Rand Paul Aims for Concealed Carry In DC :: 12/08/2015

Senator Rand Paul’s latest legislation is gaining momentum in the nation’s capital. The bill, introduced Thursday as the “Defend Our Capital Act 2015” as an amendment to H.R.3761, would loosen DC’s restrictive gun laws in an effort to allow citizens to carry for self defense.

“For too long the Americans who live in and visit their nation’s capital have been prevented from defending themselves and their loved ones. No longer should our citizens have to choose between safety or visiting Washington, D.C.,” Sen. Paul said.

The top-line bullet points of his proposed legislation was outlined on the Kentucky Senator’s website:

Requires the District of Columbia to issue both resident and non-resident conceal and carry weapons (CCW) licenses. The District of Columbia will honor any CCW license issued by any other state or commonwealth.

Allows for the national reciprocity of CCW licenses between all states in accordance with local states regulations.

Active duty members of the Armed Forces may carry a concealed weapon on Department of Defense property. In addition, members of the Armed Forces would be allowed to carry a concealed weapon without a permit, similar to retired law enforcement officers.

Legislation repeals many of the D.C. requirements and policies that hinder firearms ownership, that includes registration of weapons and ammunition, removal of the ban on semiautomatic weapon possession, and restores the right to self-defense within a home.

Allows for the carrying of a concealed weapon on publically accessible, non-sensitive areas of federal property. This can include post offices, Veterans Affairs parking facilities, Federal Bureau of Prisons Correction Officer parking lots, and the National Mall.

While Paul’s common sense bill aiming to ensure citizens who find themselves on the front line of a violent or terrorist attack are able to defend themselves is music to the ears of people who own their self defense, some are questioning his motives.

“Senator Rand Paul’s hypocrisy apparently knows no bounds as he uses every trick in the book to have the federal government trample on the District’s local rights,” Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton said in a statement to the Daily Caller News Foundation.

“Paul’s bill not only turns its back on his local control principles, but it would effectively turn the nation’s capital into the Wild West at a time when mass shootings are occurring across the country.”

Sound familiar? Democrats have been claiming concealed carry laws will turn the country into the “Wild West” for years, but the fact is: as gun sales and concealed carry permits soar, murder rates continue to drop.

According to the Crime Prevention Research Center, since 2007, the number of concealed handgun permits has risen from 4.6 million to over 12.8 million while murder rates have fallen from 5.6 killings per 100,000 people to just 4.2 (about a 25% drop).

http://bearingarms.com/rand-pauls-common-sense-bill-aims-to-allow-concealed-carry-in-dc/