Universal Gun Law Sought

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- With concealed weapons now legal in all 50 states, the National Rifle Association's focus at this week's annual meeting is less about enacting additional state protections than on making sure the permits already issued still apply when the gun owners travel across the country.

The nation's largest gun-rights group, which officially opens its meeting of about 70,000 people Friday in Indianapolis, wants Congress to require that concealed weapons permits issued in one state be recognized everywhere, even when the local requirements differ. 

Advocates say the effort would eliminate a patchwork of state-specific regulations that lead to carriers unwittingly violating the law when traveling.

"Right now it takes some legal research to find out where you are or are not legal depending on where you are," said Guy Relford, an attorney who has sued communities for violating an Indiana law that bars local gun regulation. "I don't think that's right."

Opponents fear the measure would allow more lenient gun regulations to trump stricter ones when permit holders travel across state lines.

"It's a race to the bottom," said Brian Malte, senior national policy director for the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence. "It's taking the lowest standards."

The push for reciprocity comes as the gun rights lobby is arguably stronger than ever before, with more than 5 million dues-paying members.

The NRA has successfully defeated numerous gun-control efforts in recent years, even after the 2012 massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut. With midterm elections looming, the organization's legislative wish list likely will be somewhat more modest than usual this year.

The "reciprocity" effort on state concealed carry laws has strong support from Senate Republicans but narrowly missed being amended into last year's proposed expansion of gun sale background checks. Still, it faces long odds in Washington because Democrats control the Senate and White House.

Following a federal judge's ruling striking down Illinois' ban on concealed weapons, the Legislature last summer passed the nation's final law allowing them.

Illinois is among at least 10 states that currently don't recognize permits issued elsewhere, according to the NRA's website. Most others recognize permits from only a portion of the other states.

NRA spokesman Andrew Arulanandam noted that gun laws vary widely, with some states requiring strict background checks and a handful not even requiring a permit to carry a concealed weapon.

"It is vital because crime can and does happen anywhere," Arulanandam said. "Just because an individual or a family crosses one state boundary to another doesn't mean they are immune to crime."

Goodbye 26

Taking on the NRA

A week ago today, 26 lives were taken by a lone gunman in Newtown, CT. This was an event more horrific than others because 20 of those lives were innocent young boys and girls between the ages of 6-10.  The 6 adults are gone because they tried to protect the children.

For the last week and not really meaning to sound callous, we, the American public, have been inundated by the media with redundant news reporting of this unimaginable event; however, none of that reporting will change these events nor will it bring these children back to their parents; although, that is exactly what we all would like to happen.

For the last week, a Nation has shed tears as well mourn the loss of these children who are now safe as they can be, cradled in the loving arms of their Creator.

I understand the need to ask questions and the need for closure, but we need to move on and let those who need to mourn do so in private.

The second amendment (passed in 1791) to the US Constitution, giving us (Americans) the right to bear arms, states:

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.

Definition of militia (n)

mi·li·tia   [ mə líshə ]   

soldiers who are also civilians: an army of soldiers who are civilians but take military training and can serve full-time during emergencies

reserve military force: a reserve army that is not part of the regular armed forces but can be called up in an emergency

unauthorized quasi-military group: an unauthorized group of people who arm themselves and conduct quasi-military training

Synonyms: paramilitaries, reservists, local militia, mercenaries, territorial army, soldiers, guerrillas, soldiers of fortune, legionnaires.

We have debated and will continue to debate the true meaning of this amendment regarding whether or not our truth, decades later, accurately reflects the intent of our Founding Fathers.

We continue to believe that Americans have the right (as Americans) to protect themselves and their families from harm.

And, we continue to believe that our local police, our military (if necessary), our National Guard (if necessary) are directly tasked with the responsibility of protecting those to whom they have been sworn to serve.  However, these forces cannot be everywhere, at all times or 24/7.

So, what are we to do?

Should we reach out to our well regulated militia and/or to each other because we have the right to bear arms?

Should we pass laws regulating the sale of firearms; and, is that Constitutional?

The NRA (National Rifle Association) is the most powerful lobby in Washington, DC and according to CBS This Morning spent a total of 17 billion dollars on lobby efforts to influence the Congress and Senate to protect our full understanding of the 2^nd Amendment. 

This is a lot of money…

Is there really anything that we can do that will prevent something like this from happening in the future?

There is not – no matter how bad I want it to be yes and no matter how many committees or task forces are set-up to study the issue.

The one absolute that exists in America is

the fact that one can get anything that

one desires as long as one has enough

money to pay for it.  This absolute, my

friends, cannot be legislated away. 

No matter how much we want

to take on the NRA…