"Sir, Can I see your license for that firear.. Oh wait."

 

 

“Sir, can I see your license for that firear…. Oh wait.”

If a bill in the senate was passed that allowed anyone over the age of 16 to drive, regardless of if they possess a license or not, it would be dismissed within seconds. The possibility of someone being able to drive without proper training and experience is plain foolish. So I propose the question: Why would we allow this to happen with firearms?

            On Thursday, April 2^nd 2015, Senate Bill 45 was approved in Kansas. The Bill basically gives anyone ages 21 and up, the jurisdiction to possess a firearm without the possession of a concealed carry license, as long as the individual is not prohibited by either the federal or state law to possess a firearm. This poses a potential threat to everyone living in the states where this bill is active. It is a ridiculous bill and will end up putting firearms in the hands of individuals who for 1, could be dangerous, or 2, have no knowledge of how to properly use a firearm.

Rep. Travis Couture-Lovelady, a Republican from Palco, told the media that one is able to learn gun safety without state regulations and it should be one’s own responsibility. He goes on to say, and I quote, “You don’t necessarily have to take a class to be proficient. Heck, I learned from Grandpa on the farm.” This may be true for some people, but many others may not have received the training that Rep. Couture-Lovelady did. To me, this just seems like plain common sense. A gun is literally the deadliest thing you can own. Why are we trusting that everyone who buys a gun is suitable to own it, and is not dangerous? According to an article by David Hudnall, posted on pitch.com, he says, “In 2014, the Attorney General’s Office issued 20,660 concealed-carry handgun licenses. During the same period, 82 initial applications were denied, 12 renewal applications were denied, 87 concealed-carry licenses were suspended and 52 licenses were revoked.” All of these were results of criminal convictions, or other sorts of violent actions. The conceal and carry system was in place for a reason, and with it, they prevented those denied applicants from receiving a deadly weapon. Stanford University conducted a research last November and discovered that the conceal and carry law was linked to a 22% decrease in the overall crime rate of the country. If this is working to reduce crime, why would we completely abandon it? It ensures that anyone who desires to carry a firearm, is capable of safely handling it, and is properly trained to do so.  I can’t seem to find the problem in that.

            

      Though there may be valid arguments that support this particular bill, we have to assume the worst. We can’t sit back and hope that everyone that wants to carry a gun has been properly

trained. The conceal and carry law educated people on proper gun safety and how to properly use a gun. It’s comforting to know that normal members of the community are properly trained to use a gun, and are there for protection if need be. With this new bill, it will completely abolish all sense of security in an already unsecure world.