Gun Control, Alaska Style

I love Alaska! The concealed carry law is, get this, pack heat if you want to! Just keep it out of bars, government buildings, and any private establishment with posted "No Firearms" signs. That's right, in Alaska anyone of legal age to own a gun can carry it concealed on their person without restriction.

In Alaska people don't like gun control laws very much, but there is still a difference between the liberals and the conservatives on this point. The liberals carry .357's or smaller, and the conservatives carry .44's and bigger. Welcome to the Last Frontier!

There are those who would think that a bunch of unregulated people packing heat at random would encourage violent crime, but that is not so. Alaska has a very low rate of violent crime, an even lower instance of violent crime with guns, and is remarkably safe overall. There is one common thread to violent crime in Alaska though, whether it involves guns or not, and that is alcohol. Alcohol, far more than guns contributes to violent crime with and without guns in Alaska.

How can this be? Put simply, if you don't know who's packing then neither do the criminals. Who is a criminal more likely to victimize, someone who is almost assuredly not armed, or someone who may very well be armed? I submit that it is the former! that is why states that allow people to carry concealed weapons are safer than states that do not.

There is a fundamental problem with concealed carry laws. Criminals do not respect the law, therefore they do not respect concealed carry laws, gun control laws, or any other law designed to prevent criminal activity. We can only punish these vile people as severely as the Constitution allows for the health and safety of honest citezens. Honest citezens will obey laws that restrict their freedoms even if they disagree with them, criminals couldn't care less.

When any legislature is considering a law they should consider the effect it will have on decent, honest folk, as compared to how it will affect criminals. If it sounds like a good idea but, after careful analysis, seems to benefit crooks then it should be discarded. Most gun control laws do just this. I offer Alaska up as proof that allowing people to carry concealed weapons actually restricts volent crime. At the same time I do believe it is a very good idea that people who want to carry weapons should take a gun safety class that also teaches them what the laws surrounding weapons are in their area. I think hunter's safety courses save lives. It is responsible to teach people how to be responsible with their freedoms, but it is irresponsible to take those freedoms away in a futile attempt to stop crooks from being crooks.