Anti: Personal and Family Protection Act

The Personal and Family Protection Act was an obvious lapse of judgment by Kansas lawmakers as concealed carry has many more negative than positive effects.

Some people think that having a stranger with a gun on their side will somehow keep you safer, but I tend to think a little differently. People with concealed guns not make things any safer – they actually make things even more dangerous for everyone.

No matter what you believe about gun control, everyone can agree that guns are dangerous if not handled correctly.

Another problem with this law is how incredibly easy it is for someone to get a concealed carry permit. The only test that is necessary for the permit is to train the individual on how to properly handle the gun. Any unstable or potentially dangerous person can get a permit to carry a gun around with them in public.

Finally, unreasonable people will undoubtedly use their guns to intimidate or even kill people rather than use them for the intended purpose – personal protection.  With a gun involved, a simple discrepancy between two people can quickly escalate into murder.

People with concealed carry permits have already killed 921 people not in self defense since 2007 through January 2017.  This includes 47 mass shootings that killed a total of 147 people.  This number also includes 17 law enforcement officers.

Even though the intended purpose of the Personal and Family Protection Act is to keep people safe, other concealed carry laws have already caused a lot of death at the hands of incompetent or even dangerous people whose intentions are unclear and at many times worrisome as they could change or end one’s life at any moment.

– Holden Heras, 10th grade