According to the Crime Prevention Research Center (CPRC), the number of concealed handgun permit holders has soared to an impressive 16.3 million law-abiding citizens!

But has that turned America into the “Wild West” as liberals feared?

Not quite.

It’s also interesting that despite the media’s claim the NRA is “racist and sexist”, some of the biggest increases in permits have been with women and African-Americans.

Among the findings in the report, John R. Lott highlights the following points:

• There are now over 16.3 million permit holders, a record 1.83 million increase in permits since last July.
• Nationwide, 6.5% adults have a concealed handgun permit. Outside of California and New York, 8% of adults have a permit.
• Permits for women and blacks are increasing much faster than they are for men and whites.
• There are also significant differences in not only the number of permits issued but also who gets them when politicians have discretion in granting them.
  • Los Angeles County provides a vivid example of how women and Hispanics are given few permits when politicians decided who can defend themselves.
• Concealed carry permit holders also continue to be stringently law-abiding.

In fact, Milwaukee Police Chief Ed Flynn might benefit from learning that in spite of being overwhelmingly adherent to the law, permit holders are actually becoming even more law abiding! The percentage of permit holders who are charged or convicted of a felony has dropped from 0.0123 in 2015 to just 0.0092 percent in 2016.

Lott also provided evidence in his report that even with credible death threats, citizens are being denied permits for their protection, which only serves to bolster the case for constitutional carry.

Carry on and carry often, gunnies!