The 2nd Amendment of the US Constitution states; “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”. This constitutional right, unlike others, has been infringed upon by lawmakers regulating and passing laws stating that individuals must have a license in order to carry a weapon in the state and cannot cross state lines unless the visiting state has reciprocity. To do so, would make one a criminal in the state they are visiting.
This is the only right granted by our forefathers in the United States constitution that is manipulated and subjected to regulations by states in order to exercise it. Our 1st Amendment rights and others are not regulated or require us to have a license in order to exercise them. How is it that this constitutional right has been subjected to laws and regulations for us to be able to exercise it? Elected officials have passed these issue laws in attempts to provide more “safety” to the public, while additionally producing income for the state.
Currently there are 16 states that have passed constitutional carry laws. South Carolina legislators have introduced Bill 3456 “Constitutional Carry Act of 2019”. This is the 3rd time a bill of this type has been introduced in South Carolina. While I support the 2nd Amendment and believe every citizen, who is not a convicted criminal, should be able to exercise this right, I also believe that there is a level of responsibility that comes with it. I have spoken about the need for training and the value of it. This is where I have reservations about everyone carrying a weapon. Too many people are unsafe with weapons and are nothing short of a liability and danger to others. The need for competent training cannot be understated.
As with anything else in life, if you are not trained correctly, how can you possibly be expected to understand the ramifications of the tool you are using? Weapons are a tool and the ability to correctly and safely operate a weapon affects everyone who is exposed to it. Don’t get me wrong, I want people to be able to defend themselves. I just want to know that myself and my loved ones are not in danger of some person who lacks a complete and thorough understanding of weapons manipulations and safety, pulling a weapon out and possibly injuring or killing one of us. I have seen too many people harmed by reckless handling of a firearm.
Guns are inherently dangerous and should be handled and treated with the utmost respect. I do support some type of training curriculum for those wanting to carry a weapon. This can do nothing but ensure everyone has a basic understanding of the safety and operation of a weapon. I know some people will disagree about any training standards or required classes. Having been around firearms for over 4 decades, I have seen things that are simply hard to comprehend and still am surprised by what I continue to see. Training can help alleviate some of the problems, not all of them.
I hope those who read this can appreciate the need to be a responsible gun owner and the value of training to produce safe gun handling and competency with weapons.
As always, if you need or want any training, reach out to me and I will do my best to accommodate your training needs. If you fail to plan, you plan to fail!
Thanks to those who reached out to me with questions. I look forward to meeting some of you soon.
Train the way you fight and prepare for all contingencies.
