Carrying a Concealed Handgun Essay Example for Free

Carrying a Concealed Handgun Essay Carrying a concealed handgun is widely argued. It is legal in 49 states. Many people think carrying a gun will increase crime and start public shootouts. This is not the case. Carrying a concealed handgun is okay. It is also a right protected by the Constitution. In District of Columbia v. Heller (2008), the Supreme Court ruled that the Second Amendment protects â€Å"the individual right to possess and carry weapons in case of confrontation. This meaning is strongly confirmed by the historical background of the Second Amendment. † Handguns aren’t given to just anyone that walks in. The Gun Control Act of 1968 limits who can receive a handgun. Criminals cannot receive permits to carry a concealed handgun. Law enforcement agencies do background checks to ensure they are allowing the right people to carry a handgun. The mentally ill are also included in the Gun Control Act. If someone commits a crime with a legal carry permit, they would do it whether the handgun was legal or not. This doesn’t happen often though. According to ConcealedGuns.ProCon.org, only .003 % of murders between May 2007 and March 2010 were committed by handgun permit holders. The website also shows that the â€Å"general public is 5.7 times more likely to be arrested for violent offenses and 13.5 times more likely to be arrested for non-violent offenses, than concealed carry weapon permit holders.† Concealed handgun permit holders are, for the most part, good people. Some do lose their permits but permit revocation rates are very low. The Wisconsin Policy Research Institute Report, Concealed Carry Legislation, shares this data: -In 2004, Utah had a permit revocation rate of .4% -From 1986-2003, Kentucky had a permit revocation rate of .8% -In 2001, Indiana had a permit revocation rate of .2% -From 1995 to 2005, NorthCarolina had a permit revocation rate of .1% -From 1995-2006, Virginia had a permit revocation rate of .2% -From 1994-1996, Wyoming had a permit revocation rate of .2% -From 1996-1999, Oklahoma had a permit revocation rate of .2% This data clearly shows that only a very small group of people do something to have their permit revoked. It also means that a vast majority of permit holders are responsible, law abiding citizens. The handgun itself doesn’t have to do the defending. If a criminal knows that individuals can carry handguns, they are less likely to attack, which helps the public as a whole. If someone carrying a handgun and is attacked, the attacker usually retreats when the handgun is drawn. The police do not have to protect us. According to www.nraila.org, the Warren v. District of Columbia (1981) court ruled that â€Å"official police personnel and the government employing them are not generally liable to victims of criminal acts for failure to provide adequate police protection . . . a government and its agents are under no general duty to provide public services, such as police protection, to any particular citizen.† Also, the court ruled in Bowers v. DeVito (1982) that â€Å"[T]here is no constitutional right to be protected by the state against being murdered by criminals or madmen.† The government cannot guarantee the safety of everyone. Personal protection is important. Carrying a handgun also makes the carrier feel safe. Americans should not be scared going outside at night or walking through certain neighborhoods. Concealed handguns could also aid in public shooting sprees. If the individuals in the Virginia Tech or any other public shooting massacre had been armed, the spree could have ended much sooner. Some believe the massacre would have been made worse but what could be worse than a 32-victim massacre? Most of the victims were of legal age to possess a firearm. If they had been allowed a handgun on campus, could lives have been saved? I strongly believe so. With that said, this doesn’t mean people should run around as vigilantes hunting down criminals. The concealed carry permit holders are not the police. They do not have the authority to shoot just anyone. There are laws that make sure this doesn’t happen. Handguns would just be used for defense. Although you can’t run around fighting crime, your situational awareness while carrying a handgun will go up. You know that you are carrying and anyone else can be carrying too. This situational awareness can help you deal with bad situations or even prevent them. How do schools fit into this? Legally, a person with a concealed handgun cannot be within one thousand feet of a K-12 school. For the most part, concealed weapons are not allowed on college campuses either. This creates a large upset in the college community. Very few colleges have allowed students to carry concealed weapons. There have been no problems. Twelve schools, from Virginia, Colorado, and Utah, have allowed students with handgun permits to carry them on campus. Not one of these schools has had a handgun-related problem. This includes murder, suicide, threats, and handgun theft. Some believe that carrying handguns will distract students from the educational environment. These handguns are concealed. People should not know if you are carrying one or not. The students aren’t distracted in their daily lives by handgun permit holders so why should the college campus be any different? The same goes for the argument that guns and crowded schools don’t mix. Public areas are crowded too. College students are adults. A twenty one year old who is not in college can have a concealed handgun so why can’t an individual who is in college have one? They know what they are doing. They still have to follow the handgun laws like any other permit holder. College life may be defined with alcohol and drugs but the law doesn’t make exceptions for college parties. If an individual is intoxicated, they cannot be carrying their weapon. In the end, handguns are not a bad thing to carry. They can protect you in many ways. Crime rates may drop if criminals are too scared to attack. Carrying a concealed handgun is a right given to Americans. It should not be wasted. Almost all legal permit holders are law abiding. Guns can help.