Right to Carry a Concealed Handgun? Derrick D. Mitchener ✓ Solved

The topic I choose was should adults have the right to carry a concealed handgun. As a responsible owner with a concealed carry license, I feel it is important to have and use this right. I don’t carry a weapon for a show; I carry it because I can as an American.

I’ve been to many wars, had a handgun and rifle, and had to use them many times. I’ve done countless hours of firearms training while in the military and with the local authority. I hope by the end of this paper you will see why and maybe be more subjective to why I feel adults have the right to carry concealed weapons.

The three premises I chose from the pro/con website are:

  1. Permitting concealed handguns increases crime.

  2. Concealed carry application requirements and background checks do not prevent dangerous people from acquiring weapons.

  3. Public safety should be left to professionally qualified police officers, not private citizens with little or no expert training.

The interesting thing about the view that permitting concealed handguns increases crime is that it follows some logical reasoning. Peter Elbow states, “We can use logic to strengthen arguments for or against the claim, but we cannot prove or disprove it.” This point of view about crime increasing due to carrying a concealed handgun does not hold weight for me. Carrying a handgun carries responsibility, and this responsibility does not equate to producing more crime. If I were on the other side of this debate, I might have the mentality of looking for concealed carry people being dangerous, but that would put me in a consistent state of panic. I would be so afraid that someone carrying a weapon might commit a crime that I’d be unable to live in peace.

To believe in this view, it would require compelling statistics showing an increase in crimes committed by concealed carry license holders. Judging from this inaccurate standpoint lacks an understanding of the complexities surrounding weapon carry and the variations in state laws regarding concealed carry permits. It assumes everyone with a concealed carry permit is a potential criminal, which is a flawed generalization.

When addressing the second premise, which suggests that concealed carry application requirements and background checks do not prevent dangerous individuals from acquiring weapons, there is some merit to this concern. Incidents have occurred where individuals with firearms have committed acts of violence, but it’s critical to distinguish that these incidents are not always related to concealed carry permits. There are many instances where significant harm was caused by individuals wielding powerful rifles, not handguns. As Peter Elbow points out, “The widespread veneration of ‘critical thinking’ illustrates how our intellectual culture venerates skepticism and doubting.” This viewpoint can be validated if one has an incomplete understanding of how concealed carry laws function. The heightened standards required to obtain a concealed carry license include extensive background checks designed to prevent dangerous individuals from obtaining these permits.

Finally, there's the claim that public safety should rest entirely within the hands of trained police officers rather than private citizens. This argument often ignores the level of training that civilians must undergo to secure a concealed carry permit. There’s a tendency to exaggerate the risks of armed citizens, which paints a picture of people randomly firing weapons without any regard for safety. What these claims fail to address is that responsible permit holders are trained individuals who understand the severity of wielding a firearm.

Statistics regarding home shootings and crime rates associated with concealed carry holders could help contextualize some of these fears. A more nuanced understanding is required in evaluating whether allowing individuals to carry concealed handguns truly correlates to a rise in crime or if it serves as a method of personal defense. Public safety is indeed a paramount concern, and individuals who have received proper training and approval should not be viewed as a burden on law enforcement but rather as an extension of it.

In conclusion, concealed carry remains a contentious subject. As responsible gun owners, it’s essential to recognize and engage with the arguments presented against concealed carry laws. Remaining honest about one's standpoint means acknowledging the diversity of opinions. This topic is a significant point of debate across the United States, necessitating open dialogue between both proponents and opponents of concealed carry. People must be willing to adapt their views through conversation and understanding. Peter Elbow articulates that “both sides in an argument are often right; or that both are right in a sense; or that both positions are implicitly pointing to some larger, wiser position that both arguers can agree on.” I trust that by considering differing perspectives, individuals can come to a richer understanding of the right to carry concealed weapons for responsibly licensed individuals.

References

  • Elbow, P. (2012). Vernacular Eloquence: What Speech Can Bring to Writing. New York, NY: OUP USA.

  • Hemenway, D. (2013). Private Guns, Public Health. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press.

  • Cook, P. J., & Ludwig, J. (2006). The Gun Debate: What We Know About the Use of Firearms for Self-Defense. Department of Justice.

  • Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence. (2016). Facts About Gun Ownership and Gun Violence.

  • Institute of Medicine, & National Research Council. (2013). Priorities for Research to Reduce the Threat of Firearm-Related Violence. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

  • Pew Research Center. (2017). The Link Between Gun Ownership and Public Opinion on Gun Laws.

  • Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence. (2015). A Guide to Gun Laws in America.

  • Fleischer, M. (2017). Guns and Public Safety: A State-by-State Review of Proposals to Decrease Firearm Violence. National Conference of State Legislatures.

  • Vernick, J. S., & Webster, D. W. (2013). The Effect of Right-to-Carry Laws on Crime Rates: A Review of the Further Research. Journal of Public Health Policy, 34(1), 114-129.

  • Castleman, M. (2018). The Teacher’s Guide to Gun Safety. Educational Insights Press.