opinion

National concealed carry law would be less effective than thoughts and prayers

Instead of thoughts and prayers, our nation’s leaders are now responding to gun violence with concrete action. However, if they are successful, more Americans will be in danger of getting shot. That’s because lawmakers are working to expand, not tighten, gun rights.

This goes against the wishes of more than half of America’s citizens, who want stronger gun safety legislation. It goes against the wishes of the nation’s largest law enforcement agencies and mayors, because it would make the jobs of police officers more difficult. It goes against the wishes of advocates for the survivors of domestic violence, who call it a “race to the bottom.” It goes against the wishes of people who sincerely value states’ rights, who question the Constitutionality of this measure. It goes against the wishes of major organizations representing Catholics, Jews, Episcopalians, Methodists, Unitarians, Baptists, Mennonites and Sikhs.

But it does not go against the wishes of the National Rifle Association.

That is because the proposed legislation, called the Concealed Carry Reciprocity bill, will help people who make guns sell more of them.

And it does not go against the wishes of those who believe Americans should have nearly unfettered access to any gun so that we can “protect” ourselves.

That is because the proposed legislation will fulfill that desire, which is grounded far more in fantasy than in evidence-based fact.

The bill, H.R. 38, pushes the weakest state-level gun safety laws into de facto national policy. If approved by the Senate as is, it would force New York to accept a concealed weapon permit from any state, even if the standards for issuing that permit are significantly lower or nonexistent.

The fact that some states, including New York, have stricter gun laws than others already presents enforcement challenges for more restrictive states. But H.R. 38 creates an enforcement nightmare.

“The thousands of local permit formats would make enforcement impossible, because police officers would not be able to determine the validity…It would be impossible for law enforcement to distinguish true permit carriers from criminals and illegal guns,” the Major Cities Chiefs said in a statement issued this week.

The professional association of police chiefs and sheriffs represents the 69 largest law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and 10 in Canada. Together, member agencies are charged with protecting 82 million people.

These include victims of domestic violence whose abusers might live in states where they can own and carry a concealed gun.

“Survivors often relocate to other states to escape their abusers,” the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence points out. This law would “make it terrifyingly easy for abusers to legally carry concealed firearms into other states when stalking their victims.”

Despite the opposition, the House of Representatives passed the bill on Wednesday afternoon. It is now up to U.S. Senators to remember that, when it comes to reducing gun violence, loosening gun safety rules will be even less effective than their thoughts and prayers.