THE BURNED OVER DISTRICT

So the NRA in its quest to guarantee every American is totally living in fear 24/7 is seeking nationwide repeal of concealed handgun permits so that anyone, anytime and in any condition can carry lethal hardware any place they please. Schools, banks, hospitals, jails and courtrooms, anywhere.

After swiftly expanding gun-rights laws during the first few years that Republicans took control of the state legislature, the charge to loosen firearms restrictions has slowed – until now.

The state House passed a bill this month that pits gun owners against each other. It would nearly eliminate concealed handgun permits and the training that goes with them, and would set the minimum age at 18 to carry a concealed gun. Under current law, people 21 and older can apply for a permit to carry a concealed gun, and anyone 18 or older can carry a handgun openly.

The bill’s sudden movement was surprising, considering three similar bills had been dormant since they were filed in February, and the legislators pushing the bills are the most conservative Republicans in the legislature, who are not always in step with the rest of the House GOP caucus or its leaders.

[Concealed handgun permits would no longer be required]

What has given this gun bill momentum — besides the persistent backing of the statewide gun-rights Grass Roots N.C. — is advocacy by the National Rifle Association. Promoting permitless carry — also referred to as constitutional carry — laws has become a top priority of the NRA across the country.

Twelve states now have permitless carry laws. Eight of those states enacted the laws in the past two years. At least three more are considering it.

A rapidly increasing number of North Carolinians have gone through the training and background checks required to qualify for permits: currently more than 600,000.

The argument for permitless carry is the same in North Carolina as it has been in other states: that it protects law-abiding citizens who don’t want to break the law simply by putting a coat or sweater over a legal, openly holstered handgun, carried for self-defense.

“Law-abiding citizens in North Carolina can already open carry a handgun without a permit,” NRA spokeswoman Catherine Mortensen said in an emailed statement. “This legislation simply recognizes that it is often more convenient to carry discretely. More Americans than ever are choosing to exercise their Second Amendment right to self-protection and the NRA wants to ensure they can do so in a manner that is most convenient to them.”

Gun-control advocates are chasing the NRA around the country to counter gains the formidable organization might make with state legislatures.

“We watch them very closely, that’s what we do,” Peter Ambler, executive director of Americans for Responsible Solutions, said in a recent interview.

“What’s most important is that permitless carry does not become law,” Ambler said. “... You don’t want folks carrying around an incredibly dangerous consumer product like a firearm without knowing how to use it. That’s not only common sense but a part of the ethos of responsibility in this country that’s accompanied the traditions of gun ownership, that unfortunately the gun lobby is getting away from.”

The NRA says that the 2nd Amendment guarantees your right to buy unlimited lethal hardware, carry it anywhere and if your locale has a "Stand Your Ground" law, shoot anybody anywhere. What the NRA position really guarantees is a constant state of fear which insures steady sales of lethal hardware to far too many people who can't handle what they buy. This insures the profits of the gun manufacturers and dealers who kick back to the NRA executive committee and insures they profit from their vicious misbegotten ideas.b