How the Presidential Candidates rate on gun rights

It can be difficult to determine where your favorite Presidential Candidate stands on the Second Amendment if you only listen to their standard talking points. As a result it is helpful to look at their ratings from the gun rights organizations that you trust. Unfortunately the NRA does not rate candidates specifically for the primary, so you have to do some digging through the NRA PVF Archive to find NRA ratings from past elections. For your convenience, I've done the digging for you, and below is what I found for the current top contenders along with the date that the NRA rated them.

NRA PVF Ratings:

• A+ Rick Perry (2010 election for Texas Governor)


• A+ Rick Santorum (2006 election for Pennsylvania US Senate)


• A- Ron Paul (2010 election for US House of Representatives)


• B Mitt Romney (2002 election for Massachusetts Governor - prior to signing 2004 legislation)


• Newt Gingrich - I can't find the ratings on Gingrich since the archive only goes back to 2002 and he last ran for office in 1998 but rest assured that Newt Gingrich is a big government progressive with plenty of Gun Rights issues to be concerned about.

Be aware that there are significant concerns with anti-gun legislation that Rick Santorum has voted for in the late 1990's. There are also concerns about legislation Romney signed in 2004 when he was Governor in Massachusetts. Kurt Hofmann has gathered together the details on past gun rights concerns with Santorum and Romney. I have sent questionnaires to the press e-mail of both Santorum and Romney to ask them detailed questions on their current position on critical gun rights issues - if I get responses from either I will post them on this blog.

Unlike the NRA which rates incumbant candidates based on a mathematical grade scale measurment of specific gun rights votes and actions, the GOA rates candidates on a subjective gut feeling of the GOA President, so I recommend considering the GOA ratings as the subjective opinion of a single gun rights activist. However, here are the GOA 2012 Presidential Primary candidate ratings which includes some details on why the GOA rated some of them the way they did.

Update 1: Clarification from the NRA on the 2004 Legislation Mitt Romney Signed

John R Lott Jr on HR 822

John R. Lott Jr posted a great article about HR 822 titled "What's Wrong With Making It Easier to Carry a Gun Across State Lines?"

Take a look at HR 822, it is straight forward, essentially similar to existing Federal law that tells States that they must recognize drivers licenses issued by other States. HR 822 tells States that if they issue concealed carry permits, they must recognize concealed carry permits issued by other States. It is only a few paragraphs long, and is so simple that even my 5th grader understandood it. Really. I had him read it and explain it to verify my theory.

Phoenix Steps on the 1st Amendment to Attack the 2nd

The city of Phoenix, in an effort to attack local businesses who were advertising their gun safety training classes through an advertising campaign led by TrainMeAZ.com, stepped on the 1st Amendment right to free speech by censoring paid advertising which did nothing other than promote gun safety training. What exactly does Mayor Phil Gordon and the Phoenix City Council have against gun safety programs? Does the Mayor really want everyone to be as incompetent and unsafe around guns as he appears to want to be? It is clearly his right to choose not to learn about gun safety, but it is not his right to prohibit free speech that does nothing other than promote gun safety programs for everyone else.

Update 1: Latest news from Jeff Knox.

Alan Korwin: Gun Limits Lifted

As you are no doubt aware, Americans in Arizona are now enjoing expanded freedoms due to the fact that additional unconstitutional infringements of our right to bear arms were removed a week ago on July 29th when a number of new laws went into effect. Alan Korwin wrote an excellent article in celebration of our expanded freedoms, definitely worth reading.

AZCDL PAC Candidate Endorsements

The AZCDL PAC has info on Arizona 2010 Political Candidates, which is also available in pdf format. We must only support and vote for candidates who have an A or better if we want to continue along our current path of restoring freedoms! Also be sure to check out gunvoter.org and the NRA PVF for candidate info nationwide.

The NRA Responds to Chicago's New De-facto Gun Ban

From the NRA-ILA:

Fairfax, Va. -- The National Rifle Association is supporting a lawsuit against Mayor Richard Daley and the City of Chicago's newly adopted gun control ordinance, which violates the U.S. Supreme Court's recent ruling in McDonald v. City of Chicago. Last Friday, the City Council rushed through passage of this ordinance in response to the Court's June 28th decision rendering Chicago’s draconian handgun ban unconstitutional.

“The Supreme Court has now said the Second Amendment is an individual freedom for all. And that must have meaning,” said Wayne LaPierre, executive vice president of the National Rifle Association. “This decision cannot lead to different measures of freedom, depending on what part of the country you live in. City by city, person by person, this decision must be more than a philosophical victory. An individual right is no right at all if individuals can’t access it.”

Just four days after the Court struck down the nearly 30 year-long handgun bans in Chicago and Oak Park, Mayor Daley and the City of Chicago enacted the most restrictive anti-gun ordinance in the United States. In the words of Corporation Counsel Mara Georges, the top attorney for the City: “We've gone farther than anyone else ever has.” The so-called “Responsible Gun Ownership Ordinance” provisions include: a prohibition on all gun sales inside the City; a prohibition on possession of firearms for self-defense outside the “home” -- even on a patio or in an attached garage; a prohibition on more than one assembled and operable firearm in the home; and a training requirement to obtain a Chicago Firearm Permit. However, range training would be impossible since it will now be unlawful to operate a shooting range inside city limits.

“The Supreme Court told Mayor Daley and the City of Chicago that it has to respect the Second Amendment. By enacting this ordinance, their response is 'Make Us',” said Chris W. Cox, NRA chief lobbyist. “The NRA will not rest until Chicago's law-abiding residents can exercise the same freedoms that our Founding Fathers intended all Americans to have.”

Recent statements from some of Chicago's city officials reflect their complete lack of respect for the Supreme Court decision. Alderman Daniel Solis stated, “the decision made by the Supreme Court is not really in the best interests of our citizens.” Alderman Sharon Denise Dixon denounced what she called the Court’s “blatant… misreading of the law.” And another city council member even went so far as to say, “[w]e’re here today because of their poor judgment."

The case is Benson v. City of Chicago.

-- NRA - ILA --

Established in 1871, the National Rifle Association is America’s oldest civil rights and sportsmen's group. Four million members strong, NRA continues its mission to uphold Second Amendment rights and to advocate enforcement of existing laws against violent offenders to reduce crime. The Association remains the nation's leader in firearm education and training for law-abiding gun owners, law enforcement and the military.

2nd Amendment Incorporated!

Good news for gun rights - the Supreme Court ruled today that the Second Amendment has been incorporated to apply to State & Local governments. As a result, the Chicago Gun Ban and all similar gun bans are unconstitutional. This is good news for all freedom loving Americans everywhere. This is only the beginning, but it is an excellent start!

PDF of today's ruling is available here: McDonald v. City of Chicago

John Stossel: Your Gun Rights

John Stossel segment on your right to keep and bear arms.

Part 2: Students for Concealed Carry on Campus
Part 3: More Guns, Less Crime
Part 4: Does Gun Control work?
Part 5: Concealed Carry Reduces Crime

AZCDL Tools

The Arizona Citizens Defense League has an Educational Tools page with many helpful items available for download. One example is a thank-you card that you can hand out to businesses that do not ban weapons, as well as a card (front, back) that you can hand out to businesses that currently do ban weapons to let them know that they have lost your business until the sign is removed. There are many other helpful items available as well, go check them out.

More Guns equals Less Crime.

Gun purchases are up, crime is down, just as we would expect from the research John R. Lott Jr shared in his book: More Guns, Less Crime. Good news for Americans. Bad News for the anti-gun Violence Policy Center.

NSSF Response to Mexican President's Call to Ban the Modern Sporting Rifle

The NSSF has responded to Calderon's Call to Ban the modern sporting rifle:

NEWTOWN, Conn -- Following calls by Mexican President Felipe Calderon that the United States re-institute a ban on modern sporting rifles, or so-called "assault weapons," the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) -- the trade association for America's firearms industry -- issued the following statement:

"While we respect the work of President Calderon to willingly take on his country's powerful drug cartels, we are disappointed that he, in the name of security, would urge our Congress to reinstitute a failed ban on so-called 'assault weapons.'

"Let's be clear, semi-automatic rifles, demonized as so-called 'assault weapons,' are not machine guns but modern sporting rifles that are used every day by law-abiding Americans for the shooting sports, hunting and home protection. Since 2004, when the Clinton/Gore 'assault weapons' ban expired, modern sporting rifles have fast become one of the most popular types of firearms for law-abiding Americans to purchase.

"Firearms that Congress would label "assault weapons' are functionally no different than any other semi-automatic civilian sporting firearm. They shoot only one shot per trigger pull, no spray firing as some allege, and use the same ammunition as other guns of the same caliber. What differentiates modern sporting rifles from other guns is cosmetic; for example, the type of stock on the firearm.

"According to the Department of Justice, so-called "assault weapons" are rarely used in crimes (less than 2 percent). Furthermore, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has established that banning firearms and ammunition have no effect on crime levels.

"Some 29,000 firearms were recovered in Mexico in 2008, of which approximately 5,000 were traced to U.S. sources. That means more than 80 percent of the firearms recovered in Mexico were not traced to the United States. Furthermore, according to the ATF, those firearms traced were originally sold at retail not recently, but on average 14 years earlier. This is completely inconsistent with any notion that a flood of newly purchased firearms are being illegally smuggled over the border into Mexico. And let's not forget, no retail firearms sale can be made in the U.S. until after a criminal background check on the purchaser has been completed.

"In recent years as many as 150,000 Mexican soldiers, 17,000 last year alone, defected to go work for the drug cartels - bringing their American-made service-issued firearms with them. It has also been well documented that the drug cartels are illegally smuggling fully automatic firearms, grenades and other weapons into Mexico from South and Central America. Such items are not being purchased at retail firearms stores in the United States.

"Even more, investigations and regulatory compliance inspections by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) into firearms trafficking along the Southwest border have confirmed that firearms retailers are law-abiding businessmen and women who are playing a key role in detecting and deterring illegal purchases of firearms. As part of a Project Gun Runner Impact Team firearms trafficking operation, more than 1100 firearms retailers were inspected by ATF. Of these inspections only one retailer license was revoked. One.

"Members of the firearms industry take seriously the criminal acquisition and misuse of their products. This is why our industry supports the Southwest Border Violence Reduction Act of 2009, sponsored by Sen. Bingaman (D-NM) and Rep. Ciro Rodriguez (D-TX), and will continue to work cooperatively with law enforcement. For nearly a decade our industry has partnered with the ATF in a national campaign called Don't Lie for the Other Guy that makes the public aware that it is a serious crime to illegally straw purchase a firearm. The program also helps ATF to educate firearms retailers to be better able to detect and prevent illegal straw purchases. It is our hope that Don't Lie will once again receive grant funding from the Department of Justice – a move that would allow NSSF and ATF to further expand this worthwhile program. For the last year, Don't Lie has been financed entirely by members of the firearms industry.

"Again, we applaud President Calderon for taking steps to stop the cartels when past Mexican administrations paid only lip service and allowed rampant corruption to fester. Still, it is wrong for anyone to blame the Second Amendment and America's firearms industry for the problems Mexico is currently facing.

"Sacrificing the constitutional rights of law-abiding Americans will not make Mexico safer – especially when the sacrifice is rooted in unfounded allegations and hyperbole. President Calderon would be doing both his country and ours a favor if instead of pushing for already failed crime-control measures, he used his time in the United States to call for proven methods to combat criminal acts, such as putting more cops on the street and more prosecutors in the court rooms.".

AZ: Firearms Freedom Act Signed into Law

HB 2307, Arizona's version of the Firearms Freedom Act was signed into law today by Governor Brewer. This is good news for Arizonans, as we join 5 other States who have already passed similar bills, and roughly two dozen other States who are currently considering them. It's a great way for Arizona to tell the Feds that they need to stay within the bounds of the US Constitution and leave our State alone. The Federal Government has gone way beyond the original intent of the Commerce Clause of the Constitution and has been treading we the People under their muddy boots. It is time for us to bring a well overdue end to their arrogance.

HB 2543, State Firearms Preemption, was also signed into law by Governor Brewer.

An excerpt of the new Arizona State Firearms Preemption law is below:

"A. Except as provided in subsection D of this section, a political subdivision of this state shall not enact any ordinance, rule or tax relating to the transportation, possession, carrying, sale, transfer, PURCHASE, ACQUISITION, GIFT, DEVISE, STORAGE, LICENSING, REGISTRATION, DISCHARGE or use of firearms or ammunition or any firearm or ammunition components OR RELATED ACCESSORIES in this state."

AZ Constitutional Carry Scheduled for Senate Debate

SB 1102, the Senate version of Constitutional Carry, is scheduled to be debated on the Senate Floor tomorrow. Now would be a great time to contact your Senator to voice your support. More from AZCDL:

Your immediate action is needed to support SB 1102, the AzCDL-requested Senate version of Constitutional Carry that eliminates the prohibition and penalties for law-abiding adults who carry a concealed weapon without a permit.

A short while ago, the Senate placed SB 1102 on their Committee of the Whole (COW) agenda on Thursday, February 18, 2010. It is critical that you immediately contact your Senator and urge them to support SB 1102 during the COW debate. A letter is waiting to be sent by you at AzCDL’s Action Center:
http://capwiz.com/azcdl/issues/alert/?alertid=14697526 .

If you care about restoring the right of law-abiding citizens to carry open or concealed, on their person or in their vehicle, without asking permission from the government, then contact your Senator right away!
http://capwiz.com/azcdl/issues/alert/?alertid=14697526 .

Also in the Senate COW on Thursday is SB 1153, which establishes that state law preempts local rules and ordinances concerning the regulation of knives and knife making components. We have also set up a letter on SB 1153 at our Action Center:
http://capwiz.com/azcdl/issues/alert/?alertid=14697756 .

Stay tuned! When critical legislation moves, we will notify you via these Alerts.

If you want to get legislative news as it happens, follow AzCDL on Twitter: http://twitter.com/AzCDL_Alerts .
AzCDL “tweets” from the Capitol with committee votes and breaking news as it happens.

You can also follow AzCDL on Facebook: http://tinyurl.com/FacebookAzCDL .

AzCDL’s Political Action Committee (PAC) is also on Facebook: http://tinyurl.com/FacebookAzCDLPAC .

These alerts are a project of the Arizona Citizens Defense League (AzCDL), an all volunteer, non-profit, non-partisan grassroots organization. Renew your membership today! http://www.azcdl.org/html/join_us_.html .

AzCDL – Protecting Your Freedom
http://www.azcdl.org/html/accomplishments.html .

Copyright © 2010 Arizona Citizens Defense League, Inc., all rights reserved.

National Park Gun Ban Ending Soon

The existing weapons ban at our National Parks is ending next week on Monday February 22nd. Are any of you planning to visit a National Park next week? If so, you'll finally be free to defend yourself from two and four legged animals. When seconds count, a Park Ranger may be hours away if you're lucky enough to even have cell phone service. Your handgun or rifle on the other hand will be right at your side, ready to be a useful tool in defense of you & your family.

AZCDL Legislative Update

From AZCDL:

Three pro-rights bills are being debated in their respective Committee of the Whole (COW) [today], Thursday, February 11, 2010. We apologize for the last minute notice.

Please visit our Action Center to send a message of support for these bills to your Representatives and Senator. Use the prepared text or create your own message: http://capwiz.com/azcdl/issues/?style=D .

HB 2307, the House version of the “Firearms Freedom Act,” will be debated in the House COW.

SB 1021, which incorporates defensive display language into the statutes regarding the justification of deadly force, will be debated in the Senate COW.

SB 1172, which expands the list of qualified Arizona Gun Safety Program course instructors, will be debated in the Senate COW.

More information on these bills can be found here: http://capwiz.com/azcdl/issues/bills/ .

In other news, SB 1168 will be heard in the Senate Judiciary Committee on Monday, February 15, 2010. A separate Alert is being drafted for contacting the committee members. SB 1168 strengthens state firearms preemption laws, adds firearms storage and accessories to the list of things political subdivisions cannot regulate, and removes the prohibition on carrying a firearm in public parks without a CCW permit.

Stay tuned! When critical legislation moves, we will notify you via these Alerts.

If you want to get legislative news as it happens, follow AzCDL on Twitter: http://twitter.com/AzCDL_Alerts .
AzCDL “tweets” from the Capitol with committee votes and breaking news as it happens.

You can also follow AzCDL on Facebook: http://tinyurl.com/FacebookAzCDL .

AzCDL’s Political Action Committee (PAC) is also on Facebook: http://tinyurl.com/FacebookAzCDLPAC .

These alerts are a project of the Arizona Citizens Defense League (AzCDL), an all volunteer, non-profit, non-partisan grassroots organization. Join today! http://www.azcdl.org/html/join_us_.html

AzCDL – Protecting Your Freedom
http://www.azcdl.org/html/accomplishments.html

Copyright © 2010 Arizona Citizens Defense League, Inc., all rights reserved.

AZCDL Legislative Update

Update from Arizona Citizens Defense League:

Thanks to the hundreds of you generating almost 4,000 emails to committee members, we made great progress this week!

The companion AzCDL-requested Constitutional Carry bills, SB 1102 and HB 2347, were both voted out of their respective committees. The SB 1102 vote was 4-3 in the Senate Judiciary Committee and the HB 2347 vote was 5-2, with one member not voting, in the House Military Affairs and Public Safety Committee.

Both Constitutional Carry bills have been amended in almost identical fashion. The primary Constitutional Carry language remains intact! The biggest change was in the CCW training requirements. SB 1102 and HB 2347 originally proposed eliminating the CCW permit training altogether. The strong resistance to this was not unexpected. AzCDL-suggested language was added that improves, but no longer eliminates, the existing statutory CCW permit training requirements. This resulted in reduced opposition. Other changes to the Constitutional Carry bills include:

- Correcting the language regarding the sale (versus destruction) of confiscated weapons.
- Requiring CCW permit holders to have their permit, when required, and available to law enforcement.
- Preventing law enforcement from confiscating a weapon lawfully possessed by a permit holder.
- Other technical corrections.

As a result of AzCDL’s representatives addressing the concerns of “stakeholders” of SB 1102 and HB 2347, some of the law enforcement unions have changed their position to “neutral” (from “opposed”). This is critical to successful passage. And, the NRA has registered support for Constitutional Carry with their representative testifying during the HB 2347 hearings. We hope to see even more support from the NRA on these bills.

The next step for SB 1102 and HB 2347, as with all bills passing out of committee, is a review in the Rules Committee in their respective chambers before being scheduled for debate and vote on the Senate and House floors.

Constitutional Carry was not the only pro-rights issue being addressed this week.

SB 1011, authorizing college and university faculty members, with CCW permits, to possess a concealed firearm on campus, was heard in the Senate Public Safety and Human Services Committee on Wednesday, February 3, 2010, but after discussion was “held” without a vote.

SB 1015, clarifying the "no firearms" signage requirements for restaurants, is also being held. An agreement was reached with the stakeholders (i.e., Liquor Lobby), to clarify the posting requirements via a change in the liquor laws. Senator Barbara Leff, chair of the Senate Commerce and Economic Development Committee (where SB 1015 is assigned) is closely monitoring the situation.

SB 1098, the "Firearms Freedom Act," was heard in the Senate Judiciary Committee on Monday, February 1, 2009. It passed out of committee by a party line vote of 4-3. The House version of SB 1098 (HB 2307) passed out of the House Judiciary Committee on January 28, 2010.

It looks like next week will be relatively quiet. Most key firearms related bills have been voted favorably out of their assigned committees and appear to be moving along nicely.

Stay tuned! When critical legislation moves, we will notify you via these Alerts.

If you want to get legislative news as it happens, follow AzCDL on Twitter: http://twitter.com/AzCDL_Alerts .
AzCDL “tweets” from the Capitol with committee votes and breaking news as it happens.

You can also follow AzCDL on Facebook: http://tinyurl.com/FacebookAzCDL .

AzCDL’s Political Action Committee (PAC) is also on Facebook: http://tinyurl.com/FacebookAzCDLPAC .

These alerts are a project of the Arizona Citizens Defense League (AzCDL), an all volunteer, non-profit, non-partisan grassroots organization. Renew your membership today! http://www.azcdl.org/html/join_us_.html

AzCDL – Protecting Your Freedom
http://www.azcdl.org/html/accomplishments.html

Copyright © 2010 Arizona Citizens Defense League, Inc., all rights reserved.

AZ:Committee Hearings This Week!

A bunch of pro gun bills will be heard at hearings this week. Be sure to contact your Representatives with your thoughts and submit your comments to the Arizona Request to Speak System for the hearings. If you are not yet registered for the Arizona Request to Speak System you can do so at any kiosk at the AZ House or Senate building (1700 W Washington, Phoenix, AZ 85007).

If you are unable to attend the hearing in person, you can watch online via either live or archived video streaming.

More on the upcoming hearings from AZCDL:

Four pro-rights bills are scheduled for committee hearings next week.

SB 1098, the "Firearms Freedom Act," will be heard in the Senate Judiciary Committee on Monday, February 1, 2009.

SB 1102, the AzCDL-requested "Constitutional Carry" bill, will also be heard in the Senate Judiciary Committee on Monday.

HB 2347, the House version of SB 1102 (Constitutional Carry), will be heard in the House Military Affairs and Public Safety Committee on Wednesday, February 3, 2010.

SB 1011, authorizing college and university faculty members, with CCW permits, to possess a concealed firearm on campus, will be heard in the Senate Public Safety and Human Services Committee on Wednesday, February 3, 2010.

We urge you to contact the committee members on these bills and WE’VE MADE IT EASIER FOR YOU!

AzCDL has added a Legislative Action Center to improve YOUR ability to contact Arizona legislators and share your opinion at http://capwiz.com/azcdl/home/ . This is the same interface used by Gun Owners of America and many other successful organizations.

To take action on the above bills from AzCDL’s Legislative Action Center home page, click on “Issues,” then click on “Legislative Alerts and Updates” (http://capwiz.com/azcdl/issues/?style=D&). There you will find a list of the bills mentioned in this Alert that require action. Clicking on any one of them will take you to an editable letter. You can add your own text or send it as is, after filing in the required fields. WE WILL NOT SHARE YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION WITH ANYONE! We also recommend keeping the “remember me” box checked so that next time you send a letter there will be less work to do.

Our Legislative Action Center is new to us also. If you spot any errors or have any suggestions, please let us know by sending an email to treasurer@azcdl.org.

In other news, the following bills recently passed out of committee.

HB 2307, the House version of SB 1098 (Firearms Freedom Act), passed out of the House Judiciary Committee by a 5-2 vote, with one member absent, on January 28, 2010.

SB 1172, which improves the language in Arizona’s school gun safety program statutes, passed out of the Senate Education and Accountability Reform Committee, by a unanimous 7-0 vote, on January 27, 2010.

The normal process for any bill passing out of a committee is to go to their respective chambers Rules Committee. The following bills are due to be heard Monday, February 1, 2010 in the Senate Rules Committee:

SB 1021, which incorporates defensive display into the statutes regarding the justification for deadly force.

SB 1153, knife preemption.

SB 1172, school gun safety improvements.

Stay tuned! When critical legislation moves, we will notify you via these Alerts.

You can also follow AzCDL on Twitter: http://twitter.com/AzCDL_Alerts
and Facebook: http://tinyurl.com/FacebookAzCDL .

AzCDL’s Political Action Committee (PAC) is also on Facebook: http://tinyurl.com/FacebookAzCDLPAC .

These alerts are a project of the Arizona Citizens Defense League (AzCDL), an all volunteer, non-profit, non-partisan grassroots organization. Renew your membership today! http://www.azcdl.org/html/join_us_.html

AzCDL – Protecting Your Freedom
http://www.azcdl.org/html/accomplishments.html

Copyright © 2010 Arizona Citizens Defense League, Inc., all rights reserved.

TX: Austin PD Openly Attacks Freedom

In a flagrant attack on freedom and gun shows, the Austin Texas Police Department in conjunction with BATFE thugs illegally prohibited the private party transfer of personal property by law abiding American Citizens while attending Gun Shows. They had zero legislation with which to support this unconstitutional attack on our freedom, so both organizations are clearly acting outside of the law. You can listen to Alex Jones discuss this on his Jan 18th 2010 radio show in hours 1-4.

This is the type of attack I would not have been surprised to see in Washington DC or Chicago, but not Texas. Most of the Texans I know will not stand for this blatant attack on our liberty.

Update 1: Howard Nemerov has new details - it now looks like the property owner bears more blame than the Austin PD.

Good News for Hunters & Target Shooters in Arizona

The NRA has Won the right to defend Hunters against a lawsuit that was filed last year against the Arizona BLM & Fish & Wildlife Service that is seeking to ban lead ammunition. This is good news for all Arizona gun owners, for those who hunt, and those who don't.

Open Carry Experience in Oregon

I was recently traveling through Oregon where they currently have zero reciprocity for any out of State CCW permits (for additional info on gun laws impacting armed travel check out these gun travel tools). In addition to zero reciprocity Oregon is also unwilling to issue CCW permits to non-residents unless you happen to live in a bordering State. As an Arizona resident, the only way I'm not prohibited from protecting myself while traveling through Oregon is to open carry, and even then I have to stay out of six of their Nanny State cities like Portland who prefer to make out of State visitors easy targets for criminals. As a result, before I crossed into Oregon I tucked in my shirt to transition from concealed to open carry.

As we traveled through Oregon stopping from time to time to eat or refuel our vehicle, most of the people encountered didn't appear to notice my handgun. However, while we were at a gas station paying someone else to do my normal task of refueling our car, I went into the convenience store to buy some soda and snacks. While there, I overheard a child nearby ask his father: "Dad, why does that man have a gun?"

His father didn't answer, so I took the opportunity to respond myself. While pointing to our car outside I said: "you see, I have a wife and children in that car out there who I love very much, and I'll do whatever it takes to keep them safe. My handgun is just one of the tools at my disposal to help me do that."

He seemed satisfied with my answer, and even gave me a smile.