Ark. Senate approves bill making gun list secret
LITTLE ROCK (AP) — Arkansas senators have approved legislation that would make secret the names of about 130,000 people in the state who are permitted to carry concealed handguns.
The Senate voted 24-9 Wednesday on a bill that would make the list of concealed carry permit holders exempt from Arkansas’ Freedom of Information Act. State law currently allows the state to release the names and ZIP codes of permit holders.
The bill now heads to the House.
Republican Sen. Bruce Holland of Greenwood says he proposed the change after a New York newspaper published the list of concealed carry permit holders following last year’s school shooting in Connecticut. Gov. Mike Beebe and several media organizations are opposed to the bill.
The current law was the result of a 2009 compromise struck in the Legislature.
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I would be completely willing for the legislature to place my name and the name of my wife on the list of CHL holders, if they will also place on a list, the names of people who own easily portable jewelry worth over $2,000 that is kept at their home in places relatively easy to access.
I hope everyone sees the incongruity of this statement. People who own valuable jewelry should not have to have their names published. It is no one's business who owns a $5,000 ring or a $3,500 diamond necklace, and it is certainly no one elses business where those owners live. In the same vein of thought, it is no one's business whether I own one firearm, or a dozen, and it is certainly none of their business where I live.
Unfortunately, if my name is published and my zipcode, it is the work of three minutes with a telephone directory to find my street, my specific house number, and with the aid of google maps, those can be pinpointed, then google's street view will show the prospective thief what my house looks like so he or she doesn't even have to drive past to 'case the joint' before doing whatever they wish when I'm away. Then it is just a matter of calling the number found in the phone book to find out when I'm gone, and breaking in at a convenient time...
Therefore, WHY should anyone object to my name not being "on a list". If you don't come to my home and try to hurt my wife or family, you have nothing to fear from my owning one - or a dozen - or a thousand firearms. None of them, nor I, nor my wife will ever give you a reason to need to know that we possess anything more lethal than a typewriter, or a computer or a diamond choker.
There are some
There are some that would like to know who is NOT on a list...
BTW - I agree with you...
The Difference
Is you and your wife requested a license from the state.
People with jewelry didn't ask the state for permission to wear their jewelry because it is not illegal if their jewelry was to slip beneath their clothes. If your gun was to slip beneath your clothes then you would need that CCL to be legal.
You want your name kept
You want your name kept secret because you're a big scardy cat, that's why. Your scardy cat status is also the reason you have a concealed weapons permit in the first place.
Also, if you are a responsible gun owner, (which I doubt since there are few) your guns would be locked in a safe when not needed.
Your hypothetical is a load of bull. Noone is going to do what you suggest on the off chance they could actually find your house and steal a firearm. Based on the police reports in the LCD, you'd have better luck trying random car doors and steal a gun from a unlocked car.
A story...
A lady was pulled over for speeding. Obeying the the rules for her CCL, she informs the officer that she does in fact have one.
The officer asked if she had her weapon with her, to which she replied, "Yes, I have a 40 cal in the glove box, a small 32 cal in my purse, and a 44 magnum in the trunk."
The officer was impressed and said, What are you afraid of?" The woman replied, "Absolutley nothing."
Real smart
A gun locked in a safe is useless. You don't like guns, don't buy one. I don't own guns because I am a coward, I own guns because I am intelligent enough to know there are folks out there who do not respect the sanctity of our homes and are a real threat. Just read and watch the news.
I took the time to teach my children gun safety and now they are responsible gun owning adults. Anyone who does not take that effort does not need to own a gun.
I support the idea of not publishing the names of the permit holders since I have contributed to a lot of folks spending time in the Department of Corrections.
This is America, you are entitled to your opinion and I am entitled to mine. Stop whining.
what I don't understand is
1) Why wouldn't you want someone to know you are packing?
"Hey, that guy has guns, let's go mess with him"
"ummm no, let's not"
2) If the weapon must be concealed (i.e. unknown possession), why is it ok to list the names of the people that might be concealing weapons? Doesn't that defeat the purpose/mandate of concealment?
"Public Record" in Arkansas
"Public Record" in Arkansas means you can have my CCW 'SPECIAL TREATMENT' when you pry it from my cold, dead hands.
'Ain't no sunshine when she's gone.' in Arkansas it's double secret CCW public record probation.
Arkansas Tea-Senate has become Animal House (the movie.)
Considering I've had a
Considering I've had a firearm stolen before (rather expensive one at that), I'd rather people not be able to locate me. And /agree i_wonder, seems like that would defeat the purpose.
Simple solution . . . get rid
Simple solution . . . get rid of the license, which many of us believe is unconstitutional anyway. Then there is nothing to publish.
Then we can develop a "shoot to kill" law which states that if anyone is committing a crime with a firearm the police or property owner can shoot to kill. This way, all the focus is on the criminal, not the law abiding citizen. Now, before all the liberal cry babies start in about how unfair that is to the criminals, all the criminals have to do is not do the crime and there is no issues. Makes for a more polite society too.
Problem solved.