The city of Lowell, Mass. has a new gun law taking effect this week. The new ordinance will require applicants for a concealed carry permit to provide a written explanation as to why they need one, as well as submit to $1,100 worth of gun safety training. Unsurprisingly, gun enthusiasts are up in arms (sorry) about this law.
According to Law Newz, these gun advocates are calling the written requirement an “essay.” The funny thing is that the ordinance came out of a lawsuit filed by the pro-gun Commonwealth Second Amendment, accusing Lowell of routinely denying permits to qualified applicants for no reason.
Some aren’t happy about this attempt to appease those who want concealed carry permits. “It is absurd that people should have to write an essay to the town to explain why they should be able to exercise their constitutional rights,” says Jim Wallace, of the Gun Owners Action League of Massachusetts. The Lowell police captain, however, says that the law isn’t unreasonable to most people: “If you want a license to carry a firearm unrestricted wherever you want and whenever you want, the superintendent is just looking for some documentation as to why.”
It seems that a measure like that could be a good thing, as would be all the required safety training. Both sides can agree that safety is what everyone wants.
(via Law Newz)