(April 01, 2014. The Topeka Capital-Journal: H/T: The Gun Wire)
Kansas is preparing to eliminate all existing and proposed restrictions on Concealed Carry.
The Senate endorsed a sweeping bill Tuesday limiting authority of local governments to require employees to disclose if they hold a concealed-handgun permit and abolishing power of cities or counties to spend tax dollars on gun buy-back programs. Legislation scheduled for a final vote Wednesday would require elimination of all city or county regulations, ordinances or policies regulating the open carrying of firearms. The bill would allow municipal governments to post signs on buildings to ban open carry of weapons, but violators would face no criminal sanction for ignoring the signs. The Senate bill also would make it a misdemeanor to operate, possess or carry any firearm — not just a concealed handgun — while under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
Other measures in the bill:
- Municipal employees may refuse to answer questions about gun ownership/carry/license (CHL) without fear of censure;
- Local government forbidden to create (or maintain existing) records of employees with concealed-carry licenses;
Sens. [sic] Forrest Knox, an Altoona Republican and leading proponent of conceal-carry rights in Kansas .... said watering down current rights of people to carry guns in public buildings would undermine the safety of all employees and patrons.
"This has a lot to do with the bill we passed last year," Knox said. "Criminals can carry into the buildings. Law-abiding citizens cannot."
COMMENTARY:
Here is a state legislature which is prepared to fully endorse the Second Amendment. It's a sane approach to Gun Control. Acknowledging that criminals ignore gun control laws, and that these laws only impede law-abiding citizens, the Kansas Legislature is prepared to allow the 'good guys' to have the same license as the 'bad guys'.
The philosophy between this permissive approach is reminiscent of the nation-state of Israel. If bad guys can flaunt the law and carry firearms everywhere, the solution is to make laws allowing good guys the same access to means of protecting themselves and others.
The contrast between this approach, and the 'gun free zone' of Fort Hood, Texas, is striking this week. When the American President (Clinton?) declared all military bases to be "gun free", he made no effort to protect the people who populated those military zones. He simply assumed that if it was illegal to carry a gun in the area, everyone there would be safe from attack.
Stupid, Stupid, Stupid! Did no-one define the word "Criminal" to him?
Kansas seems prepared to acknowledge the rights of all its citizens to protect themselves. "Gun Free" is an attitude designated to invite attacks, both by evil men and by terrorists.
Kansas should pass these laws. All states should witness the consequences. It's not a perfect world, mishaps and injustices will occur. Eventually, citizens will learn that the best way to protect themselves is to .. well, protect themselves, rather than rely on the goodness of violent men to not shoot up a shopping mall (for example).
When seconds count, the police are just minutes away. It's not their job to protect civilians; police are protected from civil suit for their failure to do so.
Kansas is putting the responsibility where it should properly lie; on the civilians.
If you don't want to protect yourself, that's up to you, Kansans. The pistol-packing gun-nuts may not protect you, either, but they will have access to the means to protect themselves. And in doing so, they might just stop the REAL nuts by shooting him before you, or your family, are targetted.
If it wouldn't take me so far from friends and family, I might just move to Kansas.
Move over, Dorothy and Toto; EVERYBODY wants to be your neighbor!
1 comment:
Except for the state capital, Kansas used to be very common sense conservative. I guess it may still be that way.
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