A coalition of anti-gun prosecutors, reportedly “spearheaded by Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance Jr.,” according to Newsday, has announced opposition to the proposed National Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act.
Vance was speaking Tuesday on behalf of Prosecutors Against Gun Violence. The Newsday article said this group has members across the country. It seems to use rhetoric that could come straight out of the script for Everytown for Gun Safety, the gun control lobbying group created by anti-gun billionaire Michael Bloomberg.
What seems to bother Vance and his comrades is that if it becomes law, the reciprocity legislation “would allow anyone legally permitted to carry a concealed weapon in their home state to bring a firearm into states that also have a concealed carry law,” Newsday explained. Here’s now the report illustrated Vance’s position:
“Vance said someone from Vermont, ‘where there are no permit requirements, could come into New York City with a loaded gun, come to Times Square, go to the subways and be amongst us in our communities.’”
Vance didn’t explain what is wrong with this scenario. If someone from Vermont or anywhere else were responsibly carrying a sidearm that nobody would see, where is the problem? That is certainly a question concealed carry advocates would ask.
Everytown has been fomenting hysteria about the reciprocity measure, with an April 1 email blast that alleged the National Rifle Association wants “anybody — including people with absolutely no safety training who’ve never passed a background check — to carry guns on our streets.” That might be a difficult allegation to support, considering the fact that the NRA has spent millions of dollars over the years to create a network of volunteer firearms instructors who offer all manner of firearms instruction to armed private citizens, from basic courses up to a personal protection course.
The NRA is also hosting a Personal Protection Expo Aug. 25-27 in Milwaukee, Wis.
This comes four months after the United States Concealed Carry Association (USCCA) hosts its annual Concealed Carry Expo this weekend, April 7-9, at the Fort Worth, Texas Convention Center.
Therefore, it would appear that the notion that NRA or anyone else in the firearms rights community wants irresponsible people strolling around with guns is erroneous.
National reciprocity, if it becomes law, will simply require that all states recognize the carry licenses and permits of all other states, essentially the same as they now honor all states’ driver’s licenses. After all, gun control proponents have been demanding for years that guns be regulated like cars. Doesn’t reciprocity address that suggestion?
What may really be at stake here is the loss of opportunity for Vance and other prosecutors to prosecute otherwise law-abiding citizens for innocently violating local carry prohibitions.
Related:
2A Victory: North Dakota Governor Signs ‘Constitutional Carry’ Bill
UTAH Governor Signs Bill Into Law Allowing Concealed Carry For Young Adults
Gun Rights Victory: Wisconsin Supremes Rule CCW Okay on Madison Buses
