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BY MURRAY SABRIN
COMMENTARY
The House of Representatives passed HR-822, The National Right-to-Carry Reciprocity Act, which would allow citizens who have a permit to carry a concealed firearm in their state the ability to do so in any other state.
The reaction by anti-Second Amendment “activists” such as New Jersey’s two U.S.senators, newly appointed New Jersey state senate president, Loretta Weinberg, editorial writers and others, including political science professor Brigid Harrison, was swift. They oppose the bill because they claim New Jersey is “not” Alaska or other states that allow citizens to exercise their rights to carry a concealed firearm, and that HR-822 violates states’ rights.
On the contrary, the Second Amendment states unequivocally, A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed (emphasis added). In other words, the Bill of Rights outlines the people’s “natural rights,” that government recognizes those rights and the people charge the government to protect those rights.
In other words, the states cannot abolish what is clearly a fundamental human right, the right to self-defense, without which other rights are irrelevant. If human beings cannot protect themselves and their property, then what good are the other rights we have if we are dead or severely wounded? Thus, the Second Amendment recognizes every citizen’s right to thwart violent acts against him or her.
Moreover, critics of HR-822 imply, without any evidence, that states with liberal concealed carry laws have more crime. The data show just the opposite. In addition, they assert that New Jerseywould be turned into the “wild west” if visitors bring in their concealed firearms into the Garden State. Again, there is no credible evidence that concealed carry laws create shoot 'em ups anywhere in the country.
In states where concealed carry laws are liberalized, crime goes down, because criminals do not know who is “packing heat.” Criminals prey on the defenseless. That is why New Jersey’s “may issue” permit regs are grossly anti-Second Amendment and anti-self-defense.
In N.J. which has issued only about 1,000 concealed carry permits, crimes still occur, especially in cities, where drug gangs and other criminals have firearms while peaceful residents are unarmed thanks to anti-Second Amendment legislators and governors.
If concern for the safety and security of inner city residents is supposed to be high on the agenda of Senators Menendez, Lautenberg and Weinberg, they sure have a strange way of expressing it with their support for virtual total disarmament of residents living in high-crime neighborhoods.
infringe: to encroach upon in a way that violates law or the rights of another
This is not an issue of States' rights but rather is an issue of the Federal Government fulfilling its obligations [Article IV, Section 1 and Amendment XIV] to prevent States from denying citizens' US Constitutional rights!
“Reason is not automatic. Those who deny it cannot be conquered by it. Do not count on them. Leave them alone [Ayn Rand].” In some cases we can certainly “leave them alone”, but, unfortunately, we can't leave our elected officials alone [ignore them] because, they make and enforce laws for the rest of us. They can't be left alone until they are voted out of office!
And we can say that Brigid Harrison supports car jackers over people driving cars...
I also guess we can say that both Weinberg and Harrison do not support education...education on the safe use of a firearm to kids, thus eliminating accidents, or education of safe use of firearms to responsible adults who Weinberg pray's will stay home and 'not vote for the other guy' so she can slime back into office and help fill the financial gap Madoff made in her money...I mean if these people could just produce a little evidence that the 'wild west' has happened in the 47 other states that allow for liberal carry laws...
Its going to be time soon to go to trenton, all 2m NJ gun owners with empty holsters and do like the union's did, call them by name and ask them to come outside...thats the only way the right will be restored in NJ....
Thanks for your thoughtful, reasoned article. However, I'm sure you realize that your worldview and that of the statists who rule over NJ are in extreme divergence. I'm hoping that HR-822 becomes law, and NJ residents are then able to see that peaceable citizens carrying in their state won't produce the frothing shibboleth purported by NJ's anti-gun rights politicians and media.
We both know that it will be an uphill battle, but until the SCOTUS strikes the state's ultra vires carry law HR-822 is at least a good start.