Jackson Jambalaya

After having several internet discussions with Jim Prince, a prominent newspaper publisher and current President of the Mississippi Press Association, I understand the position of the media in wanting government records to remain open to public scrutiny. I expect him and his association to oppose any legislation that helps hide records from the public. I am in favor of this bill, however, because I believe the safety of the permit holders trumps the need for government transparence in this case. However, Jim brings up a valid point - why do we have concealed carry permits at all? Shouldn't anyone who owns a gun be able to carry it concealed on his person without having to pay a tax to the state for the privilege? Let's get the privacy law passed, but I encourage the legislature to take a close look at getting rid of the concealed carry law so the question of access to the records becomes moot. Bill Billingsley

A Tupelo newspaper has requested all the records of every conceal-carry license holder in Lee County.

According to Jim Prince, President of the Mississippi Press Association, that is what you should consider to be a newspaper behaving irresponsibly.

They didn't get the memo Mr. Prince. You lose.

You notice liberals only want to agree with the constitution when its in their LIBERAL INTEREST. Everyone has a drivers license so why dont we publish EVERYONEs physical address. Why not every criminal and parolees address. Billingsley thinks Prince brings up an "excellent" point? Prince is a nut job. If you dont know why we dont let EVERYONE conceal carry then, life is a long a difficult journey for you Im sure. Remember, no one is armed to protect themselves from republicans.

Prince correctly argues that we shouldn't need a damn permit in the first place. It's just a tax on gunowners and another opportunity for government to keep records on them.

1:09 I disagree. I think I don't want people that have been certified insane, or have used insanity as a legal defense, to have a concealed carry permit.
I 100% support Mark Baker and Will Longwitz with this bill and thank them both.

@8:34am - here is the memo you didn't get

The Tupelo newspaper "unequivocally" has "no intention of publishing names and/or addresses of any (concealed carry) permit holders," Lloyd Gray, the editor of the Daily Journal, said Monday night.

He continued: "Our reporter's interest was in numbers, trends and how the data is collected and handled. We've had lots of people tell us anecdotally that they've seen big crowds when they've gone to get their permits, so our reporter wanted to know how many."

@1:29pm

Felons are not allowed to have guns, but we don't require a permit for everyone to own a gun just because a felon cannot. Keep the same restrictions on concealed carry and if someone breaks the law, then punish them. But the rest of us should not have to be treated like criminals. We should not need to have permits.

@1:29 - Interestingly, "people that have been certified insane, or have used insanity as a legal defense," [sic] have found that the lack of a permit does not eliminate their ability to carry concealed firearms. It truly is stunning.

What's more, felons and large numbers of (otherwise) law-abiding citizens have found that they, too, are physically able to carry a concealed firearm sans permit. While no one wants to jump to any conclusions just yet, it appears that a permit has no effect whatsoever on a person's capacity to conceal and/or carry a firearm.

Now sit down for this next part. There is widespread speculation -- and reasonable evidence to support the theory -- that, even today, there are firearms being carried in a concealed manner without a permit on the streets of Jackson, Mississippi. It's true!

Sadly, it is only those of us who are concerned about following the law who feel the bite of the CCP tax and the inconvenience of the bureaucracy that regulates them.

why do we have concealed carry at all? Why not un-concealed carry? I'd feel much better about people carrying guns around if I could see them! Then at least I know what I'm dealing with. The whole idea of concealing a gun is stupid. Cops dont conceal their guns. Guns dont kill people, people kill people.

This bill makes complete sense and everyone I know supports it. We can argue all day about whether permits ought not to be allowed. The fact is, they are, but people who have permits ought not to have their private information available to whomever requests it.

9:33, your "excellent" argument has a flaw - everyone in Mississippi, with a few obvious exceptions, is allowed to carry a concealed weapon without a permit. It's very restricted - only in your auto, home and business - but anyone with the money to buy the gun can carry it under those conditions, and the knowledge of that hasn't made my life long and difficult so far.

Criminals shoot people when they think there's no one to stop them. Take away concealed carry laws and wait for the next guy trying to rob a Denny's to get shot by customers and see how quickly armed robbery and other gun crime statistics go down. Law abiding people need to be allowed to protect themselves from criminals. Period.

If I can legally enter into an agreement with Kingfish to mow and rake his yard every week for six months in exchange for his 9 milimeter and can then legally drive around with it on my dashboard, on my seat or under my seat, why should I pay the government a tax/fee for the opportunity to walk through the park with it in my pocket?

You don't have to have a pilot's license to buy a plane, but you have to have one (and a current medical) to fly it. We just need to have something like a medical certificate for pilots, for guns. Own all the guns you want, any kind you want, but you can't carry one - at all - on your person or in your car unless you have a current medical certificate where a doctor certifies you aren't crazy, and you get a 2 second, computerized background check that says you aren't (and haven't been) in trouble with the law. It can be good for X number of years, and is automatically revoked if you are convicted of a felony or crime involving violence.

It's not a perfect solution, but if you compare the amount of time and training that goes into piloting something as small and simple as a 152, and the constant rechecks of proficiency, it makes no sense that someone who has only seen a gun can carry one around, legally, even if they are an idiot.

It is pretty damn easy 5:15 for a crazy person to pass a crazy test. They do it all the time. Let me guess, you then want to hold the doctor accountable.

" We just need to have something like a medical certificate for pilots, for guns... "

No little one @ 5:15, that's not what our dispute with the Mother Country was about back in the 1770's.

Contrary to what ya'll have been taught, the USA was not founded on gay rights , immigrant rights, free lunch / breakfast programs, universal healthcare , abortion, and such . Please put down your childhood classics such as " My Two Dads" & read ...(I mean google) ... an old liberal / progressive White Man named Thomas Paine.

5:26 pm please go take " a crazy test".
Multiple tests are involved and one is called the MMPI ( Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory). Read up on it's accuracy.

You may want someone who is hearing voices and sure the CIA or aliens are sending them messages to be carrying concealed weapons but I don't. I don't even want those who are convicted of drug or alcohol abuse charges to carry a gun. And, I want those who do have a gun to go through training and be licensed just like my manicurists has to be.

Each year in the US, 3000 children and teens die from accidental shootings and 14000 are injured because their gun loving parents who think they are Wyatt Earp don't know " jack" about securing their weapons.

Despite rather fantastic claims by NRA and gun rights sites, the most objective evidence is that 60000-80000 incidences of gun protection against crime by citizens occur each year.

When compared to a yearly average of 232000 guns being stolen from homes each year,one begins to see where criminals get their illegal guns and wonders how well home protection is working!

I don't think it's unreasonable for me to expect you to KNOW how to be a responsible gun owner any more than it is unreasonable to expect car owners to be able to see, hear and know basic traffic laws!

The real danger in Jackson, as 8:56 has illustrated for us, is untreated neurosyphilis.

I think January 30, 2013 at 8:25 AM would fail the MMPI.

8:56 has nailed it succinctly.

Sorry to disappoint you 8:53 am but taking the MMPI and having good results is one of several requirements to be licensed in some professions. I also had to have a security clearance for another position I held . I carried a concealed weapon before the law allowed you to do so.

So, I can prove I'm not a threat to society,and can pass any gun safety test, can you?

To senator Longwitz is there any chance on passing a "gunslinger law" in ms. This would be a bill to allow all gun owners to be able to carry in public areas with out a permit. It seems to be very effective in Arizona. I believe 12 other states have this law as well.