Gun supporters and gun protesters alike have almost unanimously come together to draw the line on one aspect of the debate — that people need to obtain a permit to carry a concealed weapon.
With the help of Everytown for Gun Safety, a left-leaning advocacy movement, Strategies 360 recently released a report that found 88 percent of likely voters oppose concealed carry without a permit.
While usually polarized between the two sides, voters who support concealed carry — 57 percent — and voters who believe it should be illegal — 40 percent — agree there ought to be a permit system before buying a handgun.
“People feel as though they can still support Second Amendment rights, the right to own a gun and even the right to concealed carry,” said Kevin Ingham, vice president of Strategies 360. “They just draw a very clear line between letting anybody carry a concealed weapon legally and making sure that the people who are carrying a concealed weapon have shown that they are responsible gun owners.”
There are currently four states — Alaska, Arizona, Wyoming and Vermont — that allow concealed carry without a permit.