Georgia’s state Senate and House passed the constitutional carry bill last week that Gov. Brian Kemp signed Tuesday April 12.
Georgia is the 25th state in the country to allow legal gun owners to carry concealed firearms without a gun carry permit. The new law will mainly affect private business owners. Guns will not be allowed in the Judicial Center or the historic courthouse, according to county attorney Barry Fleming.
Casey Lewis, owner of Posh Pointer, is not worried about legal gun owners carrying the concealed weapons into her business.
“Fantastic,” she said of the bill. “If we already legally own our guns, we should be able to legally carry our property.”
She feels citizens who abide by the law and register their firearms pose the least amount of threat. Others agree with Lewis’ point of view.
According to a Sept. 30, 2021, article published by the firearm trade association NSSF,” It’s illogical to propose that gun owners who respect the law would turn into violent criminals overnight. It’s so illogical that no one has presented any evidence it is true. Even if stolen, firearms are taken into account.” The article states that the average statistic for time-to-crime for a stolen firearm is over nine years, according to the FBI.
However, other research compiled by Mother Jones magazine indicates that out of the 114 U.S. mass shootings since 1982, 74% of the incidences involved guns that were legally obtained. Lewis still believes in the integrity and ability of those who seek to own guns legally.
“Do you think everyone who has kids should have them?” Lewis asked jokingly. “I think everyone should have the right to carry a gun lawfully and be able protect themselves and know how to protect themselves correctly. Especially, in the world we are living in today.”
Local vendor Lesly Kababik agrees. She said she enjoys the confidence that carrying a gun brings. It changes the way a female carries herself.
“I know that I can take care of myself if I need to,” she said. “It’s hard when you are scared, to carry yourself with confidence.”
She doesn’t believe the new law will change things much. The most important aspect is that people be able to carry their concealed weapons from state-to-state. She believes that is important, especially after a personal experience. As a resident of Delaware, Kababik could not carry her firearm over the state line into Maryland, where she got robbed one day. She believes if she had been carrying her gun, she would not have experienced as much fear as she did and would have been better equipped to handle the situation.
Local business owner Janice Schmidt said she is not a big fan of guns. She doesn’t believe that even in a matter of self-defense, she could bring herself to shoot someone. She has no personal opinion on changing the concealed weapon law. However, she believes it is important for people to have choices.
“I don’t want guns taken away from people, because we live in America and people should have choices,” she said.
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