Permitless carry is a public safety issue
By: Andrew Ameer
Opinions Editor
First, I want to begin by saying that I love guns — you could say I have a passion for them. I shot my first gun when I was seven years old, and loved everything about it. The smell of the gunpowder, the feeling of the recoil, the crack of the bullet breaking the sound barrier, and the satisfaction of hitting the target.
I purchased my very own gun when I was 18, and got my concealed carry permit when I turned 21. Guns have been a part of my family for generations since my grandfather became a federally licensed gun dealer, who passed his enthusiasm for guns on to his son, whom I probably got my interest from.
I can’t think of a more perfect day than a day at the range hitting metal targets, breaking clay birds or just shooting at paper.
The right of Americans to own guns is a right guaranteed by the constitution. It’s a right that at times, has come under attack by various forces and people are right to want to defend this right.
Having said all that, the decision by the Missouri legislature to override Governor Jay Nixon’s veto of a new bill that will do away with concealed carry permits is a bad decision on multiple levels, and will decrease the safety of residents of Missouri, police officers, and other people in the state.
At issue is HB1250, a bill introduced by Eric Burlison of District 133 near Spring eld, which nullifies a previous law that required residents to obtain a permit to carry a gun concealed in public.
Effective Jan. 2017, anyone who can pass a background check to buy a gun can carry it in public, concealed or openly. The law also enacts a “Stand your ground” provision, which removes the duty for people to retreat from danger, if possible, before resorting to deadly force.
Prior to this, in order to carry a concealed gun in Missouri, a permit was required. The test that residents were previously required to take was not especially cumbersome or difficult to pass.
A rearms safety class is required that consists of four hours of classroom instruction on the topics of rearms safety and law, including what gun carriers can and can’t do in situations where they may need to use their rearm. After that, four hours of range-time with the gun is required.
The classes are usually about $100, and the rearm is often provided. From there, an application for the permit is submitted to the sheriff of the county in which the resident resides. Fingerprints of the applicant are taken and a background check is issued. After paying the fee, a few weeks later the new permit arrives in the mail. For some reason, the lawmakers of Missouri deemed this task an undue burden on the people and decided to do away with it. The new law which comes into effect on Jan. 1 2017, allows anyone who is already allowed to own a gun, to carry that gun concealed in public without any special training or certifications whatsoever.
We don’t allow people to drive cars, which are capable of killing and causing destruction when used improperly, around on public streets without first proving they’re competent and capable of doing it in a safe and lawful manner. The same standard should apply to guns.
Doing away with the modest training and background check requirements that were in place before this law takes effect benefits no one. If someone does not have the patience to endure eight hours of training before they carry a deadly weapon around, should they have a deadly weapon in the first place?
