The Year for Carrying Constitutionally

If readers haven’t been following the pro-freedom news lately, it’s easy to miss that a number of states have passed a unique, welcome, necessary reform: constitutional carry. One gun rights lobbyist in Iowa announced that this was a hot issue this year, even though an Iowa legislative committee had stalled on its passage. Constitutional carry is carrying a lot of weight this year. Yet still the stigma remains that it’s dangerous, foolish to allow law-abiding citizens to carry a firearm, whether open or concealed, and without having to obtain a permit.

Activists have been firing off these arguments for decades, and they have poisoned the general consensus for a while. When I was a kid, I can still remember one particular joke from a new comic who talked about a city in Alaska—the name of which I do not remember. “In this city, everyone carries a gun on their belt.” The audience starts laughing. “Can you imagine walking down the street, and your neighbor greets you with, 'Hey, how ya doing?'" Then the comedian made the “hold up” gesture with his hand.

“Ha Ha. So funny.” But is it true? Does a reduction in state gun restrictions lead to such, hapless irresponsible conduct?

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