Articles with 2nd amendment

8.3% of USA Adults Are Licensed to Concealed Carry Handguns

During the Coronavirus pandemic, the number of concealed handgun permits soared to over 21.52 million—a 48% increase since 2016, according to the Concealed Carry Permit Holders Across the United States: 2021 report from the Crime Prevention Research Center. It’s also a 10.5% increase over the number of permits counted a year ago in 2020.

[ Read the SemperVerus article, Concealed Carry Daily Prayer ]

Unlike gun ownership surveys that may be affected by people’s unwillingness to answer personal questions, concealed handgun permit data is the only really “hard data” available. This increase occurred despite 21 Constitutional Carry states (AK, AR, AZ, IA, ID, KS, KY, ME, MO, MS, MT, ND, NH, OK, SD, TN, TX, UT, VT, WV, WY) that no longer provide data on all those legally carrying a concealed handgun because people in those states no longer need a permit to carry. All states now allow concealed carry, although permit rules vary widely between states.

Map showing how different states of America regulate concealed carry as of 2021
Read the Concealed Carry Permit Holders Across the United States: 2021 report

[ Read the SemperVerus article, 7.6% of USA Adults Are Licensed to Concealed Carry Handguns ]

Among the findings of the report:

  • Last year, the number of permit holders grew by a record 2 million. This is more than the previous record increase of 1.8 million in 2017. Part of that is due to many states reopening concealed carry applications after the pause due to COVID-19.
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  • 8.3% of American adults have permits. Outside of the restrictive states of California and New York, about 10.0% of adults have a permit.
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  • In 15 states, more than 10% of adults have permits. Since 2019, Arkansas and Oklahoma have fallen below 10%, but they’re now all Constitutional Carry states, meaning people no longer need a permit to carry. Virginia’s concealed carry rate has risen to above 10%.
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  • Alabama has the highest concealed carry rate—32.1%. Indiana is second with 21.6%, and Iowa is third with 16.5%.

Why Do You Carry a Gun for Self-Defense?

If a family member, friend, or stranger asks why you carry a gun for self-defense, tell them:

[ Read the SemperVerus article, Concealed Carry Daily Prayer ]

I exercise my US Constitutional right to concealed carry a firearm and I diligently train in the civil right of self-defense because I’m pro-life and pro-social justice, since malicious and violent criminals and terrorists don’t have the right to steal a person’s life, liberty, and happiness.

[ Read the SemperVerus article, USA State Constitutions Providing for Armed Self-Defense ]

The civil right of the US Constitution’s 2nd Amendment does not grant me the right to keep and bear arms for self-defense, it precludes the government from infringing on my natural right to do so.

[ Read the SemperVerus article, Worldviews and Emotional Assumptions in the Gun Civil Rights Debate ]

Criminals, terrorists, and the dangerously mentally ill act suddenly and make our nation more violent. Law-abiding, responsibly prepared gun owners save and protect lives.

[ Read the SemperVerus article, 15 Truths About Defensive Gun Use ]



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15 Truths About Defensive Gun Use

While Gun Murders Are Unlawful, Gun Homicides Are Not Necessarily Unlawful.
Don’t be fooled into misreading homicide statistics reported in the media. Not all homicides are social ills. Some homicides are justified lawful killings in self-defense or defense of others. For example, the intended rape victim who manages to kill her rapist in the act has committed a homicide. Would we prefer that she had been raped? The potential homicide victim who kills their attacker, rather than get killed themselves, has committed a homicide: lawful self-defense. Would we prefer that the victim of the attack have been killed?

According to attorney Andrew Branca, author of The Law of Self Defense, “a homicide (the killing of one person by another) can be

  • unlawful and intentional—what is traditionally referred to as murder—or
  • unlawful and unintentional—what is traditionally referred to as manslaughter or criminally reckless homicide—or
  • lawful and intentional—usually self-defense or defense of others—or
  • lawful and unintentional—accident or misadventure.”

Don’t be deceived when people talk in generalities that the number of gun deaths or homicides have increased and therefore more laws are needed to infringe on the civil right to keep and bear arms. Maybe the homicides being reported are of criminal aggressors attempting to murder and maim and rape innocent people, and they were killed by their victims or by people stepping up to defend those victims.

A murder is a homicide that’s unlawful; a self-defense killing is a homicide that’s lawful.

[ Read the SemperVerus article, The 5 Elements of Self-Defense Law ]

Here are 14 more points everyone should understand about guns. Read about them in depth at TheFederalist.com:

20 Reasons to Concealed Carry a Defensive Firearm

You may want to copy into your cell phone the following list of reasons why you feel it’s important to legally and responsibly concealed carry a defensive firearm and refer to the list often so you’re ready with an answer the next time a friend or family member asks. You may even want to read the list out loud every time before you holster your gun.

[ Read the SemperVerus article, Concealed Carry Daily Prayer ]

      1. It’s my civil right as acknowledged by the Second Amendment.
      2. I support the right to life.
      3. No one has the right to take my life.
      4. Guns save lives.
      5. I love my family.
      6. My family needs me.
      7. I am committed to protect myself and my family.
      8. I am prepared.
      9. I am a realist.
    10. I choose to not be a victim.

[ Read the SemperVerus article, 12 Reasons to Responsibly Carry a Defensive Gun Every Day ]

    11. Evil is real and life-ending threats abound.
    12. All that’s required for evil to prevail is for me to do nothing.
    13. The only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun.
    14. Criminals and terrorists don’t schedule appointments.
    15. Criminals and terrorists employ heartless and brutal tactics.
    16. Criminals and terrorists act without conscience in the ferocious harm they cause.
    17. When seconds count, rescue personnel are minutes away.
    18. Guns are productive tools in my hands because I’m a responsible law-abiding citizen.
    19. Guns are normal and normal people use guns.
    20. It’s better to have a gun and not need it than to need one and not have it.

[ Read the SemperVerus article, Worldviews and Emotional Assumptions in the Gun Civil Rights Debate ]



Invite SemperVerus® to present its 5 life-changing success-generating components—prepare, aware, be, know, do—to your organization to inspire and motivate your members.

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