A Call to Create a Path for a National Concealed Carry Permit (NCCW)

Dear Representative,

I am writing on the behalf of Concealed Carry Weapon (CCW) permit owners across the nation. As an American of this union, I believe the Second Amendment is a National Right. Although states have the authority to manage various categories within their borders, the Constitution is absolutely clear when it states “Shall not Be Infringed” in the Second Amendment. Unfortunately, there are states who aggressively infringe on their citizens’ rights, but I believe their infringement reaches far beyond their borders and is a nationwide issue.

I am currently a Colorado resident and plan to stay that way as I have retired from the United States Army from 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne). This bit of information is very important because I raised my hand to support and defend the Constitution of The United States, not to support and defend state specific privileges.

The Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act (LEOSA) affords past and current law enforcement officers a pathway to obtain a Nationwide CCW, this law excludes the vast majority of Americans and creates second-class citizens that cannot exercise their Second Amendment Right in several states. These states include but are not limited to California, New York, Oregon, Hawaii, and Washington. Also, Washington D.C. is part of this union where Americans should be able to exercise their Rights.

Although I believe the entire nation should be Constitutional/Permit less Carry, just like 27 states have declared within their borders, It is time we leveled the playing field and established an accessible path for all U.S. citizens who wish to obtain a National Concealed Carry Permit. This would not only uphold our constitutional rights but also promote responsible gun ownership nationwide.

I also believe all firearms training requirements are unconstitutional and should be struck down by the Supreme Court, but I also know that is not likely to happen. I also understand that states such as California, New York, Illinois, Washington, and Hawaii will never allow Constitutional Carry short of Federal Legislation. Even then, the fight to strengthen, uphold, endorse, and maintain the Second Amendment will remain a battle during the entire existence of the United States as we know it.

Although law enforcement officers are trained well, those officers are paid for their job and therefore are afforded training for their certifications, expertise, and knowledge while on the job. One could also argue that some military service members, especially in the Special Operations fields have far superior training than 90% of any law enforcement officers in the nation and they do not get afforded the same opportunity as the LEOSA provides. However, regardless the level of training ALL United States citizens have the right to keep and bear arms nationwide. ?Additionally, training that law enforcement and military personnel receive is equal to the amount of time and money that most Americans do not have the luxury to deplete from their everyday lives. Therefore, ALL citizens should have a path to obtain a National CCW within a reasonable amount of time and financial burden if the standard to exercise a right requires training.

We all know that a right should not require training to exercise, imagine states to require training for their citizens to exercise Free Speech or Religion. However, several states require training to carry concealed and/or open. Colorado for example is an open carry state but requires training to concealed carry – a ridiculous and oppressive requirement – additionally some counties have restricted open carry within Colorado. Colorado is not the most restrictive state however, at least they have an open carry option for 90% of the state and a reciprocal understanding with 34 other states. Last I checked there were 50 states in this union, 34 is a far cry from 50.

Some states restrict open carry in its entirety like California. Additionally, California (arguably the most restrictive) does not allow any out of state CCW holder to exercise their Second Amendment Right and there is zero recourse to rectify their oppression. The same goes for several other states that have similar laws restricting non-state citizens from their Rights. Picking on California more, they have only issued about 130,000 CCW permits (by some estimates) even though the state holds more than 1/10th of the entire united states population!!! This is roughly 0.37% of the state’s population - A tell-tell sign of Second Amendment oppression by the state.

I urge lawmakers and relevant authorities to consider this proposal seriously as we strive towards upholding every American citizen right as enshrined in our Constitution. Also please sign the petition linked below if you believe in equal rights for all American Citizens under the Constitution, namely the Second Amendment.

https://www.change.org/NationalCCWAct

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