We Wonder If The Police Of Washington D.C. Will Authorize ANYONE To Carry Concealed? Probably Only Those With Close Political Connections, Not Your Average Citizen!

2nd Amendment / Gun Control / Self Defense

Concealed Carry Might Soon Be Legal in D.C. – But Something about It Still Stinks

Washington D.C. is the seat of power for the entire United States.

And for decades, residents of the nation’s capital have not been allowed to carry handguns legally.

In late July, a judge declared Washington D.C.’s hand gun ban unconstitutional.

The ban which has stood in place for since 1970 is in the process of being reviewed by city officials, and within a few weeks time it might be the case that residents can soon carry concealed weapons without fear of being arrested.

City council members have created an emergency review board and have introduced the new proposed law. D.C. Council Chairman Phil Mendelson (D) played a lead role in developing the new law.

According to The Washington Times:

The bill, Mendelson said, will permit city residents who own duly registered handguns and non-residents who hold state carrying licenses to apply to the D.C. police for a concealed carry permit. So-calledopen carry, such as the wearing of a weapon in a holster, will not be allowed under the proposed law, he said.

Now while this is all well and good, some of the stipulations of the law are that concealed permits will be issued on a “may carry” basis.

Meaning only a certain segment of the population will be allowed to carry. Those seeking a permit are going to have to go through D.C. Police Chief Cathy L. Lanier, and will have to state a reason for seeking a permit.

‘The concept behind it is the absolute, complete prohibition probably cannot sustain judicial review, so we’re focusing on the individual,’ Mendelson said. ‘What we want to do is minimize the indicators that a person might have a mental illness or history of violence or a criminal record.’ Another goal, he added, is to ‘have a scheme that is relatively simple and can be understood.’

The bill was drafted to mimic many other states’ bills with a few notable differences.

Some of these include a proposed “provision establishing a 1,000-foot zone around the movement of dignitaries, such as presidential motorcades, and certain large-scale events where gun carrying would be prohibited. To be arrested and charged under that provision, however, a licensed gun owner would have to be given notice of the law by an officer and subsequently fail to leave the no-carry zone.”

Though the law could be passed, it might take some amount of time before the legality of it all could be firmly cemented in the District.

Mendleson says he would not be surprised to see the “the matter continue to play out in the courts. The Second Amendment has become a heavily litigated issue, and because of that I expect there will be further litigation,” he said, adding that they were “trying to find the right balance” between the public’s rights and public safety needs.

Never forget that the role of politicians over the past few years has been to strip Americans of their basic right to own a gun.

Whether or not this particular law in D.C. passes, the push for tighter and more extreme gun control looms always in the immediate future.

That’s why it’s important you do what you can to preempt the possibility of ever having to turn over your arms by owning arms that aren’t registered.