Recently, the Violence Policy Center released a study providing some very frightening information about the negative impact of concealed handgun laws. Its findings should make every public official, candidate and citizen pause before supporting the National Rifle Association-sponsored concealed handgun policy in Illinois.
The VPC study cites Texas Department of Public Safety information that shows that since Texas passed its concealed handgun law in January 1996, handgun license-holders have been charged with nearly 1,000 crimes, including murder, kidnapping, sexual assault, family violence, impersonating a police officer and drug and weapon crimes at a rate of more than twice that of the state’s general population age 21 and over.
This study represents the only research available that actually examines the behavior of handgun license-holders. Other studies argue that concealed handgun laws reduce crime–without looking at the people carrying the guns and without analyzing many of the factors that cause violence. Conversely, the VPC study indicates that too many concealed handgun license-holders commit crimes. In addition, according to Texas Department of Public Safety records, little evidence exists to support the notion that concealed handgun license-holders prevent crime at all.
The dangers of a concealed handgun law and its financial and human costs were illus-trated recently when Texas courts sentenced concealed handgun license-holder Daniel Meehan to 99 years in prison for the shooting death of his roommate. She was murdered last year when Meehan shot her in the back with a 9 mm handgun.
If our legislators vote to allow people to carry concealed handguns in public, our worst fears will become a reality.
