This article was written by Russ Fulcher and originally posted at www.Idaho Freedom Foundation.com
Sitting deep in the bowels of the Idaho Capitol is a bill that, if passed, would allow law-abiding citizens to carry a concealed weapon without a government-approved license.
This so-called Constitutional Carry legislation has met significant resistance, even though it’s a significant step forward in gun rights in the traditionally firearms-friendly Legislature.
Legislative gatekeepers may not even give this plan a full hearing. An important question I must ask: Why do some lawmakers fear the passage of this bill?
By definition, criminals are individuals who do not abide by the law. If a criminal decides to carry a concealed weapon, they are unlikely to consult Idaho code, much less abide by it before doing so. They, in my opinion, are the bad guys.
The way Idaho law reads now, law-abiding citizens may carry a concealed weapon only if they pay a fee, enter their personal information into a government database and sustain certain training requirements. They in my opinion, are the good guys.
Knowing the bad guys have no regard for the law and will carry their weapons with the possible intent of using them for destructive purposes, why would we want to protect barriers that discourage armed good guys from being able to potentially thwart the activities of armed bad guys?
The answer? Control. Government’s natural tendency is to try to control things; and an armed populace threatens that. In the minds of many government officials, public safety has little to do with the issue. Rather, an armed populace threatens government’s ability to control the people.
That’s why I support Constitutional Carry.
After all, the Founding Fathers of this great nation intended the people to be the pinnacle of governance: “Of the people, by the people, for the people,” as President Abraham Lincoln so eloquently explained.
When lawmakers discourage a law-abiding citizen’s right to bear arms, I question their motive – and accordingly, their trustworthiness.
At no time in world history has the disarmament of a citizenry resulted in the increased safety, freedom or prosperity of that citizenry. To the contrary, disarmament has repeatedly led to tyranny and, eventually, slavery.
In short, don’t trust a government with weapons that won’t trust you with yours.
Former state Sen. Russ Fulcher is a member of the Idaho Freedom Foundation’s governing board.
Look back and see what history shows when the citizens are disarmed- It Can’t happen Here (VIDEO)
Great News: Rep. Heather Scott is Sponsoring Constitutional Carry in Idaho!
Here in Arizona, Constitutional Open Carry has been the law since before statehood in 1912 . Concealed Carry is now Constitutional as well, since doing so has not required a permit since 2010.
To hear the anti-self-defense crowd rant about it, adopting Constitutional Carry would somehow cause all of society to unravel But over 100 years of Constitutional Carry, both Open and Concealed, here in Arizona has proven that it does no such thing. If anything, it has made our state much safer for our Citizens and much more dangerous for the Criminals who would seek to inflict harm upon our life, limb, and property.
Anyone who would dare to try to harm my wife is going to experience a sudden and traumatic Spiritual Event, because she carries her sidearm with her at all times. I insist that she do so, and I do so myself. Sometimes we carry Openly, sometimes we carry Concealed. Sometimes both at the same time. Society around us has somehow managed not to implode, despite our personal choices regarding Self Defense.
I do not, and I will not, ever trust a government with firearms that does not trust me with mine. That does not make me “anti-government”, it just makes me anti-“Control Freak” .
If the Legislature of Montana has any Control Freaks (“Progressives”, Liberals, Socialists, Communists) in their midst, then they just need to get over themselves. Stop trying to live in the Past. History is passing you by so quickly that it probably looks like the Future already.
And By the Way, I am a member of the Militia by definition of both Federal and State law. As a former Commissioned Officer, Honorably Discharged from the Regular Army, I fully intend to live up to the spirit of that law as diligently as I intend to uphold the Oath that I took when I first put on the uniform of a soldier. The Control Freaks need to stop trying to paint me and other members of the Militia as lawbreakers simply because we are living up to our obligations under the law eagerly and enthusiastically .
Again, the Control Freaks just need to get over themselves.