Concealed Carry For Everyone’s Safety by Tom Reynolds
Guns to Carry estimates 88,000 “Unrestricted / Concealed Carry” pistol permits in New York State; this is one of the lowest numbers in the nation. Since NY City’s laws make it nearly impossible for the ordinary citizen to get this permit, it’s logical that most of these permits are in Upstate New York, but that’s still not a lot as a percent of Upstate population.
Concealed Carry permit holders can discreetly carry a gun anywhere in New York that they are not specifically prohibited. As the term “concealed carry” implies, the firearm cannot be carried in a manner that allows it to be seen by the casual observer. “Open carry” is prohibited to civilians in New York, (with a few exceptions).
Many anti-Second Amendment groups oppose both open-carry laws and concealed carry laws on the theory that the more guns there are, the more likely there will be gun violence. (The more cars there are, the more likely there will be fatal auto accidents. Do they also want to ban cars? The left isn’t big on consistency.)
Contrary to the left’s imagery, gun carriers are not Wyatt Earp wannabe’s. The purpose of carrying is to discourage violence from ever happening; self-defense through prevention. We hope to never fire a weapon at another human being - and probably never will. But if criminals know there may be someone in the vicinity who is armed and ready to respond, that may stop them.
To get an Unrestricted permit, gun owners are identified as unlikely criminals. Gun owners undergo background checks and must get court approvals. They probably took some instruction in order to qualify for the “Unrestricted” permit. Most criminal shootings are done by someone who is not licensed, illegally obtained a firearm and has not taken and passed a NICS background check test.
Most people don’t know who is carrying a weapon because the guns are – well – concealed. The gun might be under a shirt or coat or perhaps strapped to a leg or inside a purse. But if you are a criminal considering doing a criminal act – which is by definition what criminals do - they also don’t know who might be “carrying”. An experienced criminal “cases the joint” before acting and wants to be in control. The unknown does not contribute to being in control. That uncertainty in the criminal’s mind helps protect everyone, even those not carrying a weapon and who may also be anti-gun / anti 2nd Amendment.
Might that girl with long hair and a tattoo at the local farmer’s market be carrying? Guns are not just a “male thing”. More and more women are carrying weapons for protection.
Is a potential murderer thinking of shooting up a religious service? Surprise! A gunman in Texas was immediately shot by a parishioner who was armed to stop such a shooting. Many churches, synagogues and other houses of worship have armed members with concealed carry permits in attendance.
The media doesn’t publicize it, but almost every day there is an incident where a good guy with a gun stops a bad guy. Gun advocate organizations like the NRA and Ammoland publicize what the main stream media will not.
What if everyone without a Concealed Carry license wore a sign on their back that said “Not Armed” or if houses without a gun had a sign that said “This House Does Not Have a Gun”? How do you think that would affect criminal behavior? Discreet possession of firearms protects us all. If you don’t have a concealed carry permit, consider getting it.
