I’ve weathered this storm in the past.  I was a driver for the change from the discriminatory practice of “May Issue” weapons permits to “Shall Issue” weapons permits over a decade ago.  To call me fortunate to volunteer and advocate among so many great people would be an understatement.  I recall really ignorant statements and proclamations being made then, just like now.  “It’ll be just like the old west around here.”  Or maybe, “the streets will be curb deep in blood.”  You get the picture.  I watched those who despise personal freedom and choice let go of their inhibitions as they spewed the nastiness and contempt they hold for people unlike themselves.  It truly was ugly.

But, I knew better.  So did you.  Iowans character didn’t magically get flushed down the toilet with a simple change in the law.  With the transition into honoring our fellow citizens with Constitutionally based carry, we heard the same nonsense again from the same folks.  The irony is, I believed the number of permits wouldn’t decrease and in fact rise. This is largely misunderstood by people.  The number of folks carrying on the premise of freedom goes way up, but so do those who choose to be permitted.  How is that possible you ask?  A ton more people are opting to carry because the issue is front and center in the daily discussions people are having.  Talk about a win-win!

I had a conversation with a friend in Kansas some years ago after their state passed Constitutional Carry.  He trained people as a part-time job and was truly beside himself over what he perceived would be a radical departure from training.  We spoke briefly and moved on to other subjects.  Some years later I ran into him and asked him what he was up to.  He told me he took his part-time business full-time.  He could barely keep up with all the training requests he had scheduled.  It turns out people chose training because they wanted and needed it.  They didn’t need to be forced into an arbitrary threshold for proficiency.  Instead, they opted into training on much higher levels and with more volume than the state had thrust upon them for years.  …And they did so in high numbers.

I wasn’t surprised, but some folks were.  A friend shared with me an article that shows the KS permit numbers are still climbing after all these years.  Check it out HERE.  From the article:

With over 81,000 active licensed concealed carriers in Kansas, it is great to see more and more law-abiding citizens expressing their 2nd Amendment rights.

 

Especially with how the current government has handled things in terms of gun rights, it has never been a better time to make sure we protect ourselves before the process of even doing so legally can and/or will be more difficult.

To give you an idea of how many licensed permit holders there are in Iowa by comparison, Iowa was hovering around 400,000 in January of 2021…  Stay classy Iowans, the sky isn’t falling.  😉

In Liberty,

Michael Ware
IFC Chairman