USA -(Ammoland.com)- By now I’m sure you have heard that H.R. 38, The Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act of 2017 has been marked up by the House Judiciary Committee and will likely be voted on by the entire United States House of Representatives this week.
H.R. 38 will make your New Hampshire pistol/revolver license valid in the other 49 states and is a very important bill for New Hampshire firearms owners because it will enable you to travel, by car, anywhere in the country with a concealed and loaded self-defense handgun.
Currently, the New Hampshire pistol/revolver license is valid in 28 states. Sadly, it is not valid in Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York or New Jersey so law-abiding Granite Staters are denied their right to self-defense at our Southern border with Massachusetts. This is wrong. H.R. 38 will right the wrong.
I have heard that a few self-hating gun owners are claiming this is not Constitutional due to some vague reference to so called state’s rights.
Let me be perfectly clear, states do not have rights. Human beings have rights. In the 1950s and 1960s there were black codes in the South that prevented black and white people from dating, marrying, using the same restrooms or even sitting together on public transportation or dining together in a restaurant.
These repulsive laws were designed to treat black people as non-persons. The Federal government stepped into right that wrong with the now monumental civil rights laws that were enacted in the 1960s.
Sadly, in 2017, it is the states of Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Maryland, California and Hawaii that are disrespecting the civil rights of firearms owners and H.R. 38 will right that wrong and protect the civil rights of gun owners.
H.R. 38 is a simple application of Article IV, Section 1 of the Constitution requiring that states give “full faith and credit” to the “public acts, records and judicial proceedings of every other state.” Just like a marriage license.
H.R. 38 DOES NOT:
- Allow prohibited persons to carry firearms;
- Create a federal licensing or registration system;
- Establish national standards for concealed carry; or
- Override state laws governing the time, place and manner of carrying concealed.
The U.S. House has passed reciprocity bills in the past — but they’ve never had a protection for Constitutional Carry states, which is something that is of great importance to states like New Hampshire which do not require a license to carry a concealed pistol.
H.R. 38 is vital to the protection of the civil rights of New Hampshire residents who choose to travel. Please contact your U.S. Representative and demand that they support H.R. 38. Please remind them that, in the case of New Hampshire, nothing will change because New Hampshire is a Constitutional Carry state and anyone who is not prohibited from possessing a firearm and is not committing a crime may lawfully carry a concealed pistol.
H.R. 38, will, however, dramatically change things for New Hampshire residents who travel out of state. If H.R. 38 becomes law, your right to self-defense will no longer end at our Southern border.
Thanks for your support!
In liberty,
Alan M. Rice
Vice President & Training Director – NHFC
P.S.: The New Hampshire Firearms Coalition is working tirelessly to keep gun owners like you up-to-date on as many gun issues as possible — please consider contributing to the effort by chipping in $15 or $20.