Before you think this is one more piece of legislation designed to dimish your 2nd Amendment rights you'll need to know exactly what this proposed piece of legislation entails. According to State Representative Barry Ivey, his bill would actually expand the scope in which gun owners might have their rights protected.

Currently in our state, if you want to carry a handgun on your person you must apply for and receive a concealed carry permit. In order to receive that permit, you are thoroughly vetted personally as far as your criminal background goes.

You must also take a certified training course no matter how long you've been handling firearms and you must show that you are proficient in the operation and specific knowledge needed to use a weapon of that kind correctly, safely, and responsibly.

I must admit, that seems like some okay steps to ensure those that choose to carry a deadly weapon in public places are actually qualified to do so.

Representative Ivey's legislation would do away with all of the policies and procedures and simply make gun ownership a valid right to carry a weapon in Louisiana.

Here's what Ivey told the Louisiana Radio Network,

If you are not comfortable carrying a firearm because you aren’t trained, it doesn’t matter if you open carry or not. If you’re uncomfortable, then you should be responsible and not carry until you’ve had the proper training.

While I can agree totally with Mr. Ivey's suggestion, in theory, it's that whole reality thing that I worry about.

For example, we give people the right to drive a car. You may choose whether or not to get driving education before you are certified to operate what could become a deadly weapon. However, studies show that persons who have had driver training are less likely to be involved in accidents and crashes.

That raises two diametrically opposed questions that in my mind both raise valid concerns for the people in our state.

Do you feel that requiring a little more knowledge and proving you're capable of handling a weapon is a violation of your rights? Since most of the bad guys are walking the streets without a concealed carry permit, shouldn't the good guys have the same rights?

Should we simply leave this up to the legal system? Uh, no.

Maybe it's just me but it seems as if it's the legal systems' purpose to protect the rights of the law breaker and punish those who play by the rules. Just to be clear, I am not talking about police and law enforcement.They do their job, often at a very high personal price.

I am talking about the spineless judicial system and Louisiana's bought and paid for judges that seem to always side with the evil doers. Yes, that is my opinion and I would love to know yours.

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