Washington D.C. Concealed Carry Permits Skyrocket
Kevin Felts 12.20.17
Imagine if you would, a world where you have to explain why you need to exercise your rights. If you want to vote, you have to explain to the county clerk why you should be able to vote. If you want a trial by jury, you have to explain to the judge why you need a jury trial.
We know how those would work out.
The above examples illustrate previous conditions in Washington D.C., and the right being explained was the right to bear arms. People living in Washington D.C. had to provide a “good reason” to exercise their right to protect themselves by carrying a concealed handgun. However, a court ruling in July of 2017 changed all of that.
In the case of Wrenn v. District of Columbia, No. 16-7025, the judges decided people do not need a “good reason” to obtain a concealed carry permit.
After the regulation was struck down, applications for concealed carry permits skyrocketed.
- September 2017 – One concealed carry license application.
- October 2017 – Estimated 144 concealed carry license applications.
- November 2017 – Estimated 273 concealed carry license applications.
In just three months, Washington D.C. went from one concealed carry license application to around 273.
From the NRA-ILA: D.C. Concealed Carry Applications Surge Following Court’s Lifting of “Good Reason” Requirement.
FBI figures show surging interest in concealed carry licenses in the nation’s capital following a recent court ruling that effectively ended D.C.’s discretionary licensing regime.
D.C. officials decided not to appeal the ruling in early October. That month, the FBI ran 217 background checks for D.C. residents, two-thirds of them in connection with concealed carry license applications. By contrast, only one-licensed related check was run in September, and no one had applied for a concealed carry license at all during the previous October.
The surge then continued in November, with 75% of the city’s record 365 National Instant Criminal Background Check System queries run for concealed carry licenses.
Opinion
Regardless of the evidence showing that concealed carry reduces crime, gun-grabbing liberals say otherwise. Some even resort to artificial numbers to back up their claims.
It will be interesting to see how crime rates are affected when law-abiding citizens get to exercise their rights. For example, after Texas introduced concealed carry, murder rates dropped to their lowest point since the 1960s.
Hopefully, the crime rates in Washington D.C. will take a nose dive. It will be interesting to see the excuses gun grabbers come up with as to why crime was reduced.
