D.C. Residents would Feel Safer if they could Carry a Concealed Weapon
Posted by jhingarat21 on 17th Aug 2015
Assault weapons and handguns for sale in Springfield, Ill. (Seth Perlman/Associated Press)
The Aug. 3 Metro article “Struggling to feel safe in rising tide of violence” showed why D.C. residents need more freedom to carry a concealed weapon. As a Mississippian, I grew up feeling safe because I knew I could defend myself if my life was threatened.
Unfortunately, I do not feel safe in the District.
Similar to the victim presented in the article, who was seriously injured in a shooting while visiting a friend in the District, I must rely on emergency responders with notoriously slow response times to save my life in the event of a shooting. Although the Second Amendment guarantees my right to bear arms, the District is infringing upon this right.
According to the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department’s concealed-carry application, a resident must have a documented threat against his or her life to obtain a permit. If the Second Amendment alone were not enough, then living in one of the most dangerous cities in the United States should give me the ability to apply for a concealed-carry permit.
Even if 100 percent of the police department’s resources were committed to stopping gun violence, criminals would continue to obtain guns illegally and use them violently. Law-abiding citizens with appropriate background checks and training should be allowed to protect themselves and feel safe in the District.