Iowa Town's Leaders, Gun Store Operators Clash Over Constitutional Carry

When a state considers constitutional carry, there are a lot of differing opinions. In some states, those differing opinions may be a minority, but they always exist. That’s fine, though annoying. People are entitled to their opinions, even if they’re wrong.

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In one Iowa town, a news report details how these disagreements can go.

There’s a fight over the Second Amendment fight at the Iowa state Capitol. Lawmakers are considering a bill that would remove permit requirements to buy or carry handguns. Supporters said it’s their constitutional right to bear arms. Opponents said changing Iowa law could be dangerous to the public.

Browns Loans employee Josh Jones said the Council Bluffs gun shop may see more business if Iowa lawmakers remove permit requirements.

“I’m for it. I mean it gets rid of the permit, a lot of people don’t have the money or time to go get a permit,” Jones said.

The bill does not apply to felons, domestic violence offenders, or the mentally ill. Those requirements are already in place. But right now, anyone else must have a permit from the sheriff. The new law would also mean one less background check.

“There is some potential there for someone that shouldn’t be able to possess a firearm of obtaining one,” Sheriff Jeff Danker, Pottawattamie County, said.

Right now, gun shops must submit a form for a background check and see a valid permit. But if they don’t hear back from the feds in five days, they can sell the gun. Jones said some shops rely on the permit as a background check in those cases.

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Here’s the thing. The vast majority of background checks are done instantly. That means those who can’t legally buy a gun are disqualified right then and there, even without a permit requirement.

In other words, Danker is worried about a non-existent problem.

Further, those people have always been able to get guns. They’ll always be able to get guns. They’re legally barred from owning them as it is, yet how many still have firearms despite the requirements? Plenty.

You aren’t going to stop those people from owning guns. While I’m not going to say to stop trying, I will say that you should stop interfering with the rights of people who did no such thing. That’s all these requirements do.

Also, while you’re at it, stop pretending there are these massive problems that don’t exist. Most background checks are instant. Most others come back within the five-day window. Of those that don’t, the vast majority are clean background checks anyway.

That leaves a tiny fraction of a percent, at most.

Hardly an epidemic of the unworthy getting guns by any stretch of the imagination.

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Still, Danker’s job is to be a little paranoid about things, so I get that too.

However, we can see how permitless carry debates go. Even people who may ostensibly be pro-gun will freak out a little at the idea of people being able to carry a gun without a permit, but the truth is that they haven’t considered that those they need to worry about are already carrying firearms. The criminals have been doing it for decades despite the law.

It’s time to recognize that ordinary citizens have a right to do the same.

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