issue
law would only not only help citizens in life or death situations but it would also prevent
much of the criminal activities from ever happening. So with the current facts, make a
decision to save lives and hopefully your son, daughter or relative is not the next victim
to crime that could have been easily prevented. Remember, the Second Amendment
states, “A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right
of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed” (Gun Control).
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Works Cited
Handgun Control Inc. "Legalizing Concealed Weapons Does Not Make Society Safer."
Opposing
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Greenhaven Press,
2003. Rpt. of "Concealed Truth: Concealed Weapons Laws and Trends in Violent
Crime in the
United States." The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence. 22 Oct. 1999.
<http://www.handguncontrol.org>. Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Gale.
North High
Lib., Sioux City, IA. 8 Mar. 2009 <http://infotrac.galegroup.com/itweb/?db=OVRC>.
Huemer, Micheal. "Laws That Allow Concealed Weapons Protect Society." Opposing
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Lott, John R., Jr. "Concealed-Carry Laws Reduce Violent Crime." At Issue: How Can
Gun Violence Be
Reduced? Ed. Laura K. Egendorf. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 2002. Rpt. of
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Violence: Does Allowing Law-Abiding Citizens to Carry Concealed Handguns Save
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Lives? Valparaiso
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2009
<http://infotrac.galegroup.com/itweb/?db=OVRC>.
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and Crime. By Tamara
L. Roleff. Ed. Morgan Reynolds and H. Sterling Burnett. San Diego: Greenhaven,
2000. Rpt. of
"No Smoking Guns: Answering Objections to Right-to-Carry Laws." NCPA Brief
Analysis 247 (17
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<http://infotrac.galegroup.com/itweb/?db=OVRC>.
Reynolds, Morgan, and H. Sterling Burnett. "Legalizing Concealed Weapons Makes
Society Safer."
Opposing Viewpoints: Gun Control. By Helen Cothran. Opposing Viewpoints. San
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Diego:
Greenhaven Press, 2003. Rpt. of "No Smoking Guns: How to Answer Objections to
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1 Mar. 2009
<http://infotrac.galegroup.com/itweb/?db=OVRC>.
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Issue: How Can Gun
Violence Be Reduced? Ed. Laura K. Egendorf. San Diego: Greenhaven, 2002. Rpt.
of Mythes About
Defensive Gun Use and Permissive Gun Carry Laws. Berekely Media Studies
Group, 2000.
Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Gale. 1 Mar. 2009
<http://infotrac.galegroup.com/
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t-live>.