Speaking out against dangerous permitless carry
- Right now, our TN state leaders are trying to pass a law that would allow anyone to carry a firearm without needing to get a permit first.
- Our current permitting system ensures that proper background checks and safety training are done before an individual can carry a firearm in public.
- This law would make it easier for firearms to get into the hands of people with dangerous histories, including those with histories of domestic abuse or drunk driving,
- There is not public support for permitless carry.
- In 2019 polling showed that 75% of Tennesseans opposed or strongly opposed removing permit requirements to carry a gun, while even more said they believed individuals should have to complete a course and obtain a permit to carry a loaded gun in public.
- Members of both the Tennessee Sheriff's Association and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation have spoken in opposition of the bill.
- Studies have shown that states that have weakened their firearm permitting system have experienced an 11% increase in handgun homicide rates and a 13-15% percent increase in violent crime rates.
- What can you do?
- Please sign our petition opposing the bill here.
- Contact your state representative easily using our form here!
- Share both of these links with your family and friends and ask them to share as well. We need to speak up and let our voices be heard.
Sources
1. Permitless carry bill advances in state legislature
2. Poll shows Tennesseans strong support the current handgun carry permit system
3. Michael Siegel et al., “Easiness of Legal Access to Concealed Firearm Permits and Homicide Rates in the United States,” American Journal of Public Health 107, no. 12 (December 1, 2017): 1923–29, https://ajph.aphapublications.org/doi/10.2105/AJPH.2017.304057.
4 John J. Donohue, Abhay Aneja, and Kyle D. Weber, “Right-To-Carry Laws and Violent Crime: A Comprehensive Assessment Using Panel Data and a State-Level Synthetic Control Analysis,” NBER Working Papers (National Bureau of Economic Research, November 2018),
https://www.nber.org/papers/w23510.pdf.
5. Daniel W. Webster et al., “Concealed Carry of Firearms: Fact vs. Fiction” (Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Center for Gun Policy and Research, November 16, 2017), https://bit.ly/2QJr2Mi.