It goes without saying that there is plenty of fake gun news out there, but things are looking a bit more merry and bright for America’s gun owners as we head into 2018. First of all, a few inarguable facts about firearm ownership in these United States.
Four out of ten adults in the U.S. own a gun while another 11% say they live with someone who owns a gun. That means that 53% of the population lives in a home with a firearm, according to a study by the Pew Research Center.
Of this group, 66% say they own more than one firearm. And while there are many reasons for gun ownership – from hunting to sports shooting – the primary reason people in America say they own a firearm is for self-protection.
Until recently America has had a rather uncomplicated relationship with guns. It has long been seen as not just a fundamental right (see the Second Amendment) but a natural extension of who we are as a people. Unlike other countries, no one has come around (yet) to confiscate our firearms. Though should that be the case, it’s likely to be a bloodbath trying to pry these weapons from law-abiding citizens.
Progressives mounted a campaign against guns in the latter half of the 20th century that, in turn, intensified at the beginning of the 21st century as the battle lines were drawn. As such the Second Amendment and firearm ownership underwent a “death by a thousand cuts” era. Trying to appease their leftist constituents, states began to draw up mountains of legislation that has become almost incomprehensible.
Liberty Nation’s Legal Affairs Editor, Scott D. Cosenza, Esq., put it succinctly when he wrote, “Our current federalist system of state licensure yields an often confusing, and often changing patchwork of agreements and prohibitions amongst and between various states governing how, when, and where a resident of a given state may carry a firearm in another.”
As a result, H.R. 38, The Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act of 2017 was introduced and advanced by the U.S. House Judiciary Committee to the full House for consideration. The legislation would require states to give the same rights and privileges to out of state gun carry license or permit holders as they do to their own. On its face, this seems like a positive move as it would eliminate the idiocy that goes on between states. But the proposed legislation does give pause to pro-liberty groups that worry H.R. 38 would provide “federal dominion” in an area that has always been in the hands of the states.
While valid, it is mostly a moot argument because the Senate has the votes to pass The Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act and the president is sure to sign it. On balance, the Act will prove to be a pragmatic solution to a problem that has resulted from a plethora of right-to-carry laws already on the books.
More Good Gun News
Despite the usual hue and cry from the leftist media that is the predictable response to any shooting, there have been a number of good gun stories this year that have saturated the culture and perhaps even the minds of the gun-grabbers.
courtesy guns.com
The first was the Texas Church Shooting which was halted by a good guy with a gun. The second was a new study by the Crime Prevention Research Center which indicated that “the number of concealed handgun permits last year set another record, increasing by 1.73 million.” The study also found an increase in the number of women (161%) and minorities (75%). The Washington Post even went so far as to say these gains came from those on the left, although it’s probably not wise to take what they say to the bank when it comes to firearms.
Of course, the best reason to be optimistic about gun rights and the Second Amendment is that we now have a president who is solidly behind the right to bear arms. That, in and of itself, is enough reason for an extra glass of bubbly this New Year’s Eve.
As such, I’d like to propose a toast: Here’s to all the gun owners across America. Keep fighting the good fight. Hold fast to your firearms. And let’s all look forward to a new year with less government intrusion regarding our personal freedom and liberties.
