No Control: How half of US states allow citizens to carry guns without permit

The US’ deadly love affair with guns continues. Alabama has now become the latest state allowing residents to carry concealed handguns without a state permit. More than half of the US’ 50 states now allow ‘permitless carry’– a sea change from 2010 when only Alaska and Vermont did so. While gun rights advocates have hailed this move as a win for the average law-abiding citizen, its opponents including law enforcement and gun control groups say it will lead to increased gun crime and more gun deaths. Let’s take a closer look: Alabama joins ever-expanding club On 1 January, 2023, Alabama joined the long list of 26 states allowing citizens to carry concealed handguns without permits. States usually issue its residents concealed carry permits after conducting a background check – which weeds out those with criminal records – and mandate some level of training.

There is no such federal law for gun permits.

While the law allows an individual to legally carry concealed handgun in public, he or she can still apply for a permit if they choose to. The proposal, before being passed this year in Alabama, had been introduced several times without success. [caption id=“attachment_11914082” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] Graphic: Pranay Bhardwaj[/caption] Georgia, Indiana and Ohio passed such a law in 2022, while Arkansas, Iowa, Montana, Tennessee, Texas and Utah allowed citizens to carry concealed weapons sans permits in 2021. Such laws have swept across the nation since 2010 – when only Vermont and Alaska allowed its citizens to do so. Gun nation More than half the US states now allow ‘permitless carry’.

Over a third of US citizens – more than 100 million – now live in states with such laws.

Gun rights groups like the National Rifle Association have dubbed this practice ‘constitutional carry’ – with reference to the US’ 2nd Amendment (the right to bear arms). This comes even as the past two years of the COVID-19 pandemic have witnessed an explosion in gun sales. Though there is no federal database to track gun sales, Huffington Post quoted research as showing that 2020 witnessed 8.4 million Americans purchased their first firearm and 2021 recorded at least 5.4 million more new buyers. March 2020, when the lockdowns began being imposed, saw the most guns purchased in US history – over 2.3 million firearms were sold that month for the first time, as per the National Shooting Sports Foundation. Women comprised nearly half of first-time buyers and many people of colour also became first-time gun owners. [caption id=“attachment_11913942” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] Many women and people of colour became first-time gun owners during the COVID-19 pandemic. Reuters[/caption] Records also showed that same year recording 45,222 gun deaths – a new record and a 14 per cent rise over 2019 – more than a third of which were homicides. What experts say But experts, including law enforcement, say expect more guns on the streets, more crime and more deaths.

Alabama already has one of the highest gun death rates in the United States.

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And Montgomery County Sheriff Derrick Cunningham believes things might get worse. “Some people, now they feel they can go anywhere with a gun like the wild, wild west,” Cunningham told Al.com. “And you can’t. They’ve still got certain restrictions. Like being able to go into governmental buildings. Going into schools. Going to athletic events and things of that nature. We’ve got to make sure that we educate people. I’m scared that people think now they can just do whatever they want to with their guns.” Meanwhile, Stanford Law professor John Donohue told Huffington Post that research over the past few years has linked easing gun carrying restrictions to increased gun thefts and incidents of road rage. Worse, it also effects police performance. “One of the unintended consequences of putting more guns on the street is degrading police performance,” Donohue added. “You see clearance rates for all crimes drop when states move in the direction of letting more people carry guns. Which is perhaps the reason why the Alabama Sheriffs Association had opposed the legislation. “Alabama sheriffs are clear on the law taking effect 1 January and have adjusted accordingly,” Lee County Sheriff Jay Jones, president of the Alabama Sheriffs’ Association, said in a terse statement after the law passed. “The worst person that you can be around is a person who has a firearm and no training,” Jerel Crew, who runs a firearms safety, training, and gun club in Philadelphia, told the website The Trace. “I like to teach people that every round that you miss your intended target with has an attorney’s name attached to it.” Tennessee state representative and Democrat Vincent Dixie told the website, “I think it’s absurd that you have untrained people with an instrument that could take a life.” “Would you get into a car with someone who has never passed a driver’s license test and feel comfortable? If we ask people to have some training before they get behind the wheel, why shouldn’t we ask the same when they have a loaded gun that could take a life?” What gun advocates say But advocates like Eddie Fulmer, president of gun rights group BamaCarry, insist this is a victory for the common man.

They say anti-gun rights groups, who make predictions of doom and gloom, are overreacting.

“It’s an anti-gun talking point,” Fulmer, a retired firefighter told Al.com. “Everybody is going to die. Everybody is going to be carrying guns. No, they won’t. No, they won’t.“ [caption id=“attachment_11913982” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] Gun rights groups have hailed this legislation passing as a victory for the common man. AFP[/caption] “I do think that if there are any more guns carried it will be by law abiding citizens who have no propensity to do crime,” Fulmer said. “They simply want to exercise their right of self-defence for themselves, their family and others that might be around them.” “It’s going to be a big step to help the average law-abiding citizen to keep them from having to go through the hoops of getting a permit to carry their weapons,” Representative Shane Stringer, the legislation’s sponsor, said. He also claimed it will not allow guns to fall into the wrong hands. “It’s not going change who can and cannot carry a gun. People that are prohibited now are still prohibited,” Stringer added. With inputs from agencies Read all the  Latest News ,  Trending News ,  Cricket News ,  Bollywood News , India News  and  Entertainment News  here. Follow us on  Facebook,  Twitter and  Instagram