As we now know, on Monday, June 28, the United States Supreme Court held up that the Second Amendment guarantees Americans that their fundamental right to keep and bear arms cannot be infringed by state and local governments. 

Before this victory for the Second Amendment, Utah already had what might be called its own “cottage industry” in place regarding guns and licenses. It comes in the form of a concealed weapons license and its reciprocity with other states. A Reuters article of June 28 commented:

Spurred by fears that U.S. President Barack Obama will add gun control to his already crowded domestic agenda, denizens of the once-wild West and other Americans are snapping up firearm permits. Some 90 million people in the United States have an estimated 200 million guns.

Utah makes it easy, and thousands have enrolled in classes promoting its concealed weapons license to people from other states, many of whom have never been to Utah and never intend to go there.

Salmon, Idaho, resident Bruce Smith just took an Idaho-based Utah permit course that would let him carry in Idaho, Utah, and 31 other states. Course provider Ericsson Investigations on its Web site promises to teach laws, gun safety, and "the combat 'mind set."

"I'd hate to be without backup," Smith said. The course did not include shooting a gun but did show how to load one.

A five-year permit good in 33 states has flooded Utah with applications, with the number rising to 74,000 last year. The fee is $65.25. Applicants must also clear a background check, be 21, and take a course.

Unlike Texas and other “gun-friendly” states, Utah does not require permit classes to be based in Utah. The Reuters article continues: “Utah's licenses are valid in more states than most, too. Idaho permits are valid in only four other states — one eighth the number with which Utah has agreements,” and adds that, “Not all states are happy with Utah's plan. Western neighbors New Mexico and Nevada in recent months have revoked recognition of Utah's licenses because it doesn't oblige applicants to train with a handgun or even fire one.”

In states other than Utah, such as Colorado, Montana, Idaho. and Texas, concealed-carry permits are additionally in high demand.
 
America’s Founding Fathers could not forget the events of April 19, 1775, with the British marching to Lexington and Concord to look for gun and ammunition stores of the colonists, intending to remove them and leave the colonists defenseless. Second Amendment proponents assert that therefore, through the Constitution, the Founders intended U.S. citizens to always have the protection of law over their right “to keep and bear arms.” Citizens of the United States were not to be so threatened by their government again, and would not be if they had their own personal firearms. Another talking point has been that the Japanese, when asked after World War II why they did not attack the American continent directly, and specifically the West Coast, had to reply that they knew most every home had a gun in it, and such an attempt would be futile.  

In an apparent realistic spirit of such past and present times, the mayor of Salmon, Idaho, spoke for many. “Obama and all of them are just trying to take away our rights,” declared John Miller. “I believe in guns. Idaho, Montana, all the Wild West states — we're not giving up our guns."
 
Utah’s concealed gun permit has been a help towards many Americans similarly exercising those rights.    

Photo: Protesters from southern California join a rally for support of the Second Amendment during the "Restore the Constitution" rally at Fort Hunt Park in Alexandria, Va. on April 19: AP Images

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Bill Hahn said:

Worked for me... After taking a course that included classroom and range instruction, my Utah CC permit came within a number of weeks. While it\'s good in 33 states, my home state isn\'t one of them. Reminds me of the old John Candy movie when he states to one of his friends after unholstering a 50 caliber handgun, that it was legal to shoot in so many number of states, but the present state not being one of them. My hope is that once my home state passes concealed carry that reciprocity will kick in or that my training will be valid to meet requirements (even though the Constitution should be all I need!).

June 30, 2010 | url

Flu-Bird said:

Repeal all gun control laws Now that the high court has confirmed our right to keep and bear arms its for every single gun control law in this nation to be repealed starting with THE BRADY LAW the GUN CONTROL ACT OF 1968 and every state and city gun control laws and ordinances including with that jerk RICHARD DALEY of CHICAGO becuase he and his wealthy liberal snobs are not above the U.S. CONSTITUTION

June 30, 2010

Neil said:

Permits? Paperwork, fingerprints, photographs, fees, and background checks to allow people to carry a side-arm? What kind of nonsense is this? The right of self-defense is a corollary to the right to life; to deny one is to deny the other. The purpose of government is to insure our rights, not to infringe on them. The fact is that governments should not be involved in permitting the carriage of weapons, either openly or concealed, by anyone. Our constitution states that the right of the people to keep (possess) and bear (carry) arms shall not be infringed. Marbury v. Madison (1803) decided that the Constitution is the supreme law of the land, and that any law that contradicts the Constitution is null and void. "The general rule is that an unconstitutional statute, though having the form and the name of law, is in reality no law, but is wholly void and ineffective for any purpose since unconstitutionality dates from the time of its enactment and not merely from the date of the decision so branding it; an unconstitutional law, in legal contemplation, is as inoperative as if it had never been passed ... An unconstitutional law is void." (16 American Jurisprudence 2d, Sec. 17 In Murdock v. Pennsylvania (1943) the Supreme Court stated that a constitutionally-protected right may not be licensed, nor a fee charged. The Right to Keep and Bear Arms is one of those protected natural rights. In Shuttlesworth v. Birmingham, Alabama (1962) the Supreme Court decided that “If the state does convert a liberty into a privilege, the citizen can engage in the right with impunity.” (That means they can't punish you, folks!) To paraphrase an oft-quoted movie line, "Permits? We don' need no steenking permits!"

July 01, 2010

Samuel Madsen said:

... There is an error in the article regarding Idaho concealed weaponsn permits. While Idaho has formal reciprocal concealed carry permits with only four states, it's permits are recognized in at least 22 other states.

July 02, 2010

good said:

great Our constitution states that the right of the people to keep (possess) and bear (carry) arms shall not be infringed. Marbury v. Madison (1803) decided that the Constitution is the supreme law of the land, and that any law that contradicts the Constitution is null and void. "The general rule is that an unconstitutional statute, nfl jerseysthough having the form and the name of law, is in reality no law, but is wholly void and ineffective for any purpose since unconstitutionality dates from the time of its enactment and not merely from the date of the decision so branding it

July 16, 2010