With riots in Democrat-run city after Democrat-run city, including violent attacks against police and private citizens, national reciprocity is perhaps more needed than ever.
Rep. Richard Hudson (R-NC) introduced national reciprocity legislation on February 3, 2017, the first day Congress convened following Donald Trump’s inauguration. The bill would have made a concealed carry license valid across state lines in the same way that a driver’s license is valid, which means a single mom with an Iowa carry permit driving through Chicago on her way to Wisconsin would have been able to keep a handgun with her to protect herself and her children.
Likewise, a father with an Oregon carry permit driving his children from Portland to Los Angeles and back would be able to keep a gun with him to protect himself and his kids.
The need for keeping such protection close at hand has never been clearer.
On May 30, 2020, Breitbart News reported that a Dallas man attempting to protect his business was beaten nearly to death by rioters.
Video of that attack on the business is gut wrenching:
WARNING: GRAPHIC VIOLENCE
BREAKING: man critically injured at Dallas riots
It appears he attempted to defend a shop with a large sword
Looters ran at him, then he charged rioters
They then beat him with a skateboard and stoned him with medium sized rocks
I called an Ambulance and it’s on the way pic.twitter.com/kFxl3kjsBC
— ELIJAH SCHAFFER (@ElijahSchaffer) May 31, 2020
Also on May 30, 2020, the Associated Press reported that Atlanta police were hurt when rioters “shot at [them] with BB guns and threw bricks, bottles and knives.”
The House of Representatives passed Hudson’s legislation on December 6, 2017, but the Republican-controlled Senate never took it up.
National reciprocity legislation was re-introduced in the Senate of January of 2019, sponsored by 32 Republican Senators, and Rep. Hudson reintroduced it in the House in January 2019 as well, but it did not gain momentum last year.
However, in 2020, safety concerns could create the momentum needed to get the legislation through. And the good news is President Trump made clear his belief in national reciprocity years ago.
On September 18, 2015, Breitbart News reported President Trump’s contention that concealed carry licenses should be treated like driver’s licenses and recognized throughout the country.
He said, “The right of self-defense doesn’t stop at the end of your driveway. That’s why I have a concealed carry permit and why tens of millions of Americans do too. That permit should be valid in all 50 states. A driver’s license works in every state, so it’s common sense that a concealed carry permit should work in every state. If we can do that for driving – which is a privilege, not a right – then surely we can do that for concealed carry, which is a right, not a privilege.”
AWR Hawkins is an award-winning Second Amendment columnist for Breitbart News and the writer/curator of Down Range with AWR Hawkins, a weekly newsletter focused on all things Second Amendment, also for Breitbart News. He is the political analyst for Armed American Radio. Follow him on Twitter: @AWRHawkins. Reach him at awrhawkins@breitbart.com. You can sign up to get Down Range at breitbart.com/downrange.
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