During the debate over changing Michigan's gun licensing regime from a "may-issue" to a "shall-issue," the anti-gun movement kept repeating their mantra that allowing more law-abiding citizens to carry concealed pistols would result in "blood in the streets," and "wild west shootouts."
Today's Freep contains a short article by Dawson Bell - a decent enough reporter to actually take the Concealed Pistol class - that notes that permit applications have doubled from the previous year.
At the bottom of the story is this tidbit:
In total, 220,422 Michiganders hold permits allowing them to carry a concealed pistol, the MSP report said.
In 1999, when the new law was first introduced (House Bill 4530 for you legislative junkies), the state had a total of 53,000 concealed pistol licensees.
The bill was signed more than a year later and took effect as Public Act 381 on July 1, 2001.
Thus we have seen a four-fold increase in law-abiding citizens carrying concealed handguns.
Where is the dramatic increase in shootings???
This should pretty much finish off the already faltering argument for gun control. Crime in Michigan was supposed to surge, yet it hasn't. The nation as a whole is seeing a drop in violent crime, yet gun sales are off the chart.
How can this be?
Maybe, just maybe law-abiding citizens were never the problem.
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