On June 16th of this year, Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed into law House Bill 1927, which
eliminated the need for Texas citizens to obtain a license to carry handguns, as long as they are
not otherwise prohibited from possessing a handgun by state or federal law. This legislation
makes Texas the fifth state in 2021 to sign similar bills (the other states being Utah, Tennessee,
Montana and Iowa), and the 21st state to enact what is commonly referred to as “Constitutional
Carry” laws. This growing trend comes at the height of renewed and bitter debate around the
idea of gun control reform across the United States. The question we must ask ourselves in light
of current political rhetoric is why close to half of US states are taking steps to reduce barriers
for their citizens to carry firearms, and whether this represents a positive, or troubling,
development in a country that has seen skyrocketing violence in certain major cities within the
last year.
When considering these issues, we must resist the urge to entertain well-rehearsed and overly
simplistic sound bites from popular figures. Rather, we should consider the freedoms that
citizens possess, which are protected by our Bill of Rights. Our founders, having won
independence at a terrible cost, were students of history and knew the only way to ensure that
our freedom remained intact was to limit the power of government over the people. In fact, the
first two amendments in the US Bill of Rights are aimed directly at keeping government at bay
when it comes to our freedom of speech, and our ability to protect ourselves:
Amendment I:
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the
free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of
the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of
grievances.
Amendment II:
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.
While the language may feel outdated, and certain pundits may think these principles no longer
apply to our society, it is difficult to overstate just how liberating and progressive these words
actually were, and still are. We need look no further than certain contemporary East Asian, or
Latin American countries to see that corrupt and tyrannical governments rule their citizenry by
controlling the media, limiting worship, and disarming their populace. It is no coincidence that
the Founding Fathers reserved the number one and two amendments to stipulate two of the
most important principles for individual and corporate freedoms. Their prominence is key, as is
the sequencing – without one, the other falls. And contrary to the recent remarks of President
Biden, without the right to bear arms, the governed are in danger of having their freedom of
speech infringed. And once free speech is gone, we are no better than the thirteen colonies
before they clawed their way out from under the thumb of the British Monarchy. But what about the everyday application of the Second Amendment? Is there still a need to
carry a firearm day in and day out? We have firearm-free zones, designed to make us safer.
We’re much more civilized than we were in the Wild West, which means our crime rate shouldn’t
justify the need to carry self-defense tools. And our police have faster vehicles, better training,
and various non-lethal ways of subduing the rare occurrence of crime. Right?
Tuning to any news station, regardless of political leaning, will quickly reveal those questions
moot and naive. In fact, the converse is true. It’s been widely documented that mass shooters
target gun-free zones at a much higher rate than any other public space. The cities with the
strictest gun laws, sadly tend to have more violent crimes than towns that allow their citizens to
carry, either through permits or “Constitutional Carry”. And, with budgets being cut from police
departments across the country, when seconds matter, most police officers are minutes away.
Unfortunately, in spite of our modern technology, ubiquitous conveniences, refined psychological
theories, and fervent political ideologies, it’s more evident than ever that the same dangers of
government overreach and violent criminals which our Founding Fathers faced are the same
staring back at us today. Even more troubling is that many special interests and government
officials are pushing harder than ever to take away the very protections which allowed this
country to grow into the prosperous land we enjoy today.
FEMA’s own website acknowledges that in a crisis situation such as a mass attack, there will
likely be a time when running and hiding is not enough. At that point, they recommend a plan
called Defend, Disrupt, Fight. In this stage, FEMA advises to, “ambush the attacker with
makeshift weapons like chairs, fire extinguishers, scissors, books, etc.”. Sound advice for a law-abiding citizen in a gun-free zone, or who has had their Second Amendment Right taken from
them. For the 21 states that have implemented “Constitutional Carry”, however, the scene would
no doubt look different. In fact, would-be attackers are more likely to think twice before carrying
out crimes, be them on a macro or micro scale if they’re more likely to meet resistance from
citizens armed not only with firearms but the confidence of a strong Second Amendment.