Concealed Firearms in the United States

In the United States, gun control has been a topic for debate amongst its citizens and
through each state, with many views and parties calling for various different things. As with
other gun-related topics, concealed carry and open carry became one of these subtopics that
Americans are unable to agree on. Gun Control has become a topic, discussed in almost every
podcast, debate, and political party, in response to the result of modern massacres that had
occurred all over the world. Yet, contrary to the lives taken away from murders with firearms,
what is to say about the lives saved by heroes with their firearms. These normal citizens have
used their firearms as a means of protection, only in face of adversary, to protect their family and
community and justify their participation in the concealment and open carry of firearms.
In the current status of society, carrying concealed weapons may seem to be controversial
and dangerous. With school shootings and other recent tragedies, it is understandable for an
argument to be made against the concealment and open carry of firearms due to the unhappiness
and concern it may bring. However, limiting or banning the concealment and open carry of
handguns or other firearms, prevents the American people from protecting their community.
With the current background checks and training classes that are currently installed for
precaution, there is a chance, in a moment of crisis, for an armed civilian to become a hero. In
his paper, ”​Letting Teachers Pack Guns will make America’s School Safer​” Lott argues that
citizens have the right to protect themselves. While the current status of open and concealed
carry may lead to many unhappy protestors and rallies. However, there are numerous cases of
concealed carry saving precious lives and stopping future incidents. If one open carrier has the
potential power to stop a murderer then the happiness of the survivors and others should weigh
more than a protestor.
In the United State’s, violence is increasing day by day and many horrible crimes occur
daily. An increase in citizens that conceal carry can not only save lives but also deter future
incidents with proper training. In an article published by the National Shooting Sports
Foundation, ​Guns Sales Up, Crime Rates Down,​ research and data shows the number of guns to
the market had almost doubled from seventy five million in 2014 to over one hundred forty
million guns. Additionally, the same article correlates the increasing number of firearms with the
decreasing total amount of crime within the United States. Forty three percent decrease in
homicide since the mid nineteen nineties and seventy percent decrease of other crime (NSSF).
Everybody wants to feel safe, whether they are in a public place or at home. When an
intruder enters an apartment unknowingly or even during a store robbery, these situations occur
and more people happen to be defenseless themselves. Released by the FBI, there have been
reported 4,251 robberies, burglaries, and larcenies total in the United States. These numbers are
staggering, considering terms of quantity. Citizens deserve to feel safe and not necessary rely on
the police or other law enforcement agencies. ​This article written by John Boch of ​Concealed
Nation ​illustrates when open carry can prevent crime, and for this case specifically Mr. Clinton,
preventing an armed robbery with his own firearm:
“Police say that at about 6:36pm on Sunday, a 47-year-old concealed carry licensee and
his girlfriend observed Cintron robbing a 29-year-old woman with an H&R 9-shot rim
fire revolver. Right away, the CCW holder drew his own firearm and challenged the
robber. At first, Cintron tried to bluff the good Samaritan into backing off. Soon though,
he wisely surrendered to the bigger gun and the very determined man behind it.”
For Clinton’s case, he legally owned his permit and firearm and contributed to the safety and
protection of his community. Some may argue Clinton’s action could have jeopardized the
victims safety and wellbeing, as she could have been held hostage or another similar situation,
and should have been dealt with by the police. However, in other situations, the robber could
have been mentally unstable or increasingly annoyed, so seconds become precious, and the
police may arrive at a murder scene.
For the victim especially, she became prey to a man, who could have easily taken
advantage of her, as she had little to no way of protecting herself. Although the community
praised Mr. Clinton for his deed, others will continue to argue for the complete ban of firearms in
society. Although there is a definite possibility that society without guns or firearms would be
better, what is to say about those unable to protect themselves. They would unable to protect
themselves. Furthermore, limiting the purchase and ownership of firearms would allow for
stronger individuals to harm the weak and innocent. John Stuart Mill, philosopher and Author of
Utilitarianism​, is a strong advocate for social equality, “The creed . . . holds that actions are right
in proportion as they tend to promote happiness, wrong as they tend to produce the reverse of
happiness. By happiness is intended pleasure, and the absence of pain; by unhappiness, pain, and
the privation of pleasure” (Chp. 2). Such an imbalance in society, between the weak and strong,
with the ban of concealed and open carry would empower the strong while simultaneously
undermining the innocent.
Additionally, there are a greater number of concealed and open carry users then there are
criminals. Ideally, citizens have the right to bear arms, for it is their Second Amendment,
however, controlling the people’s accessibility to own firearms would be a liberty taken from the
majority of law-abiding people, who are nonviolent. In Mill's, “Greatest Happiness Principle,”
he says, “For that standard is not the agent's own greatest happiness, but the greatest amount of
happiness altogether” (Chp. 2). While this principle works with many other topics, it especially
works in favor of the gun control case, as limiting one's rights seriously hurts and punishes the
good. While on the flipside, limiting the Second Amendment creates unhappiness as over
one-third of American households own guns (NSSF). I would think, such limitations would not
just create a huge shift in terms of political leverage, but also split the country in the worst
possible way.
Although many Americans feel the need to protect themselves, their family, and their
community, parts of society has condemned the need to conceal and open carry firearms in
public. As most think limiting gun control with new regulations and laws would create an ideal
world of paramount safety, the total opposite would occur. Natural rights would be disregarded,
criminals would be able to overpower the weak without struggle, and a part of society would be
angry. Thus, creating an unhappy society, where the strong triumph and rights are limited.
Concealed and open carry gives the American people a sense of duty to not only themselves and
their family, but also to their community and express their natural rights.

Works Cited
“Bank Crime Statistics 2016.” FBI, FBI, 5 July 2017. www.fbi.gov. Accessed 21 Oct. 2018

Boch, John. “​Armed Robbery Interrupted By Armed Citizen.​” ​Concealed Nation​, 2018,

concealednation.org. Accessed 21 Oct. 2018

Keane, Larry. “​Concealed Carry Permit Holders Are Making America Safer and Citizens More

Self-Reliant.​” ​NSSF,​ 8 Aug. 2017, www.nssf.org. Accessed 21 Oct. 2018

Lott , John R. “​Letting Teachers Pack Guns Will Make America's Schools Safer.”​ ​Los Angeles

Times​, Los Angeles Times, 13 July 2003. Accessed 21 Oct. 2018

Mill, John Stuart. ​UTILITARIANISM​. ROUTLEDGE, 2016.