Concealed firearms - and your rights!

[joegvb]

First off let me set the record straight here – I Understand why we have laws on who can and cant purchase firearms and why you have to be a certain age and why there are waiting periods on handguns in some states and so forth….

But what I don’t understand is why concealed weapons permits are legal – the second amendment – which hold on – depending on if you are going off the congress version one or the one the states ratified (they are a little different I have listed them below).

As passed by the Congress:
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.
As ratified by the States and authenticated by Thomas Jefferson, Secretary of State:
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


Back to the second amendment - whether it be a handgun or rifle or shotgun - the latter two you don’t need a concealed weapons permit for – why do I need one (because it’s the law). To me having to go and get another piece of paper and in some states pay crazy amounts of money to even buy a handgun is ridiculous. Its just a preventive way to keep the public from owning handguns. Guns aren’t exactly cheap and then to add $200-$8000 in classes and fines to just get a piece of paper to get actually allow you to go down and buy one is frankly – absurd. (I will add that in some states it is stress free and very cheap to obtain a concealed handgun permit – but we are talking about why the French you even have to do such a thing)

Now I am a firm believer that you have the right to defend yourself – and if you choose – own guns.

There are laws in place – that when you purchase a firearm – you fill out a standard form (everywhere you go you will fill out the same form) and then they do a background check). This should be enough!!!! (I will say this I have concealed weapons permits for several states). Its not an exactly stress free process buying a gun – and you should have a background check done – this is to insure that you are not a federal criminal, illegal alien, and so forth, it protects you and the store you are purchasing from.

That should be enough but no – if you want to carry the thing around (handguns) even in your car – you have to have a concealed weapons permit – and then there is even the more ridiculous states that say you have to have a concealed weapons permit but you cant actually carry the thing around – such as when its in your own vehicle it has to be unloaded and in glove box or weapons case. I know what some of you are thinking – that’s the safe thing. When you purchase a gun and sign all the paperwork – (if you ever bother to read what your signing) it says that you understand weapons safety and further you swear to under punishment by law to always operate and carry your weapon safely. – bingo. How the French can a state say you cant openly carry a gun or cant carry a loaded gun in your vehicle.

Concealed weapons permits are merely an additional way for the government to make money and track certain persons of interest.

I could go on forever and I realize this is my opinion not shared by everyone.

Thanks for reading.

[ironeagle]

It doesn't matter if a person can or can't see the gun concealed or not. I see no reason why there ought to be unconcealed weapons allowed if concealed weapons aren't allow theres no real difference. Actually most "concealed" permits are actually permits to carry concealed or not. I can say if you have a gun in your house and I can't see it it's concealed. I can say if I'm blind and can't see the gun it's concealed. I can say if I didn't see your gun because a table obstructed it's view it's concealed. I don't see why this is even an issue. If a person doesn't want to be shot by a concealed gun then perhaps they ought not attack, or steal from a person carrying one. Sorry if they have to find out the hard way the woman they tried to rape had a gun in her purse and shot him to death. Why do we even debate such issues? I don't see any reason in the Constitution why any person can be barred from possesing a firearm. I see nothing in their saying they can't buy it they day they want to use it? There may not be a clause saying they can but this is actually why the bill of rights were added. Some of the framers thought it was obvious if specific rights were left out it it'd be ok because they said all other rights not deligated to the federal government is reserved to the states and people respectively. However many did not think this was good enough and demanded the bill of rights be added, and thank God they did because look how hard it is to maintain our SPECIFICALY granted rights against the government, even the specific rights granted are almost always violated. Someone's always trying to find a way to steal our rights and weapons permits are just one example of that attempt. The Constitution says "keep and bare" arms, not just keep arms or just bare arms and not just keep unloaded useless inoperative guns or just only carry guns visable to others. The implied rights are to the PEOPLE. This is an implied right, the right to carry a loaded gun on one's person hidden or not, for any reason the person sees fit. The framers actually stupidly thought that it was obvious, that people would get their rights and no one would bug them but they were sadly very wrong. They didn't intend to make the Constitution a three thousand page full on law code. They assumed intelligent people were smart enough to get the drift of implied rights. They clearly aren't.

[joegvb]

Wow - thanks for the input - I totally agree with you - the whole thing having a permit in the first place is totally unconstitutional!! Thanks so much!