Contrived Iowa Shall-Issue Gun Controversy Distracts from Common Goals

[shadowrider]

In the fight to protect our Second Amendment rights, it's unfortunate that quite often gun owners will stand against other gun owners and try to make the perfect the enemy of the good. Such is the case in the struggle to turn Iowa from what's called a "may-issue" state, where local authorities have unlimited discretion over who gets licenses to carry concealed firearms, into a "shall-issue" state where local authorities must issue a license to anyone who meets certain well-defined objective criteria, such as taking a training course, and passing a criminal background check. Many gun owners feel this does not go far enough, and advocate states merely repeal their laws that criminalize carrying of concealed weapons, such as is done in Vermont, Alaska, and hopefully soon Arizona.

This is an OPINION article
http://www.opposingviews.com/i/contrived-iowa-shall-issue-gun-controversy-distracts-from-common-goals

[spin]

1. "May issue" often is a racist approach to gun control ...

in which the issuing authority exercises the right to discriminate against minorities and the lower middle and poor classes.

But the roots of gun control are racist and recently have been directed toward "those people".

"Shall issue" totally eliminates this.

[jazzhound]

2. "May issue" is subject to an enormous amount of abuse...........

...........however I can appreciate the author's point regarding pushing for Vermont-style laws, as one of my favorite writers on the subject of gun control is Don Kates -- and Don has advocated for practical confrontation that doesn't set the cause of gun rights back.

[jazzhound]

3. Anyone else find the title of this article odd?

If there is a genuine "controversy" it would hardly be "contrived" IMHO since the law as it now stands is objectionable.