The Second Amendment guarantees a fundamental right to all law-abiding citizens — to defend ourselves and our families.
Last Friday, Donald Trump’s campaign released a policy paper declaring support for a nationwide right to carry concealed weapons.
While I support concealed carry nationwide, Trump’s policy is not concrete and has no chance of survival in the real world.
“The Second Amendment to our Constitution is clear,” Trump’s statement reads. “The right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed upon. Period.”
Despite good intentions, Trump’s position on guns is like everything else he’s proposed thus far — ill-conceived and politically impractical.
His policy argues against expansion of background checks for gun owners, outlines his opposition to gun and magazine bans and rejects the notion of criminal justice reforms.
He endorses a plan similar to Project Exile in Virginia, which imposes mandatory minimums on those who commit crimes with guns.
Trump’s plan encourages citizens to defend themselves but also “empowers” citizens to take the law into their own hands, rendering law enforcement meaningless.
Although law enforcement officers made the news lately, this does not give citizens the right to take the law into their own hands. Our country does not need citizens wearing capes and executing vigilante missions in their cities. Concealed carry was not intended for those purposes. It was intended to allow gun owners peace of mind and protection.
The right to bear arms is always a hot button issue, especially during election season. According to americangunfacts.com, guns are used 80 times more often to protect a life than to take one.
A concealed carrier himself, Trump supported extended waiting periods for the purchase of guns, as well as an expansion of background checks in the past. Like with many other issues, he recently changed his position, and he is now against the expansion of background checks.
He also proposes a revamping of America’s mental health system, but he fails to detail how exactly he will do it.
“Revamping the mental health system” could ensure guns don’t fall into the wrong hands, but without the expansion of background checks, this is nearly impossible.
Though his plan is to reduce crime and get violent criminals off the streets, his plan won’t work, according to a study conducted by a researcher at Texas A&M University. The study found there is no connection between allowing concealed weapons and crime rates.
A study from the Harvard Journal of Law and Public Policy confirms this, claiming banning weapons does not lead to a decrease in crime. Guns are only one of many deadly instruments, and murder will happen with or without restrictive gun laws.
To be clear, having a concealed carry permit proves a permit holder went through necessary education and training regarding firearms. Law-abiding citizens should be allowed to obtain a concealed carry permit for every state.
Trump does emphasize concealed carry would allow families to protect themselves in the face of danger, but his endorsement of everyday citizens who do not have proper training to execute the law is ludicrous. With the reputation law enforcement has at the moment, the last thing we need is citizens running around trying to fight crime themselves.
A word to Trump: Stick to what you know, and leave the law enforcement to those with training.
Mariah Manuel is a 22-year-old mass communication senior from Lake Charles, Louisiana. You can reach her on Twitter @mariah_manuel.