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John,
Florida is now the 26th state in the nation to allow the concealed carry of a loaded gun without a permit. This trend has taken off in recent years, as all but 5 of these states have enacted these weakened protections in the last seven years.
What are they thinking?
No permits means no background checks, no safety training, and more deadly weapons in the hands of untrained individuals. We now have before-and-after data for these states with recent permitless carry laws, which reveal alarming trends: a 35% increase in handgun thefts; a 29% increase in firearm-related violent crimes, a 22% increase in firearm homicides, and a 29% increase in workplace homicides.
The evidence is clear: Weakening the requirements for carrying a concealed weapon results in increases in violent crime.
If it takes a permit and training to drive a car, it should take a permit and training to to carry a gun. Sign the petition to stop the permitless carry of concealed weapons now!
Permitless carry also increases the likelihood that a dispute will escalate into a shooting. The 5 states with the highest incidents of road rage shootings have permitless carry, whereas 2 of the 3 states with the fewest road rage shootings have strong concealed weapon permit laws.
Law enforcement officer organizations across the country oppose permitless carry laws, citing a 13% increase in officer-involved shootings, and a 13% decline in the rate of clearing violent crimes, in states that changed to permitless carry.
Most U.S. voters, including the majority of gun owners, support background checks and safety training as requirements for gun ownership. According to separate studies by Marquette Law School (2022) and Johns Hopkins (2017), 81-83% of Americans oppose permitless carry, and not just in blue states: it’s opposed by 59% of Tennesseans, 67% of Iowans, and a majority of Texans.
This dangerous experiment in permitless carry has gone on too long. It is time to roll back the weakened provisions and strengthen sensible gun safety laws. Please add your voice by signing the petition now.
Thank you for doing your part to roll back the senseless violence and to restore a basic level of competence and accountability for gun ownership in America.
- Amanda
Amanda Ford, Director
Democracy for America
Advocacy Fund
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