About Concealed Weapons
Whether or not to ban concealed weapons is a major issue to Americans. Interest groups are fighting the battle over concealed weapons in the state legislatures, since it is the individual states who regulate who can carry concealed firearms and under what circumstances, sometimes with confusing results.
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History
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"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." These simple words from the Constitution of the United States are the source of the great debate over concealed weapons. Proponents of gun control argue that the Second Amendment speaks specifically to the raising and keeping of a militia. Opponents of gun control argue that the Second Amendment provides an inalienable right to carry and keep arms exclusive to individuals.
Significance
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The leading proponent for the individual's right to bear arms, the National Rifle Association (NRA), began pushing to legalize concealed weapons in the early 1990s. Rather than fighting on a federal level, the NRA backs legalization allowing people to carry firearms on a state-by-state basis. The NRA argues that states should legalize concealed weapons because it is a constitutional right. They also argue that guns carried by average citizens deter crime.
The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence argues against weakening concealed weapons laws. Every year guns kill tens of thousands of Americans. Making it easier for people to carry guns will increase gun violence, Brady argues. The Brady Campaign claims that the Second Amendment does not confer an absolute right to individuals to carry concealed weapons (see Resources below). -
Considerations
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To decide whether to carry a concealed weapon is both a legal and an ethical question. Individual states have differing laws about who, where and when weapons can be concealed. Some states require that citizens take classes, others evaluate why someone needs a concealed firearm. Some states ban concealed weapons carried in certain public places such as churches, schools or theaters. Others allow people to carry guns in the front seat of cars or taken to a bar. Federal law prohibits carrying concealed weapons on public transportation, even if an individual has a state license to carry.
Effects
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In most states, a license is needed to carry a concealed weapon and whether easy or difficult to obtain it is a crime to conceal a gun without the proper license. Requirements for a permit can range from a determination of need to just requesting to carry a weapon. Most states demand gun safety classes from citizens applying for a concealed weapons permit.
Warning
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If you have a permit to carry a concealed weapon, you might not be able to bring the firearm into another state. Check the Resources section below for a list of states with reciprocal agreements that allow permit holders to travel with guns in other states.
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