"CONSTITUTIONAL CARRY"

At this writing, the North Carolina legislature was moving forward in an effort to make the Tar Heel State the 30th jurisdiction to do away with the carry permit requirement for citizens who want to carry defensive sidearms.

It's an interesting topic for conversation because not all gun owners agree about carry permits, just as they don't always concur about open carry, mandatory training or any number of other things, including background checks and waiting periods.

Let's digress for a moment. I was in the room more than 30 years ago when the National Instant Check System was being discussed by members of the National Rifle Association's Board of Directors and its officers. The NICS check was being offered as an alternative to what the gun control lobby and Capitol Hill anti-gunners were pushing, which was a national waiting period.

For the record, I dislike waiting periods for various reasons, the main one being — despite claims by gun prohibitionists to the contrary — based on some experience, I simply do not believe they prevent tragedies. More importantly, they delay the exercise of a constitutionally-enumerated fundamental right protected by the Second Amendment and specific amendments in more than 40 state constitutions. .....