Aiming to Conceal and Carry
By: Nick Lafave
Updated: February 26, 2013
Despite an unusually crisp 55 degrees, people donned extra layers for this sShreveport conceal carry class. Which is full. As is the next one. A second class this month added due to the demand. And they didn't even need to advertise.
Says class participant, Billie Cook, "Two instances where, randomly sitting at a red light, people - in Shreveport - pull a gun on me."
It is that concern over personal safety that's bringing people out.
While here, instructor Jim Dunn goes through gun safety, handling, the legalese of conceal-carry. Even what to wear while carrying. But his number one goal, is the also the most basic.
"Keep people from harming theirselves or someone else accidentally."
How well it's working, however, is open to question. Since the passage of Louisiana's conceal-carry law in 1996, the state has lead the nation in per-capita homicides ever single year. Per capita gun deaths - criminal or not - the state is consistently in the top five.
"When you have dangerous and stupid intersect, you have the opportunity for problems," says state representative Jeff Thompson who does not believe conceal-carry has any correlation to those statistics.
"What you can't do is prove a negative. How many instances were indicated when somebody who had a conceal-carry permit did prevent there from being another crime?"
In fact, the Benton republican is behind a move which may loosen restrictions on where people can bring concealed guns in Louisiana.
"I believe, as long as you are a law-abiding citizen and you safely carry a gun, that your rights under the 2nd amendment should not be infringed upon."
"Does that include churches?"
"I think so. That includes anywhere someone is going to come in and intend you harm."
Could that include parade routes? Currently, you cannot bring a gun to a Mardi Gras parade. At Shreveport celebrations, there were less than two dozen arrests this year. In New Orleans, there are hundreds every year. And that's a city which has one of the highest gun-death rates of anywhere in the world.
But that's also why Thompson says responsible people should be able to carry.
"It's in that exact circumstance, where i may be out with my family that I may need to protect myself, absolutely."
That's certainly Billie's thinking. The ability for a mother of two to have a gun on her... when she feels it necessary.
"Having it on me makes me feel that i can take control of the situation, if needed."
Representative Thompson has not said specifically if he will move to eliminate churches and parade routes as exemptions to conceal and carry laws. But, Arkansas recently did just that in regards to places of worship.
Says class participant, Billie Cook, "Two instances where, randomly sitting at a red light, people - in Shreveport - pull a gun on me."
It is that concern over personal safety that's bringing people out.
While here, instructor Jim Dunn goes through gun safety, handling, the legalese of conceal-carry. Even what to wear while carrying. But his number one goal, is the also the most basic.
"Keep people from harming theirselves or someone else accidentally."
How well it's working, however, is open to question. Since the passage of Louisiana's conceal-carry law in 1996, the state has lead the nation in per-capita homicides ever single year. Per capita gun deaths - criminal or not - the state is consistently in the top five.
"When you have dangerous and stupid intersect, you have the opportunity for problems," says state representative Jeff Thompson who does not believe conceal-carry has any correlation to those statistics.
"What you can't do is prove a negative. How many instances were indicated when somebody who had a conceal-carry permit did prevent there from being another crime?"
In fact, the Benton republican is behind a move which may loosen restrictions on where people can bring concealed guns in Louisiana.
"I believe, as long as you are a law-abiding citizen and you safely carry a gun, that your rights under the 2nd amendment should not be infringed upon."
"Does that include churches?"
"I think so. That includes anywhere someone is going to come in and intend you harm."
Could that include parade routes? Currently, you cannot bring a gun to a Mardi Gras parade. At Shreveport celebrations, there were less than two dozen arrests this year. In New Orleans, there are hundreds every year. And that's a city which has one of the highest gun-death rates of anywhere in the world.
But that's also why Thompson says responsible people should be able to carry.
"It's in that exact circumstance, where i may be out with my family that I may need to protect myself, absolutely."
That's certainly Billie's thinking. The ability for a mother of two to have a gun on her... when she feels it necessary.
"Having it on me makes me feel that i can take control of the situation, if needed."
Representative Thompson has not said specifically if he will move to eliminate churches and parade routes as exemptions to conceal and carry laws. But, Arkansas recently did just that in regards to places of worship.
