There is currently a bill that would allow national reciprocity. A permit from one state would have to be accepted in another, and the way the current law apparently reads, it seems even someone from a constitutional carry state would be able to constitutional carry in New York or California.
Which is just too hilarious for words, if I'm being honest.
The usual suspects have been losing their minds over this possibility, framing it as the worst thing ever, and they've gotten a lot of attention via the mainstream media.
But the truth is, it won't be a bad thing in the least.
The author here, Lauren Snyder, talks about a condition she has that affects her joints, skin, and stability. In other words, she's not someone who is in a position to fight off a would-be attacker with any great likelihood of success.
And then she talks about this:
A few years ago, I attended a public event in Arizona. Being a responsible, law-abiding citizen, I followed the rules: the venue prohibited firearms, so I left my pistol safely at home. A friend picked me up and dropped me off, and I didn’t think much of it.
Later that night, as I was waiting outside to be picked up, I noticed a man I’d met briefly through a dating app lingering nearby. He waited until I was alone, then approached me, insisting he could give me a ride home. I said “No, thank you” more than once. He didn’t listen. Instead, he grabbed my arm and began dragging me toward his car — the door already open.
In that terrifying instant, I realized what was happening: he was trying to abduct me.
And then, I realized something else. I didn’t have my firearm. I had no means to defend myself.
By some miracle, I managed to break free and get away. The fear and helplessness of that moment have never left me.
That experience was a clear reminder that evil doesn’t care about rules, signs or laws. It also reminded me that, as much as they want to help, the police can’t always get there in time. For people like me — who already live with physical vulnerability — being prepared to defend ourselves isn’t a luxury. It’s a necessity.
That’s why I support the Constitutional Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act. This legislation ensures that law-abiding citizens who are licensed and trained to carry in their home state can legally protect themselves across state lines, just as they can drive across state lines with their driver’s license.
She got lucky. She's wrong about evil not caring about signs, rules, or laws. They do care, but only insofar as it benefits them. Her attacker likely knew any target he found outside that venue would be unarmed, thus less likely to resist him.
"But she got away despite her condition," someone might argue. "That proves she didn't need a gun."
No, it doesn't. Just because you got lucky once doesn't mean you can trust that you'll get lucky again. In fact, luck is a terrible self-defense strategy. Snyder can't count on being fortunate again, and while it's unlikely she'll be in that position again, it was just as unlikely she'd be in that position before.
Again, luck isn't a strategy.
National reciprocity would empower millions of people who travel out of state to defend themselves at their destination. They'd still be subject to that state's self-defense laws, of course, and they'd have to follow all the rules for lawful carry in that state too, but they'd at least be able to defend themselves.
We need that, because as it stands, too many states think they're too special to allow anyone from anywhere else to carry there. California, for example, won't even allow out-of-state permits. New York theoretically allows them, but the process is so ridiculous that it might as well not exist, which is probably the point.
That needs to end, because evil doesn't decide to exempt you because you're a visitor.
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