Concealed-Carry Gun Permit 'Reciprocity' Means Every State Would Accept All States' Permits

Christine Corbin at FoxNews.com offers a piece on what the Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act will mean. 

Shaneen Allen, a Philadelphia mother of two, was arrested during a traffic stop three years ago after she crossed from Pennsylvania into New Jersey with a loaded .380-caliber Bersa Thunder handgun -- unaware that her concealed-carry gun permit in her home state was not transferable to another.

Allen was eventually pardoned by the New Jersey governor after legal wrangling, but her case stirred a national debate over concealed-carry gun permits.

That debate has come to a head. On Wednesday the House of Representatives passed a bill, the Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act, that would oblige every state to recognize a concealed-carry gun permit issued by any other state.

So what does “reciprocity” mean? It means that anyone with a valid concealed-carry gun permit in one state may travel to any other state with the permitted weapon and not worry about being arrested or fined for carrying that concealed weapon as Allen was. In other words, each state must reciprocate the approval of a permit that any other state has issued.

Reciprocity does not affect any specific state’s laws about carrying a concealed weapon. Some states have relatively restrictive permitting procedures. New York state, for example, has one of the most rigorous standards for anyone seeking a concealed-carry gun permit. The process, if successful -- and success is far from guaranteed – entails completing a large amount of paperwork, months of waiting and detailed inquiries into applicants’ history and personal lives. The bill that just passed does not require New York to change or stop enforcing its existing laws. The state can continue to enforce relatively restrictive standards for anyone seeking, within the state of New York, a concealed-carry gun permit.

You can read the rest of the piece via the below link:

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/12/06/concealed-carry-gun-permit-reciprocity-means-every-state-would-accept-all-states-permits.html 

You can also read my Washington Times piece on concealed carry via the below link:

http://www.pauldavisoncrime.com/2017/08/a-distorted-view-of-concealed-carry.html 

A Distorted View Of Concealed Carry: Opponents Of Reciprocity Blur The Difference Between Legal And Illegal Guns

The Washington Times published my piece on legal and illegal guns and the Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act.

Last month former Washington D.C. Metropolitan Police Chief and former Philadelphia Police Commissioner Charles H. Ramsey offered his view of the Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act of 2017 in the Philadelphia Inquirer. The bill will allow a qualified individual to carry a concealed handgun into or possess a concealed handgun in another state that allows individuals to carry concealed firearms.

According to the proposed legislation currently working its way through Congress, a qualified individual must: First, be eligible to possess, transport or receive a firearm under federal law; second, carry a valid photo identification document; and third, carry a valid concealed carry permit issued by, or be eligible to carry a concealed firearm in, his or her state of residence.

… Mr. Ramsey is against the bill, stating that it will have a disastrous impact on public safety and law enforcement. He has a number of concerns and he began his commentary citing the murder two years ago of Philadelphia Police Officer Robert Wilson.

Officer Wilson entered a GameStop store to buy his son a gift and encountered two brothers holding up the store. Officer Wilson attempted to stop the armed robbery and protect the customers and store employees and he was shot dead by the two criminals.

What Mr. Ramsey omitted from his article is that the guns used to murder Officer Wilson were purchased illegally, carried illegally and discharged illegally. The two criminals did not possess a concealed carry license, as they are ineligible as convicted felons.

I respect Mr. Ramsey. I believe he was a good police boss. I interviewed him in his office at Police Headquarters in Philadelphia and I was impressed, but I disagree with his view on concealed carry and its perceived threat to police officers and the public.

Many people who are in favor of gun control — now called “gun safety” by advocates, as it sounds less dictatorial — often fail to differentiate between legal gun ownership and illegal guns used by criminals.

You can read the rest of the piece via the below link:

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2017/aug/28/a-distorted-view-of-concealed-carry/