DIVING DEEP ON DANGEROUS BILLS
As commented in a previous blog, two dangerous bills are being presented for House legislative action: Permit to Carry and Stand Your Ground. Why are these bills dangerous?

1. According to the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, 1.8% of permit to carry applications are denied. The reasons are: suicide/suicidal threats (32.82%), criminal assault (24.32%), conflict with law enforcement (14.45%), firearms violations (11.42%), domestic abuse (10.89%), terrorist threats (2.12%), predatory/stalking/sex crimes (2.02%), child abuse (1.96%). In short, denials are for legitimate life preserving actions. Allowing this Permit to Carry Bill would allow these perpetrators to carry a weapon. This bill will make it easy for anyone to carry a loaded gun in schools, government buildings, college campuses and even the State Fair grounds without any gun safety training or even a criminal background check. Presently, permits are issued only after a criminal background check and safety course are complied. This bill would eliminate these requirements.

2. According to Protect Minnesota (www.protectmn.org), Minnesotans already have the right to use lethal force to defend themselves and families from grievous bodily harm, making the proposed SYG Bill unnecessary and dangerous. “A study of 20 states that have enacted SYG laws showed no evidence of crime deterrence, but homicides in those states have increased by 8%….or over twice Minnesota’s rate.” (National Bureau of Economic Research and Henry J. Kaiser Foundation)

Minnesota already has more effective laws in effect than these unnecessary, dangerous bills. These bills would only open wider the floodgates to gun violence.

I urge you to contact your representative and senator to oppose these bills.