Crossing a State Line Shouldn’t Cost You Your Right to Self-Defense

Imagine a woman driving across state lines alone at night, fearful that her car might break down and leave her vulnerable. Or picture a truck driver hauling valuable cargo across the country. In states such as California, Illinois, New York, New Jersey, and Oregon – five of the ten states that refuse to recognize concealed handgun permits from other states – these travelers can find themselves defenseless. Nine states also either deny non-residents permits altogether or make them extremely difficult to obtain.

Last week, President Trump again called for passage of national concealed carry reciprocity. The legislation would allow anyone legally permitted to carry a concealed handgun in their home state to carry across state lines, much as Americans use their driver’s licenses nationwide. The legislation would affect millions of law-abiding Americans.

Much of the gun-control debate centers on hypothetical risks. With reciprocity, however, we don’t have to speculate. With 21.5 million concealed handgun permit holders in the United States, we already know how they behave. In addition, most Americans already benefit from reciprocity. The average state recognizes permits from 30 other states, allowing permit holders to travel legally with their firearms.

Last year, when House Judiciary Committee passed national reciprocity along party lines, Democrats also opposed legislation that would allow current and retired law enforcement officers with at least ten years of service to carry firearms in facilities open to the public – including schools – while traveling across the country. Given their fear that allowing experienced current or retired law enforcement officers to carry would endanger public safety, it comes as no surprise that they also oppose allowing civilians to carry across state lines.

Congressional opponents of reciprocity warned that permit holders would commit crimes but cited no evidence to support that claim. The facts point in the

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Screw reciprocity - I had an “enhanced” (allowed me to carry in places that others couldn’t - like churches/schools, etc.) permit in MS, but stopped renewing it when we went full constitutional open/concealed carry - because a few of the states I have reason to go to didn’t recognize my permit. Now, I have to be “sneaky” when traveling....the world is becoming a more dangerous place and I’ll be damned if I’m going to render myself, and my wife, helpless when we travel by car.
If businesses want to keep weapons out, they can post their signs, but no State should be allowed to handcuff us and make us easy prey for the criminals they cater to.
My wife watches a lot of those “most evil killers’ shows and there’s one overreaching theme - the cops don’t get involved until there’s bodies bleeding out or being dug up....they only “defend” people when they stop a law-abiding citizen and arrest them for having a self-protection “implement” that their “laws” say they should have - that’s the guns they “get off the streets”.

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