It was 1999. The October leaves were turning bright yellows and oranges. It was a weekend, filled with sunshine and crisp fall air, which beckoned adventure and fellowship. One of my mom's favorite pastimes when we were children was traveling to the North Carolina mountains for the weekends. At the time, my sister Rachael was 9 and my brother Sonny was 7. With three wild and jubilant kids, my parents thought hiking was the perfect activity to release stored energy and immerse the three of us in nature's beauty. There is an old picture I stumbled upon a few weeks ago from that weekend in '99; I am on my dad's back in a 90s style carrier that looks like an old car seat. My sister is a snaggled-toothed preteen with mousy brown hair sprouting from different directions. And my brother, who was the same size as his 3-year-old sister, sports messy blonde hair and a forced grin. I had always giggled at that picture. It wasn't until a few weeks ago when I was riding home from church with my dad and, somehow, concealed weapons came to topic. Being strongly conservative and a safety-first kind of guy, my dad began to chatter about the importance of gun safety and self-protection. He then took me by surprise and mentioned the photo of us in the mountains; he had holstered a small gun on him during the camping trip. At first, I was shocked. Although tough and quite muscular, my dad is a quiet spirit and has always been slow to anger. When I immediately questioned him about his action, his response made the pieces fall into place. "I was going on a camping trip with the four most important people in my life. With a wife and three young kids, I held the responsibility of protecting my family." To this day my dad will not tell me where he had placed the gun. His words were, "All that is important is that I had the gun readily accessible incase of an emergency." The second amendment is not only a statement giving American citizens the right to bear arms but it is a beacon of safety for families. It is a protection and a safety net. Today in the United States of America, gun control and firearm possession is a right for every eligible citizen. The second amendment is standing and concrete; therefore it cannot be avoided nor contaminated. Concealed carry rights shall not be stricter because it is an important right for every citizen, no matter what race, religion, or culture one is. The qualifying American should be allowed to carry a concealed weapon because of the second amendment, the protection for oneself, and the right to own a gun for simple recreational use. 

The argument of whether citizens should obtain the right to bear arms has been an on going battle since the early 1900s. The first federal law on regulation of firearms was in 1927 (Alters). This law declared it illegal to mail firearms and weapons, besides a rifle or shotgun, through the United States Postal Service (Alters). During this decade, prohibition was made lawful and alcohol was banned in America. The national crime rate increased greatly and the government began to question firearms (Alters). Today, the North Carolina constitution states: "Nothing herein shall justify the practice of carrying concealed weapons, or prevent the General Assembly from enacting penal statutes against that practice" (National).

While some gun laws are growing stricter over the years, some have eased and become more reasonable. For example, in 2009 President Barack Obama signed a law stating that concealed weapons are no longer banned in national parks and that all parks must follow this new guideline (Concealed). This was a huge productive movement toward fairer gun laws. Although some may find this disturbing, the truth is blunt. Typically, any criminal who would have the intentions of doing harm inside a national park would ignore the law completely anyway. This law was intentionally for the men and women who desired self-protection and protection of their families while touring a historic park. Also, this law applies to the citizens who already possess a concealed carry permit. This license, in fact, is not an easy title to obtain. Training, courses, and background checks are required for all conceal carry permits. The Concealed Carry Reciprocity Law also protects the rights of the general public owning a weapon. It states that each state shall respect each other's permits for concealed carry (Editorial). This is important not only to ensure the rights of the eligible citizens but also decrease unnecessary inconvenience.  For example, a Florida man was once traveling to Maryland. On the way, police picked up his car on radar and read that this man had a concealed carry permit. The Floridian was then stopped and searched for three consecutive hours without a reason (Editorial). This is a prime example of a story not heard on the news. Because the media is typically bias towards the harm concealed weapons commit, not many hear of the stories like this. This man was innocent and had never committed a crime that would lead police to be suspicious. He was, however, put at a major inconvenience, and searched unnecessarily. To conclude, numerous laws exist to protect the ones who legally obtain a concealed carry permit. Some of these laws, however, are overlooked because of a stereotype that anyone with a permit is a threat to society. 

"People are alive today because a fellow citizen was able to use a firearm to save their lives" (Huntwork). Today, many people focus on the pessimist viewpoint of gun control. Guns are dangerous and are too scary. Firearms and other weapons, however, can save lives. Many people tend to lose sight of this. Imagine a young woman in her 20s walking down a dark and barren street late at night. If she is attacked, she needs to be able to defend herself. If this woman has a concealed weapon on her, is educated on gun safety, and has been trained properly, she has a good chance of defending herself successfully. It is important, especially for young women who are typically targets for rape and assault, that they are aware of proper self-defense. Although it is highly unlikely a young woman would be carrying a gun, this is where having a weapon would aid in self-protection. This situation is not to be taken lightly and a gun should never be in the hands of someone too immature or inexperienced. However, having a weapon on oneself can save a life. In fact, criminals are more likely to be killed or stopped by a citizen defending him or herself than a police officer (Huntwork). Another issue at hand includes firearms and school property. The Gun Free School Zone Act says that carrying a firearm within 1,000 feet of a public or private school property is not allowed (Concealed). This is for obvious reasons; mainly, this protects the students and faculty from harm. But too many times have there been situations where criminals have snuck weapons onto campus to cause tragic harm. In 2007, the Virginia Tech Massacre occurred. More than 30 students and faculty were killed by one of the university's students (Concealed). Today, self-protection should be more important than ever. Students For Concealed Carry on Campus fight for the right to bring concealed carried weapons onto campus to increase safety for students (Concealed). Most are quick to jump on this topic and strongly vote for no weapons on campus. The students have a point despite what many politicians and parents would say. Dangerous criminals will not let a law banning weapons on campus get in the way of them committing harm (Cramer). David M. Huntwork makes a powerful statement once again: "Doesn't it make you sick watching people die and the law not allowing a single one of them to be prepared to defend themselves?"

Some citizens of America generally assume people with concealed carry permits can potentially act out in a harmful manner toward others. But in fact, concealed carry permit carriers hold better safety records than police (Huntwork). In addition, there are several requirements, payments, training courses, and classes a citizen must take to earn their permit. Most concealed carry requirements vary in each state but all include: testing, classroom instruction, and field demonstration (Concealed). In Colorado, the total fee for obtaining a permit is $135 and a hunters' safety course is also mandatory (Huntwork). State police also have the authority to approve or deny concealed carry applications (Local). It is simple to see that gaining a permit is not a piece of cake. The generalized belief is that only men who are mature and serious about gun protection will go through the trouble to hold a permit. In addition, background checks are required for all applicants; and since January 1st, there have been no rejected applications in Illinois (Local). Another comforting fact: it is unlawful to sell firearms to "high risk" people. That includes felons, mentally ill citizens, drug abusers, and illegal aliens (Alters). Working to obtain a concealed carry permit is a serious process and is taken seriously by all 50 states. It is because this right is not just a right ... it is an "obligation to defend and protect children, family, neighbors, and the nation (Huntwork). 

Since gun control laws are a wide and popular topic today in America, it is no surprise there is a second side to this argument. There is a campaign titled the Brady laws; this campaign is for stricter gun control in the United States of America. While being extremely against less strict gun control laws, the Brady Campaign poses a strong point of view. The campaign is for "universal background checks" to prevent dangerous people from owning weapons but also protecting the second amendment at the same time. (Brady) This, however, coincides with the National Rifle Association. "Nine out of ten Americans agree that we should have universal background checks- including three out of four NRA members." (Brady) It is a vital compromise: protect citizens of the United States from armed dangerous people while protecting the second amendment. Although 32 Americans are killed everyday by a gun, John Lott stated that an increase of concealed weapons between 1880 and 1990 showed a lower crime rate (Brady)(Concealed). Crime will never be stopped. It is an inevitable action that will continue to cause trauma and tragedy. The importance is in the self- defense. Americans need to be able to defend when it is necessary. A police officer will not always be available within two minutes. If being attacked, it is detrimental if one does not defend right away. In addition, criminals are more likely to be killed by citizens defending themselves than police officers (Huntwork). The gun is not the one to be blamed. "People are dead because of others' stupidity ... " (Huntwork)

It is not possible to deny the fact that shootings are skyrocketing and terror is always around the corner in today's society. However, no amount of strict gun control laws can ever rid the country of violence and crime. Every qualifying citizen shall own the right to carry a concealed weapon, be able to defend themselves or their family, or go deer hunting in the fall. With that said, the trusty Americans who obtain a license are holding a responsibility. That responsibility is to be a role model for the entire country; it is to be an example of healthy gun possession. The responsibility is also to be a hero to the defenseless and people in desperate need. 

Every American thirsts for security. It is searched for in healthcare, wealth, possessions, and other people. But what many Americans forget is the security of protection. Yes, every father worries when his child drives for the first time, every mother stays wide awake until her teenager comes home at curfew, and middle aged women and men grow anxious when they think about their 80-year-old parent driving on the highway. But what happens when something so tragic occurs and no one is prepared? What happens when a trauma strikes and nobody can come to the rescue? Such tragedy is rare; but it is not to be dismissed. Situations like this are a perfect example of why the second amendment exists. It exists to give the comfort of protection to families and individuals across the country. It is for the children, the parents, the elderly, the weak, and the strong. Although concealed carry permits can be for recreational purposes, they are also a shield and shelter. Just like my dad carried a gun to protect his family on an innocent hike on a beautiful, crisp, fall day, every American, parent or not, deserves the right to carry a weapon as well. The North Carolina Constitutional Provision states: "the right of the people to keep a bear arms shall not be infringed" (Huntwork). 

