(This article originally appeared on The Minuteman Facebook page on January 2, 2017.)
In April of last year, The Minuteman told you the issue was coming to the 2017 legislature, and now it is here. It is a divisive issue between Republicans and Democrats. To some extent it is even divisive within the Republican Party itself. It is the issue of Constitutional Carry or carrying a concealed weapon without a permit, and the issue is set to be debated in the upcoming North Dakota Legislative Session.
The Constitutional Carry bill will be sponsored by the fearless advocate of limited government and individual rights, Rep. Rick Becker of Bismarck. The big question will be how the rest of the Republican super-majority will respond to such a proposal.
Not only is Constitutional Carry clearly in harmony with both the federal and state constitutions, it is also the correct and logical thing to do. The idea that a person must obtain a permit to carry concealed is antithetical to the idea of “the right of the People to keep and bear arms.” When an individual must seek permission from the government, it is no longer a right but relegated to the status of a privilege. Whether the government admits that or not is irrelevant.
I would imagine that it is not criminals that apply for Concealed Weapon Permits. It is those who are law-abiding citizens.
Aside from the hard-core liberal Democrats and RINO Republicans, I expect there will be some opposition to this bill from factions of law enforcement. I hope I’m wrong.
Like other gun control laws, permitting requirements for concealed weapons do little to nothing to stop crime. However, they do make criminals of many otherwise law-abiding citizens and become a hindrance to the fundamental right “to keep and bear arms” of the citizenry as well.
It is my hope that common sense will prevail on this issue in the 65th Session of the North Dakota Legislature. As the bill is assigned a number and moves through the legislative process, we will continue to cover it here on The Minuteman. In the meantime, be prepared to contact your legislator and tell them you want Constitutional Carry to finally come to North Dakota.
