On the evening of Wednesday, October 25th, 2023 a mentally unstable U.S. Army Reservist opened fire at a bowling alley and then Schemengees Bar and Grille bar in Lewiston, Maine. A total of 31 were shot, with 18 fatalities thus far. Within hours Gavin Newsom, who is clearly running for President, shamelessly put out fundraising emails. WTF?
My suggestion is we remember and honor those shot in Lewiston by creating one law that may actually prevent further tragedies. Not as our Leftist political leaders, who likely have never owned or fired a semiautomatic rifle or pistol, would like but in a way that has proven to work throughout the country.
If you have a valid concealed weapons permit you should be able to carry almost anywhere in your state. No business owner or state agency should have the right to disarm you of your lawfully concealed weapon. Your training, finger prints, background check and standing as a trusted citizen has earned you the right to become the good guy with a gun.
How do I know this is a good idea? To be honest I don't. I can't find a study comparing localities that allow concealed carry versus those that don't which in itself is troublesome. Considering we have many states and localities with and without concealed weapon restrictions there exists a plethora of research opportunities. The lack of research speaks volumes.
Before saying this is nuts, ask yourself how many state Capitals currently allow concealed carry within their walls? How many allow open carry? How many states allow parents to conceal carry in school even though this clearly violates federal law? It's almost impossible to believe but yes you can walk into some state capitals packing.
I remember my visit of Utah's State Capitol which if you didn't know was built when Utah was flush with silver profits and is absolutely amazing. The trooper I talked with was perfectly fine with folks carrying in his Capital and mentioned their has only been only one gun related incident in the last 100 years and that was between two legislators who hated each other.
I know it's insane to want my government to enforce the gun laws we have and allow those who can qualify for a concealed weapons permit to be the proverbial good guy with a gun. I want my government to stop missing clear signals that a mentality unstable person needs help or at the very least needs to be temporarily relieved of their weapons. I want my government to listen when a grandmother tells them her grandson is a threat to others and himself.
The only thing that stops a mentally disturbed person on a killing spree is a good guy with a gun. There is a reason gun free zones are consistently targeted by those who wish others harm. Gun free zones need to be reviewed and in most cases reversed even on private property. If you have a concealed weapons permit you should be allowed to covertly carry your weapon without fear of prosecution.
My proposal is simple. Any building without armed security must allow concealed carry to those with a valid concealed carry license.
PS I'm ex-military with a concealed weapons permit who has never once carried in public. This last mass shooting was very close to home and has me rethinking lots of things. Members of Congress please note that being disarming by you was definitely not one of my thoughts and I for one was and am very glad that I can defend myself and my family if needed.
PPS On October 7th, 2023 more than 1,200 unarmed men, women and children, mostly Israelis and Jewish, where killed by HAMAS in attacks so barbaric to be unbelievably. An additional 240 plus we're taken hostage. "Compared with the U.S., Israel has relatively restrictive firearm laws. With few exceptions, guns are restricted to Israelis with weapons training or in security professions. Untrained civilians, don't qualify." It turns out the only thing that prevented an even higher death and hostage toll was HAMAS breaking into homes of armed residents. Since the attacks Israel has seen a massive increase in gun registrations just as American politicians are attempting to roll back if not repealed our 2nd Amendment rights.
