Necessary Gun Control Law?
I don’t know about you, but I believe we all have a right to responsibly carry a weapon, and for that matter a concealed weapon. Not because we plan on shooting each other, but because it is one of our fundamental rights as Americans. I, for one, do not want to live in a world where everyone walks around with their guns where I can see them. I don’t want to be reminded of it everytime I’m at the mall, on a train or walking down the street. I prefer guns kept safely in a holster, secured in a purse, tucked away in a glove compartment, or locked in a gun case. Of course, I am not naive enough to believe this is always the case, but I don’t think it is reason enough to eliminate concealed weapons for private citizens.
However, I do believe in waiting periods and background checks. I also wouldn’t be opposed to mandatory firing range practice and gun safety courses in order to get your conceal weapons license. You could treat it like a driver’s license. It could be renewable every 4 years, require a test to get (both written and practical) and have a photo, so there is no question who is authorized to carry it. Of course, this won’t solve our gun problem on the streets, but hopefully, it will help honest gun owners be more responsible and still allow for concealed weapons. Of course, gun owners have powerful lobbyists, so this legislation would probably never pass, but it is the only way to truly comprimise. I won’t give up my right to carry a weapon (concealed or not), yet I am sickened by individuals who leave their guns unattended, allow children access to their guns, or don’t know how to properly use and care for their weapons. This is where the system has failed us. It is not the gun we can’t see that can hurt us, it is the way in which we allow guns to be sold. Until we finally decide to face this problem head on and more responsibly sell guns and issue licenses, we will continue to be plagued by improper gun use and no anti-concealed weapon law will ever change that.