In the wake of the Colorado shooting, and all the hubbub coming from primary candidates scrambling to garner your favor before the August 7 election, you hear a lot of pro-conceal and carry rhetoric as a deterrent to the devastation that happened in a movie theater. And if there is any redeeming quality to the tragedy, it’s that the issue is being discussed. But is there any substance to what you hear coming from so called constitutional, 2nd amendment loving candidates and previously elected?
Let’s look at a few issues in Missouri, and elsewhere, that define the Conceal and Carry regulation situation.
First, it shouldn’t go unnoticed that hand gun sales have risen 40%, in Colorado, since the movie theatre tragedy. That says a lot about what the citizens, living in the grassroots of America, think about the bigger picture of self defense. Also, let’s look at how the supreme court looks at individual self defense.
In Castle Rock vs. Gonzales, a 2005 Supreme Court Case, in which a man shot to death his three children after kidnapping them, it was upheld that the enforcement of a restraining order was not mandatory. In short, law enforcement has no legal obligation to protect you.
So, let’s return the focus to Missouri and compare how easy or difficult it is to obtain and maintain a Conceal and Carry license as opposed to other licenses, such as a driver’s license, in the state, and ask ourselves what that says about what the government really believes regarding personal liberties and protections.
A Conceal and Carry license is good for 3 years. A drivers license is good for 6.
The Department of Revenue will send you an expiration notice before your driver’s license expires. It won’t send one to Conceal and Carry holders. Driver’s licenses may also be renewed online or by mail, and the same holds true even if your driver’s license has been expired for up to 6 months.
The cost for an initial Conceal and Carry permit is $100. You must also get fingerprinted, complete a required course, which also costs $100, depending on where you take it, and then the cost of the license is approximately $10. Renewal is $50. The initial cost for a driver’s license is approximately $10 as is the renewal.
A Conceal and Carry holder must update a change of address within 30 days and notify the DOR AND the Sheriff’s office or risk losing licensure status. This includes a requirement to renew a drivers/non drivers license, but the state has no regulation in regard to maintaining driving privileges as far as the DMV website lists.
Let me be very clear about my intention on drawing these comparisons. Am I suggesting that gun ownership should be taken casually? Of course not. Neither should operation of a motor vehicle. Both can be equally dangerous, in my opinion, by anyone who approaches either with disrespect. I think it is fair to question why is one more casually viewed in the culture than the other?
There is a stark difference between the reporting and hoop jumping one must go through to obtain a CCW license as compared to a driver’s license, in Missouri. Would any of the current candidates, in this election year, step outside the boundaries of political correctness to stand up for the rights of those who wish to own and carry guns to lessen, what could be described by some, as restrictive and oppressive regulation. Do we really need to report change of address or pay such high fees to obtain and renew a license in order to keep nut jobs from shooting up movie theaters or college campuses? Is fingerprinting absolutely necessary? What next, DNA samples? Data collection on the populace will be the death of our Constitutional Republic.
The question will always remain: Does restriction on law abiding citizens really curtail the atrocities that will always, unfortunately, occur by the far fewer criminal offenders? While it is politically correct for us all to believe that gun ownership is a “privilege” and not a right in our Constitution, have we been conditioned to fall into line when presented with extraordinary regulation, just to prove we are responsible in our intent to own and carry firearms? And would any of the contenders in the upcoming elections be strong enough in their belief in the 2nd amendment to fight against that extraordinary regulation?
UPDATE: I have been informed by a reader, who also happens to be a CCW licensed citizen, that the DOR DOES send renewal notifications! Good news and thanks for the info!
The answer is, “Yes” ! Let’s begin to collect everything beyond pea-shooters! Whether you have a tragedy from an assault weapon, automatic weapon, semi-automatic weapon, or paintball gun, the victim is still dead, and she is not asking for survivors to check the criminals gun credentials.