Colorado ––(Ammoland.com)- No citizen should have to beg the government for a permit before he or she can exercise their Constitutional right to bear arms.
Simply put, Constitutional Carry is true Right to Carry legislation. It’s the law in Vermont, Alaska, Arizona, and Wyoming.
In 2011, the National Association for Gun Rights played a key role in passing Constitutional Carry in Wyoming. Citizens there may now exercise their God-given right to self-defense without restriction.
Constitutional Carry also passed both the State House and Senate in Montana with NAGR’s backing during the 2011 session, only to be vetoed by Montana’s NRA “A”-rated Governor Brian Schweitzer.
Unfortunately, this pattern of opposition from the institutional gun lobby and the politicians they support was replayed in multiple states throughout the 2012 Legislative season.
The National Association for Gun Rights with allied state-level gun rights groups and pro-gun forces nationwide introduced Constitutional Carry bills in 22 states this year.
Predictably, the left-leaning media and the anti-gun crowd immediately began predicting blood in the streets.
In reality, crime rates have only gone down in Constitutional Carry states.
Vermont is virtually surrounded by higher-crime states like New York and Massachusetts, yet Vermont’s crime rate has remained among the lowest in the nation for decades. Violent crime has also gone down in Alaska and Arizona since Constitutional Carry became law.
In the face of these facts, it is strange to see anti-gun politicians oppose Constitutional Carry with conjured images of Wild West shootouts.
But stranger still is the fact that NRA “A”-rated politicians in numerous states and even an NRA Board Member have joined the anti-gun crowd in opposing the Right to Carry.
In Iowa, NAGR’s boots-on-the-ground ally Iowa Gun Owners (IGO) introduced the bill in 2011 and came within 2 votes of passing it.
This year, NAGR and IGO led a strong fight, but the bill was killed thanks largely to the outrageous efforts of NRA Board Member and Iowa State Representative Clel Baudler.
NAGR ally South Dakota Gun Owners also provided vigorous grassroots support for their Constitutional Carry bill in South Dakota. Sponsored by pro-gun champion Rep. Don Kopp, the bill was stonewalled by the Legislative Leadership in the State House.
Rather than support the Right to Carry, South Dakota Speaker of the House Val Rausch and Speaker Pro Tem Brian Gosch cooked up a substitute bill.
Hailed as “Constitutional Carry” by numerous NRA “A”-rated and endorsed politicians, this bill would have encouraged police to harass and detain law-abiding gun owners for nothing more than possessing a legal handgun!
With NAGR’s assistance, Iowa Gun Owners and South Dakota Gun Owners are now working to hold accountable the anti-gun state legislators who opposed Constitutional Carry.
In Georgia, NAGR and Georgia Gun Owners introduced Constitutional Carry and immediately found strong support from gun owners.
But once again, NRA “A”-rated State Representative Ann Purcell blocked the bill. As chairwoman of the Public Safety Committee, Rep. Purcell refused even to allow a vote.
Thanks in part to the outcry raised by Georgia Gun Owners against her anti-gun obstructionism, Rep. Purcell has chosen not to seek reelection this year.
There are similar stories from all across the country.
NAGR has also focused resources on Tennesee, South Carolina, Colorado, New Hampshire, and Oklahoma, and is monitoring the battles in Oregon, Idaho, Utah, Nevada, Wisconsin, Mississippi, Virginia, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Rhode Island, and Maine.
Thanks to politicians who claim to be pro-gun and to the political cover provided to them by the leaders of the institutional gun lobby, the battle for Constitutional Carry is over for this year in most of these states.
But no one expects to pass Constitutional Carry without a fight.
The National Association for Gun Rights is standing firm for true Right-to-Carry legislation.
By providing resources, support, and direct assistance to dozens of pro-gun state-level allies, NAGR is working to hold accountable the politicians who opposed Constitutional Carry, regardless of the ratings they have received from the institutional gun lobby.
And Constitutional Carry will be back in the very next Legislative season.
For Freedom, Dudley BrownExecutive Vice President
About National Association for Gun Rights
The National Association for Gun Rights is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, single-purpose citizens’ organization dedicated to preserving and protecting the Constitutionally protected right-to-keep-and-bear-arms through an aggressive program designed to mobilize public opposition to anti-gun legislation. The National Association for Gun Rights’ mailing address is P.O 7002, Fredericksburg, VA 22404. They can be contacted toll-free at 1-877-405-4570. Its web address is www.NationalGunRights.org
