More than 500 D.C. residents have applied for a concealed carry permit since the District of Columbia's strict gun law was overturned.
For years, Washington, D.C. had a complete ban on citizens carrying firearms in public for self-defense. Known as a "no-issue" concealed carry policy, the city only issued permits to law enforcement and other government employees. The city argued that because it housed so many sensitive government buildings, the 2nd Amendment's right to bear arms shouldn't apply. Well, not surprisingly, that policy was challenged in 2014 and overturned. The United States District Court for the District of Columbia ruled that it was unconstitutional for the city to simply reject all non-government concealed carry permit applications. The District then shifted to what is known as a "may issue" concealed carry policy. Like the name suggests, this meant that if you applied for a permit, the city might approve your application. Applicants were required to show a "good" and "proper" reason to need to carry a firearm in public for self defense. That standard was next to impossible to meet and no non-governmental permits were ever approved.
Well, that policy was also challenged and this October, the Appeals Court smacked the city's statute down again, forcing Washington, D.C. to adopt a "shall issue" policy. That means that today, anyone who passes the tests and criminal background checks must have their applications approved.
For the first time, the Metro Police are not allowed to arbitrarily deny permit applications. The result has been absolutely astonishing. Since each concealed carry permit must accompany a background check, the FBI's monthly statistics actually reveal how many Washingtonians are applying to carry firearms in public.
In September, the month before D.C.'s concealed carry ban was overturned, the FBI performed just one background check for a D.C. resident trying to get a carry permit. In October, the same month as the court ruling, that number jumped to 217 permit application background checks.
Now, the FBI has released its November numbers and they are even higher. More than 273 D.C. residents applied for a District license to carry in November.
These are individuals who passed all of the tests and want to protect themselves and their families, but were prohibited from doing so under the previous law.
The D.C. Attorney General had the option to appeal the District and Appeals Court rulings to the Supreme Court, but chose not to do so. AG Karl A. Racine didn't want to risk being responsible for setting nationwide precedent and overturning other restrictive concealed carry laws in states like Maryland or California.
Months after the District and Appeals rulings, the D.C. City Council has still not passed legislation to update the city's statute. Instead, they are simply ignoring the previous statute's good and proper reason requirement. Eventually, the Council will have to amend the law to deal with issues like non-resident permits and reciprocity agreements to honor other states' permits, otherwise they are sure to face additional lawsuits.
What do you think? Is it a good idea for Washington, D.C. to let residents legally carry firearms in public? Let us know what you think in the comment section below!
