Senate GOP Wants George Zimmerman To Be Able To Carry A Concealed Weapon In Nearly Every State

[ProSense]

Senate GOP Wants George Zimmerman To Be Able To Carry A Concealed Weapon In Nearly Every State

By Ian Millhiser

Last month, African-American teenager Trayvon Martin was killed by what increasingly appears to be a vigilante “fixated on crime and focused on young, black males.” At the time of his death, Martin carried a a bag of Skittles and a can of iced tea — his killer, George Zimmerman, armed himself with a 9mm handgun and a concealed weapon permit.

Yet, even in the wake of this tragedy, Senate Republicans continue to push a reckless effort to force every state to follow the nation’s laxest gun laws:

Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) and 28 other Senate Republicans on Tuesday introduced a bill that would allow people authorized to carry concealed weapons in their home state to do the same in other states that allow concealed carry, without requiring a federal permit.

The Respecting States’ Rights and Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act, S. 2213, is meant to ensure that the Second Amendment rights of people are not infringed upon when they travel between states. But rather than set up a federal permitting process for concealed weapons, the bill would essentially require states with concealed-weapons permits to honor the permits of other states.

First of all, this bill has absolutely, positively nothing whatsoever to do with the Second Amendment. As Justice Scalia established in his opinion in D.C. v. Heller “the right secured by the Second Amendment is not unlimited,” and laws regulating or even prohibiting concealed carry are entirely consistent with the Second Amendment.

More importantly, this bill is a terrible idea. As ThinkProgress explained when a similar bill advanced in the House, the bill is strongly backed by the NRA, and it would enable residents of states with shockingly lax gun laws to carry concealed firearms nearly anywhere in the country. Martin’s state of Florida, for example, issued 1,700 concealed carry permits to people with “criminal histories, arrest warrants, domestic violence injunctions and misdemeanor convictions for gun-related crimes.” Indeed, Florida has yet to revoke Zimmerman’s concealed carry permit.

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http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2012/03/22/449966/senate-gop-want-george-zimmerman-to-be-able-to-carry-a-concealed-weapon-in-nearly-every-state/

[nanabugg]

1. You can't be "pro-life" and support the license to kill law in FL and elsewhere. nt

[OPOS]

2. IF some had done their Jobs, Zimmermann would have not had a gun

Simply....

If his Girlfriend had not dropped charges of domestic abuse against him the Lautenberg act would have prevented him from purchasing a Gun during a NICCS check

If the D.A. in 2005 had not dropped charges of Assault and Battery against a Law Enforcement Officer he would have shown on NICCS when trying to purchase a firearm.

Trying to purchase a firearm when in a prohibited class is a felony. The NRA has always stated the rigid enforcement of the laws in place would be better than adding yet another law that doesnt get enforced. Hysterically adding more laws and then not enforcing them doesnt help, its a Placebo to assuage fear and Pols can say they are tough on guns or crime and the frightened can think they are temporarily safe.

Too Many D.A.'s allow plea bargins, ("Oh he's Nineteen and only had a glock and some marijuana why ruin his life").

In NYC since the days of Ed Koch, possession of an illegal handgun was supposed to mean a year in Jail no matter what other crimes you committed. It hasnt been followed since 1982. D.A.'s allow defendents to walk away from that in plea bargins. I know of only 2 persons in NYC who spent a year in Jail for illegal guns.

Bernie Goetze and Larry Davis, both high profile cases. I've seen neighbor kids 17-21 caught with guns multiple times who are never in jail for longer than a Month. the enforcement is a Joke and people die because of it.

Reciprocity merely means like a drivers license if you qualify in one state it is good in all 50.

[ProSense]

3. Isn't

"IF some had done their Jobs, Zimmermann would have not had a gun"

...that often the case? I mean, why create more scenarios for this kind of situation?

Another thing, it's not like Republicans are supporting more enforcement. I mean, they're busy trying to deregulate everything.