Women & Guns

cfm925 · Joined: 18 Jul 2008 Posts: 335

I'm of the opinion that we need to skip the national reciprocity idea and go directly to a national carry or constitutional carry. I've heard that this is a possibility in TX. Anyone know?

Samuel · Joined: 13 Sep 2009 Posts: 133 Location: Oregon

The United States already allows national concealed carry for honorably retired, or active law enforcement, corrections, or peace officers if certain criteria is satisfied. The law is called HB 218, and it took many years to get where it is now constant due to hard work, good legal writing, judges who didn't make policy through judgement, and unfortunately a death of a law enforcement officer who died because he didn't have this billed passed when shot at.

My understanding is there are national laws that provide a guideline on reciprocity, but states have to either opt-in or opt-out (can't remember).

Legally speaking, besides concealed handgun licenses and marriage licenses to the best of my knowledge, states have to recognize licenses from other states such as driver licenses.

I do know that when I visited Missouri (St. Louis) a few years ago, the state recognized any concealed handgun license issued by any state, county, or city. So some states are taking the initiative, and leading the way.

I do see it from all sides, and I'm VERY conflicted on if there should be national carry. I do not, for the most part, like government licensing anything and feel that concealed handgun licensing is somewhat pointless to begin with for law abiding citizens.

Some states, like Oregon, have mandatory training requirements, fingerprinting, and photographing while Washington requires no training or photographing. Alaska doesn't, to the best of my knowledge, require licensing to conceal a handgun if you can legally possess one. Indianna allows 18-year-olds to obtain concealed handgun licenses.

I can see benefits and drawbacks to everything... Would a federal reciprocity system make states go to a mandatory training requirement? If so, could that delay someone from getting a concealed handgun license and eventually causing their death because they had to wait for a class? Do I want people who don't have any firearms training carring a concealed handgun? Do I think 18-year-olds are mature enough for all states, or should I make Indianna go to a 21-year-old requirement? Or how about the federal system recognizing, or not recognizing Alaska's lack of requirements?

The only way I see it happening in the near future is if the states were allowed to have domestic licenses if any, and national licenses. The domestic licenses could be ANY requirement set forth by the state, and the national license would have to have the following requirements:

This is the only way I would see it passing, because all the states would not really be compromising their requirements, it wouldn't really cost anything because the federal government wouldn't maintain a database, or create a training curriculum. The states that have concealed hadngun licenses wouldn't feel forced to comply due to the optional (on the end user level) national concealed handgun license, the training requirements would be high but would have the backing of a powerful lobbying group (NRA).

Unfortunately, I don't think this will happen but I hope the laws will be more relaxed like they were years ago, and hopefully a society that will respect the laws, and improve the image of gun owners and concealed carry holders.

cfm925 · Joined: 18 Jul 2008 Posts: 335

The downside of federal involvement in constitutional carry would be if a national ID card or license would be required. I can't, however, see national carry going through (even in my dreams) without it.

Samuel · Joined: 13 Sep 2009 Posts: 133 Location: Oregon

Maria K · Joined: 24 Jan 2010 Posts: 1 Location: Oneonta, NY

Hi y'all, I just found this site through a link from Cornered Cat.
I'm a little surprised about the replies so far....nobody mentions our second amendment which 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.
In general the well regulated militia refers to properly trained, law abiding citizens, not military....
The list of requirements Samuel posted would be sooooo wrong....simply because it makes you, as a law abiding Citizen a target for the Government to come after, if and when they choose to confiscate your fire arms.
We need more education....most people associate guns with bad things, but fail to see that criminals are the ones not abiding by any law...obiously...therefore any gunlaws and/or restrictions are only aimed at the ones, who don't indend to engage in criminal activity in the first place.
I just recently received my ccw for NY, but it is not good any where else....this is supose to be the United States.....yeah right....NY chose not to reciprocate with any other state.
In conversation with others I refer to my gun (s) as fire arms only, never weapon..they can be used as such...but so can a knife or a baseball bat...Slowly but surely our right to carry is beeing taken away with simply imposing near impossible restrictions to either purchase or use fire arms or ammunition....all for the simple reason to disarm the citizens of the US....a lot of the shootings here as of late and the past few year didn't have to end the way they did, if more people would stand up and fight for their right to bear arms.It is our duty as a citizen to keep yourself and others safe...gun free zones any where just create a "safe work enviroment" for criminals and people who intend to do harm...Goodness grief..not even our Military personel (very well trained I might add) aren't allowed to carry on post on our soil..but that law didn't stop that shooter, now did it? He would not have been able to do as much harm as he did, if we wouldn't have all these restricting, self defeating gun laws!
just my 2 cents worth
_________________
lifetime NRA member
Civilian Oathkeeper
Born German, American by Choice

Samuel · Joined: 13 Sep 2009 Posts: 133 Location: Oregon

Welcome to the forum Maria.

Please understand that I'm NOT trying to be condescending here.

Peggy · Joined: 26 Jan 2010 Posts: 29

Samuel · Joined: 13 Sep 2009 Posts: 133 Location: Oregon

Peggy · Joined: 26 Jan 2010 Posts: 29

Thanks Samuel! Congrats on the job offer! In this economy, that's really terrific!!!

Samuel · Joined: 13 Sep 2009 Posts: 133 Location: Oregon

Politically speaking, I don't think we will be able to carry in all fifty states in the next 50+ years if we're lucky.