by F.R. Duplantier
"In recent years, the debate over gun policy has been dominated by two federal initiatives: the Brady bill's waiting period for the purchase of handguns and the ban on so-called assault weapons. [Meanwhile], a quiet revolution in gun policy has spread throughout the states."
"Ten years ago, only a half-dozen states routinely issued permits for trained citizens to carry concealed handguns for personal protection," reports David Kopel of the Independence Institute in Golden, Colorado. "Most states gave police departments wide latitude to issue such permits, which were rarely given to persons other than retired police officers and people with political connections." What a difference a decade makes! Writing in the August issue of Policy Review, Kopel notes that nowadays "thirty states comprising half the nation's population, grant concealed-carry permits to law-abiding citizens. In the long run," he predicts, "this movement will be far more significant than either the Brady waiting period . . . or the ban on certain semiautomatics."
Kopel recounts the origin of the concealed-carry movement "in the early 1980s, when gun-rights activists in Florida joined with law-enforcement lobbies such as the Florida Chiefs of Police Association to reform the state's handgun law. They proposed legislation that entitled any citizen who clears a fingerprint-based background check and passes gun-safety classes to receive a permit to carry a concealed handgun for protection." Governor Bob Martinez signed the bill in 1987, following several vetoes by his Democratic predecessor. "Since then," says Kopel, "a steady progression of states has adopted concealed-carry laws modeled on Florida's, and more are likely to follow."
Dire predictions of a return to the lawless ways of the wild, wild west have not materialized. On the contrary, research seems to indicate that the incidence of violent crime declines following the passage of laws that permit the carrying of concealed handguns. (If truth be told, the wild, wild west was never all that wild or lawless either, specifically because most people owned guns.)
So, how many Americans are now packing heat? Less than four percent, reports Kopel, but "a much larger group believes they should have such a choice. Polls usually show that one-half to two-thirds of the population supports concealed-carry laws." Law-enforcement organizations are also supportive, as a rule, conceding that "the government cannot in practice guarantee the safety of citizens in their daily lives." Self-defense is the only practical alternative. "The concealed-carry movement is based on the principle that responsible citizens should not expect government to provide them with the essentials of life," observes Kopel. "Providing for the safety of one's self and one's family is first of all a personal duty."
David Kopel argues that "everyone is a potential beneficiary" of laws that allow citizens to carry concealed handguns. "Since criminals do not know which of their potential victims may be armed, even persons without carry permits enjoy increased safety from any deterrent effect."
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