PA Bill Number: SB170
Title: In criminal history record information, further providing for juvenile records; and, in juvenile matters, further providing for powers and duties of ...
Description: In criminal history record information, further providing for juvenile records; and, in juvenile matters, further providing for powers and dutie ...
Last Action: Removed from table
Last Action Date: Oct 2, 2024
Editorial: National gun law is all about logic :: 01/18/2018
The most dangerous thing most Americans will ever do is drive a car.
According to U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, there were 37,461 people killed on U.S. roads in 2016 -— which is an increase of 5.6 percent from 2015.
According to National Safety Council, “medically consulted motor-vehicle injuries in 2016 are estimated to be about 4.6 million, an increase of 7 percent from 2015.”
Despite the dangers of getting behind the wheel, a motorist licensed to drive in Texas does not face legal problems when driving in another state, at least not as far as a drivers license.
However, the same cannot be said for those traveling in different states who want to exercise the right expressly contained in the Second Amendment.
The comparison between the dangers of driving a car and carrying a gun are valid, because those who oppose the Second Amendment (the right of the people to keep and bear arms) routinely cite public safety as a reason against a national concealed-carry gun law.
It breaks down this way: A person legally licensed to drive in Texas is also legally licensed to drive in Oklahoma or New Mexico — and every other state. Public safety is not a factor in the uniformity of drivers licenses between states.
However, a person with a legal concealed carry license in Texas may not be afforded the same rights in — for example — New Jersey. (Former New Jersey governor Chris Christie issued pardons to people arrested in New Jersey for being in violation of the state’s gun carry laws, despite the fact these individuals were legally licensed to carry in their home states.)
The numbers do not support this lack of logic.
According to Gun Violence Archive, a self-described “not for profit corporation” which provides “free online public access to accurate information about gun-related violence in the United States” (hardly a website dedicated to gun rights), there were 15,090 deaths in the U.S. attributed to gun violence in 2016, and 30,617 injuries.
These tragic numbers pale in comparison to the dangers Americans face every day just getting in a car.
Yet licensed drivers face no hassle from law enforcement in different states, because the legality of state drivers licenses are respected nationwide. However, try carrying a firearm outside your home state, and there could be trouble because state concealed carry laws differ, despite the fact driving a car is much more dangerous.
A national concealed carry law is not about states’ rights — it is about logic.
http://amarillo.com/editorial/opinion/2018-01-17/editorial-national-gun-law-all-about-logic
