Friday, March 4, 2011

Why We Need CCW Permit Holder Transparency

From the Boston Herald talking about the Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan's opinion that the 1.3 million holders of Firearm Owners identification cards is public record.

— An investigation by the South Florida Sun-Sentinel published in 2007 found that 1,400 people who were given concealed-carry licenses in the first half of 2006 had earlier pleaded guilty or no contest to felonies but qualified for guns because of a loophole in the law.

—In Memphis, Tenn., The Commercial Appeal found at least 70 people in the Memphis area who had concealed-carry permits despite violent histories including robbery, assault and domestic violence. A firestorm erupted after the newspaper posted an online database in 2008 of names of all concealed-carry permit holders in Tennessee.

Legislatures in Florida and Tennessee have since voted to make information on permit holders private.

—The Indianapolis Star found hundreds of people convicted of felonies or other "questionable" cases in which people were subsequently granted concealed-carry permits, often over protests cases from local law enforcement officials and in some instances where it appeared the state police had a legal obligation to deny them.
What's your opinion? Doesn't the secretive nature of these records play right into the hands of those who really shouldn't have permits? Wouldn't more accessible and transparent information help to uncover those hidden criminals pretending to be law abiding?

What do you think? Please leave a comment.

8 comments:

  1. Who says they don't deserve permits?

    I firmly contend that if someone is really a danger to society, if they want to get a gun and carry one, they don't even need a permit. They will simply buy one on the street and carry it wherever and whenever they think they won't get caught.

    Simply having a criminal record should not prohibit someone from owning or carrying a gun. If someone is truly proven to STILL be a danger to society, they need to be KEPT behind bars.

    ...Orygunner...

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  2. We need to reform the system, by getting rid of CCW permits and licenses all together. Under constitutional carry people will be divided into three groups:

    criminals who use guns

    criminals who don't use guns

    law abiding citizens (and it ain't none of your business whether they carry or not)

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  3. Let's not forget that statistically you are thousands of times more likely to be a felon and a member of MAIG than you are to be a felon holding a valid CCW.

    Fact.

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  4. @FatWhiteMan, hey, do you have a source for which members of MAIG are felons?

    ...Orygunner...

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  5. "Wouldn't more accessible and transparent information help to uncover those hidden criminals pretending to be law abiding?"

    The police already have access to the information. No logical purpose is served by making the information public.

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  6. 2.2% of MAIG members have been convicted of felonies. More Here: http://www.stopillegalmayors.com/

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  7. Anonymous was kind enough to describe the world in all its simplicity under Constitutional Carry.

    criminals who use guns

    criminals who don't use guns

    law abiding citizens (and it ain't none of your business whether they carry or not)


    What he's overlooking is that the third group would also contain guys from the first group who are hiding and pretending to be "law abiding." And of course he's leaving out the continual defection we see from the third group to the first. These are the guys who legitimately belong to the third group until one fine day when they blow.

    So, needless to say, I doubt very seriously if Constitutional Carry is the answer.

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  8. mikeb302000 said...

    "So, needless to say, I doubt very seriously if Constitutional Carry is the answer."

    Was that the mantra you cried into your pillow while the state of Wyoming ramming permit-less concealed carry up your ass?

    ReplyDelete