Conceal to Carry in the U.S.
By: Maddax Ball
The conceal-to-carry laws in the United States vary from state to state. There are differing opinions on whether you should or should not be legally allowed to carry a weapon. This issue constantly causes heated arguments, and no solution has been found. Half of the states in the U.S. require a permit to carry a firearm, while the other half allow permitless carry. Many concerns arise from people carrying a concealed weapon including the weapon being put into the wrong hands. Most conditions that come from this are suicide or homicides with a concealed weapon.
In the U.S. 25 states require a permit to carry a firearm while the other 25 allow for permitless carry. In doing this, studies have shown that states with required permits provide a safer environment. Requiring a permit to carry a firearm, allows for a natural background check for the person applying for a permit. It weeds out the people who would not be trusted to carry a concealed weapon. With this being said, it can still get into the wrong hands, and this is what most people are worried about. Concealed weapons and legally permitted persons can still use the gun for reasons unrelated to self-defense. In most cases, a concealed weapon is used in the right way but this still can allow people to use the weapon in the wrong way. “1,360. This number represents how many innocent citizens have been murdered over the last 13 years by arms owners carrying legally concealed guns in shootings unrelated to self-defense as per the Violence Policy Center” (Gupta). This shows that the firearms that are being carried legally can still find their way into the hands of a person who is not going to use the weapon in the right way.
Some people also suggest that violent crimes rise significantly when people carry a weapon. This came after multiple states loosened restrictions on carrying a firearm. “A new study by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health found that the average rate of assaults with firearms increased an average of 9.5 percent relative to forecasted trends in the first 10 years after 34 states relaxed restrictions on civilians carrying concealed firearms in public” (Study Finds). After some states had loosened restrictions, it allowed for more people to be eligible to carry a firearm. Some of these people had previously been restricted because of prior arrests or restraining orders. This allows for a bigger percentage of people, including not all good people to get their hands on a weapon. In certain situations, this can increase the inappropriate use of firearms in personal conflicts or disagreements.
As mentioned earlier, 25 states require a permit to carry while the other 25 allow for permitless carry. This means that in the 25 permitless carry states, any person can openly carry a firearm. This could cause some significant issues when dealing with criminals and people with a criminal background. In the other 25 states, a local or state law enforcement officer must issue a civilian a permit. This is also based on criminal history and training requirements must be met. To carry a firearm many states make people prove that they have good and proper cause to carry in the first place. CHS student Sam Capelli, who holds an anti-concealed carry perspective when asked whether people should be able to carry a concealed firearm said “In states like Wyoming, people do not have to worry about many public threats so why would anybody need to carry a firearm”. He also mentioned, “ I grew up learning only about how guns were used for violence, in the New Jersey neighborhoods there were school shootings and gang violence that I was surrounded by.” Sam Capelli mentioned that his mom was a doctor and his dad was a police officer. “I was constantly surrounded by the fact that guns were being used for only violence and multiple times I remember my mom coming home from work and mentioning how another kid got shot in the streets”. After hearing this perspective from Sam Capelli, most people are worried about whether the firearm is in the right hands. In cities where the crime rate is higher many shootings happen and innocent kids and civilians are in danger.
Critics of concealed carry argue that increased firearm accessibility poses significant risks to public safety. They contend that the presence of more firearms increases the likelihood of accidental shootings, escalates minor conflicts into deadly encounters, and contributes to higher rates of gun-related violence. Studies have indicated that states with more lenient concealed carry laws experience greater instances of firearm-related deaths, including suicides and domestic violence homicides. To reduce these risks, opponents advocate for stricter background checks, more extensive training requirements, and tighter restrictions on who can carry concealed weapons.