Concealed Handgun Laws

The Star-Telegram had an editorial a couple of days ago that promoted a bogus argument for making public the names of those people who have been issued Concealed Handgun Licenses.

The editorial equates other state-issued licenses, e.g., for cosmotolgists, pharmacists, auctioneers, dental hygienists, etc., with the Concealed Handgun License. Apples and oranges. There is no reason to keep confidential (and every reason to make public) the licenses issued for commercial activities such as providing a service for a fee to the public.

Making public the names of those who have been issued a CHL, exposes their defense against crime. It would be like making public the defenses used by police and military personnel in their jobs. The less the enemy knows, the better.

It would also subject the license holders to possible discrimination in our society that has been conditioned over the last several decades to fear guns (and even distrust those who own guns).

I would prefer that people who have criminal intentions assume that every potential victim is carrying, and willing to use, a firearm in his own defense.