Arizona's concealed firearms law ill advised

Connection Editorial

By Matt Brabb
Connection Editor

Alright, so Arizona is not the first state to allow its citizens, over the age of 21 and without a criminal history, to carry concealed firearms without a permit and associated gun safety training. Alaska and Vermont beat us to the punch, and already afford their citizens that right.

But really, how safe does that make you feel? When you go to the grocery store, the movies, the park, to church, wherever - will you feel comfortable knowing that the person next to you may be carrying a firearm without having received even rudimentary training in gun safety?

For the record, the Second Amendment of the United States Constitution is very clear.

It states that, “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.”

Additionally, it is important to note that the Supreme Court ruled in District of Columbia v. Heller that the Second Amendment protects an individual's right to possess a firearm unconnected with service in a militia.

That is well and good, but various laws have been enacted that place limitations on the right to bear arms despite the open-ended verbiage of the Second Amendment.

We have, for instance, barred children and convicted criminals their right to bear arms despite the fact that they are not expressly forbidden to do so by the Second Amendment.

Is it really such a stretch then, to require those who wish to carry a concealed weapon to invest in the eight hour class that had been required to get a concealed carry permit in Arizona until recently?

That class included information on state law and gun safety, as well as requiring a student to be able to hit a target 14 out of 20 times. Is that really too much to ask? Is it reasonable to require the citizens of Arizona to undergo more training to obtain a driver’s license than to carry a concealed firearm?

We at the Mogollon Connection are not enemies of the Second Amendment. We appreciate that responsible, educated Americans are entitled to their right to keep and bear arms. That is settled case law.

We’re just a little concerned about the guy who has no training, has seen a few too many Clint Eastwood movies, and thinks it would be cool to buy a handgun and stick it in his pocket before heading out for a night on the town.