The desire to carry firearms without permits is gaining traction. More states are starting to listen.
Indiana is the most recent state to act. Gov. Eric Holcomb, a Republican, signed House Bill 1296 into law Monday, giving Hoosiers the right to carry without a permit. Alabama and Ohio recently passed similar bills, and Georgia’s Legislature is closer to adopting such a measure, making it the 25th state to do so.
Permitless carry is the next frontier for safeguarding Second Amendment rights.
“Constitutional carry” laws allow law-abiding residents to carry handguns without a permit. Similarly, states with “permitless carry” laws allow citizens to carry, though they may require them to meet certain qualifications, like minimum age. Permitless carry isn’t a fringe policy — Vermont was one of the first states to adopt this expansion of gun rights — nor will permitless carry lead to the Wild West: Those boasting criminal records, including prohibited possessors, are ineligible from participating. And firearms training is always encouraged in light of these rules changes.
Critics worry those benefiting from it are careless, a danger to public safety, and evaders of background checks. These worries are unfounded. The law hasn’t changed regarding background check requirements for gun purchases. Those with criminal records are still restricted from possessing firearms. It can also be assumed those who previously carried permits will continue to be law-abiding with these changes. All the law will do is remove onerous regulations that deter law-abiding citizens from carrying.
According to the Crime Research Prevention Center, firearms violations occur at a rate of 16.5 per 100,000 police officers. When contrasted with permit holders in states such as Florida and Texas, the rate is substantially lower: 2.4 per 100,000. With these new laws, it’s often difficult to gauge their impact on crime. Naturally, gun control proponents claim they’ll lead to lawlessness. But there’s no good evidence of this.
In certain cities, permitting laws have been abused by law enforcement to target law-abiding minority gun owners needlessly. In Wayne County, Michigan, black gun owners were disproportionately targeted by police throughout the pandemic. The Neighborhood Defender Services, a holistic defense practice, said there had been a quadrupling of arrests and prosecutions of concealed weapons permit holders since March 2020 — with 97% of those being black gun owners.
With more people choosing to buy firearms, any obstacle to lawful gun ownership, including a lengthy permitting process, ought to be challenged. Expanding Second Amendment rights will lead to fewer defenseless people.
Gabriella Hoffman is a Young Voices contributor and host of the District of Conservation podcast.
