Concealed carry refers to the practice of carrying a handgun or any other weapon in public, either concealed on one's person, or in the vicinity. Forty-eight American states have passed laws allowing citizens to carry concealed arms in public. The laws differ slightly form state to state. Whereas some states allow unrestricted carrying of arms, others require the citizen to obtain a permit from state or local law enforcement agencies Different states have different terms for the licenses or permits that are issued.
[...] While many gun rights activists and conservatives hail the law as a step in the right direction for freedom, others see it as a step in the opposite direction. While some ability to exercise Second Amendment freedoms is better than the old blanket ban, it is also a step towards Australian and Canadian style gun control that will only delay the final target of the government to disarm all citizens. Conceal and carry laws endorse the government's authority to regulate freedoms guaranteed by the Constitution. [...]
[...] Requiring those who wish to exercise their Second Amendment rights to be tracked, fingerprinted like criminal suspects and approved before allowing them to carry a gun tramples the Constitution and sets the society up for the gun confiscations that people in countries like Canada, have endured. The “conceal and carry” debate is also a prime example of the difference between Libertarians and both of the other major political parties. The Democrats have traditionally been hostile to the Second Amendment, often citing "public safety" concerns. [...]
[...] In 2004 the Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act was passed which allows “Qualified Law Enforcement officers” and “qualified retired Law enforcement officers” to carry concealed firearms in any jurisdiction in the United States irrespective of any state or local law to the contrary. There are however some exceptions to the rule. On 22 May 2009 a bill was signed prohibiting the Secretary of Interior from enacting or enforcing any regulations that restrict possession of firearms in National Parks or Wildlife Refuges, if the person carrying the weapon complies with laws of the state in which the Park is located. [...]
[...] This is partly due to the fact that the law that applies depends on the state being travelled to, and not that of the state in which the license was issued. In order to overcome hurdles, some states have entered reciprocity agreements, whereby they honor permits issued in states they have agreements with. Missouri holds the widest reciprocity of all states in the US. Statutes (gun free Zones) Some states allow private businesses to post signs prohibiting concealed carry, violation of which may result in the revocation of the offenders permit. [...]
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