Why we should be able to carry guns in New Jersey (Opinion)

The Supreme Court said in June that Americans have a right to carry firearms in public for self-defense, striking down a New York gun law. The decision came out as Congress and states debated gun-control legislation. So in reaction to that, the New Jersey Assembly passed legislation that makes it even tougher for legal gun owners to carry a firearm.

According to Michael Symons' article on nj1015.com, "The bill requires more comprehensive background checks, requires people to go through training and buy liability insurance, raises costs for permits, and prohibits permit holders from carrying guns in many areas deemed sensitive". Among them are places of worship, where some have come under attack.

If someone were to pull a gun in a church or synagogue, would you feel safer if there were a responsible gun owner in the room? If someone were to pull a gun, would they think twice if they saw that someone in the room already had one and they looked like they knew what they were doing?

Does the New Jersey government know more than the Supreme Court or the founding fathers?

I'm not a gun enthusiast. I'm not into guns nor have I ever owned one unless you count my toys as a child. But I am into common sense. It seems logical to me that if the only guy in the room with a gun were the bad guy, you would want to even the odds.

Now I could see where some people would be afraid of walking into a room and seeing multiple people carrying guns. You would get used to it. Keep in mind that they are responsible gun owners as opposed to the person who is carrying one illegally that you may not know about. I think it would be good for that person to see all those responsible guns in the room, lest they think about trying anything.

We also live in a society where laws make it harder for police to protect us and criminals get off easier than ever before. If the politicians really want to take away the guns, how about they start with their own security details? But they would never do that, nor should they, nor should they take them away from the people.

If the state Assembly has its way, guns in New Jersey will become like the smoking laws. you can smoke anywhere you want to expect everywhere.

I polled my New Jersey 101.5 and Twitter followers:

Opinions expressed in the post above are those of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Steve Trevelise only. Follow him on Twitter @realstevetrev.