Phillips1

TrentonPhillips
SeniorProject
Mr.Rudebusch
10March2016

ConcealedCarryWeapons:CanTheyStopTerroristAttacks?
Parisisaplacemanypeopleseeasaromanticparadise,butdoyouwanttoknowwhat's
notromantic?Terrorism.OnNovember13th,2015,adevastatingterrorattacksetmanynations
onedge.ISIL,whichisaradicalmilitantgroupoutofSyriathatseizedlandfromCentralIraqto
NorthernSyria,claimedresponsibilityfortheattacks.Americahasalsobeenavictimof
terrorisminwhichnationalsecurityandgunregulationswereconsidered.Manypeopleareon
differentstanceswhenitcomestowhyithappenedandhowitcouldhavebeenprevented.Some
peoplebelievethatifParishadguncontrollawssimilartothoseintheUnitedStates,theywould
havebeenbetterprotectedfromtheattacks.However,alotofUnitedStatescitizensthink
differently.Howwouldcertaingunlawsaffectterrorism?Well,IwillexplainwhyhavingCCW
(ConcealedCarryWeapon)inapublicareadoesntaffectthesafetyofourcitizensagainst
terrorism.
CurrentRepublicanPresidentialCandidate,DonaldTrumpstates,Whenyoulookat
Paris,toughestgunlawsintheworld,nobodyhadgunsbutthebadguys.Nobodyhadguns.And
werejustshootingthemonebyone,andthentheybrokeinandhadabigshootoutandultimately
killedtheterrorists(WashingtonPost).WithsayingthisTrumpstickstohisProGunsideology
thatiswidelyacceptedbyhisfollowers.HebasicallyissayinghowParisshouldhaveallowed


Phillips2

theircitizenstherighttocarryaweapon,likewedohereintheUnitedStates.Trumpstirredup
quiteacontroversialargumentwhenhesaidthis.Althoughalotofhisfollowersagreewithhis
philosophy,manyfindflawsandissuesinhistheory.
TaketheUnitedStates,forexample.Weareoneofthemostsecurenationsintheworld,
yetwehavestillbeenvictimsofterrorism.Take9/11forexample,evenwithourstrongnational
security,theterroristswerestillabletoexecuteterroristattacks.Afterthathorriblecatastrophe,
Americasteppeduptheirairportsecurity.Metaldetectors,stripsearches,andothersafety
measureswerepushedforinalmostallAmericanairports.AftertheParisattacks,manypeople
arehopingfornewideasorlawsthatmayhelppreventfutureterrorattacks.
Amovietheaterisanothercommonpublicgatheringthathaswitnessedmassshootings.
Manypeoplebelievethattostopabadguywithagun,youneedtohaveagoodguywithagun.
However,ifacivilianwithaCCWwaspresentduringtheincident,itwouldnothavehelpedthe
victimsbecausemostpublicareasdonotallowweaponsonthepremises.IntheUnitedStates,
all50stateshavehavepassedlawsthatallowedallqualifiedindividualscapableofacquiringa
CCW.ThisallowsanindividualwhohasaCCWpermittocarrycertainfirearmsinpublic,but
havingaconcealedweaponisnotallowedinallpublicplaces.StatesmayrestrictaCCWin
certainareassuchaseducationalinstitutions,governmentfacilities,andplacesofpublic
amusement.WouldlettingthepeopleofParisacquireaCCWdiscourageterroristattacksor
othersimilarcatastrophes?Whenlookingattheplacestheterroriststargeted,youmaynotethat
theyallwerepublicplaceswithlargeamountsofpeople.Wouldhavingacivilianinthecrowd
withaCCWhelppreventtheattackordrawitoff?Mostlikelyapersonwouldnotbeallowedto


Phillips3

carryahandgunintheseplaces.Unlessacitizenbroughtthehandguninthereillegallywithout
anybodyknowing,itwouldnotstandachancetoaffecttheoutcomeofthetragedy.
However,ifatrained,armedsecurityguardwouldbeinchargeofviolentsituationsand
crimerelatedsituations,thatwouldplayaroleinstoppingandpreventingattacks.Thisisone
precautionthatsomesuggestandwanttoimplement.Mostcitizensdonotlikethethoughtof
someonetheydontknowinapublictheaterwithahandgun.Itstheunpredictivenessof
humansthatsetsmostpeopleonedge.Everyonecarryingagunaroundwouldnotbethesafest
environmenteither.From20052010,3,800peoplewerekilledfromaccidentalshootings(Law
CentertoPreventGunViolence).Thatistrulyalarming.Tobetterprotectourselves,weneedto
makesurethatthepeoplecarryingthegunsaretrainedandexperienced.
WiththeterroristattacksinParis,manypeoplecontinuetobefrightenedabouthowthey
couldgoaboutprotectingthemselves.Somegunadvocatesbelievegunsaremostpeople'sfirst
lineofdefense.InAmerica,over310millionweaponsareestimatedtobeownedlegally.
However,mostofthegunsareusedforhuntingpurposesortargetshootingratherthanpersonal
protection.TheSecondAmendmentallowsforustokeepandbeararms,whereasParishas
someoftheworldsstrictestgunlaws(GunPolicy.org).
Federalofficialspushforstrictergunregulationsafteralmosteveryfirearmrelatedterror
attack.Stricterbackgroundchecksandabanonsemiautomaticpistolsandriflesarethemost
commonideasforreducingfirearmrelatedkillings.Peoplebelievethiswouldhelpdiscourage
seriouscriminalsfromtryingtopurchaseafirearm.Criminals,inthisinstance,refertopeople
whomayhavetraveledtoaforeigncountryandbeenradicalizedtoperformterroristactions
instructedbyterrorgroups.Restrictinggunrightsisnotaneasythingtodo,especiallywhen


Phillips4

peoplegetscaredfromrecentattacks.Peoplearelookingforwaystoprotectthemselvesandjust
likefightingfirewithfire,themajorityofpeoplelooktowardsfirearmstodefendthemselves.In
allhonesty,howelsewouldyouprotectyourselfagainstsomeonepointingagunatyou?
Carryingaconcealedpistolisprobablythemostcommonexampleofselfdefenseagainst
unknownodds.
WouldhavingaconcealedweaponinParishelpsavesomeofthevictimsthough?What
wouldbethepossibilityofavictimactuallyhavingaconcealedweaponandrealizewhatis
happeningintimetomakeadifference?Inmostmassshootings,thevictimsdidnotknowthey
wereindangeruntilthelastminutewhentheshooterstarteddischargingtheirweapon.Most
terroristsuseassaultriflesthatcanfire600roundsperminute.Thatmeansthatinonesecond,
theterroristscanalreadyhavetenroundsoff.Insuchashortamountoftime,itwouldbe
horriblydifficultforsomeonecarryingaconcealedweapontogetitoutandfire.Also,most
concealedcarryweaponsaresubcompactpistols,andyouwouldneedtobewithinabout20
yardstoaccuratelytakedownatarget.Beingwithin20yardsofaterroristthatisholdinga
weaponthatcanfire600roundsperminutedoesntgiveyouverygoododds.Sointhese
instances,knowledgeofthedangerwouldbetheonlyeffectivewaytostopit.

AstudyconductedbyJohnLottandtwootherresearchersattheCrimePreventionCenter

claimsthatfrom2007to2015thenumberofconcealedcarrypermitsrosefrom4.6millionto
12.8million.Hecontinuestosaythatavictimwithacarrypermitisnomoreathreattoa
criminalthanavictimwithagunandnopermit.AccordingtoareportreleasedbytheFBI,
Therewereonaverage16.4suchshootingsayearfrom2007to2013,comparedwithan
averageof6.4shootingsannuallyfrom2000to2006(NewYorkTimes).Thisstudyisavery


Phillips5

goodexampleofhowtheincreaseinconcealedcarrypermitshasnotdoneanythingtostopmass
shootings.
AnotherexampleisSandyHook,whichisanelementaryschoolinNewtown,
Connecticut,whereashooterkilled27children.Thiswasnotaterroristrelatedincident.Itwasa
twentyyearoldmanwithmentalhealthissues,whowentinwithasemiautomaticrifleandshot
downthechildren.WhatwouldDonaldhavetosayaboutthis?After,theshootingObamatried
againtorestrictsemiautomaticrifleswithahighmagazinecapacityandsuggestionsweremade
toplacearmedguardsatschoolsthroughoutthecountry.Socitizensbeingallowedtohaveguns
doesn'thelpwithpreventingfatalshootings.
Onethingthatmakesterroristssodangerousisthattheyapparentlydontvaluetheirown
lives.Theyarewillingtomurderdozensanddozensofinnocentpeople,andtheyarenotworried
aboutlosingtheirownlives.TheterroristsinPariswerealsowearingsuicidevestsso,they
clearlydidnotplanonleavingtherealive.
Asolutiontotheterroristproblemmaynotbetoofaroff.Newtechnologiesoffer
specializedwaystoscanpeoplewhocomeintothecountryanddetermineiftheyaredangerous.
Inapressrelease,Mr.TrumpproposedatotalandcompleteshutdownofMuslimsenteringthe
UnitedStatesuntilourcountrysrepresentativescanfigureoutwhat'sgoingon.Indoingthishe
wouldalsoexcludetouriststhatwishtovisitourcountry.Trumpfeelslikethiswillbea
sufficientplantohelpreduceterroristshootings.WithfrequentterroristattacksfromISIStrained
radicals,somethinkTrumpsideamightnotbeasbadaspreviouslythought.AlotofRepublican
followersofTrumpseemtoagreewithhisphilosophy,butwhathappenstotheinnocentMuslim
civilianswhoalwaysfollowthelaw?


Phillips6

CouldTrumpsideabeappliedtoParis?Well,itcould.However,itcouldpotentially
causemoreharmbyputtingoutaracistvibeandenragingterroristsevenmore.Ratherthan
banningMuslims,newscreeningproceduresshouldbeinvestedinbecausetheseprocedures
wouldmakeallraceshappyandprovideamoreeffectivewayofseeingwhichpersonisathreat
andwhichoneisnt.
Recently,PresidentObamaputanexecutiveorderinplacethatannouncedthatmore
backgroundcheckswouldberequiredforalmostanyonebuyingafirearmfromadealer.He
passedthisviaexecutiveorderbecausewithamostlyRepublicancongress,heknewitwould
mostlikelygetdenied.ManycitizensandRepublicansareoutragedbythisrecentoccurrence.
RepublicanfrontrunnerDonaldTrumpclaimshewillimmediatelyreverseanysuchactionifhe
iselected.PresidentObamaistryingtofindawaytohelppreventscriminalsandterroristsfrom
obtainingweapons.
CCWdoesnotmakesomebodysaferintheeventofaterroristattackandpushingstricter
gunregulationsdoesnotnecessarilyhelpallofthetime.Peopleareunpredictableandthatis
whyitissohardtopreventterroristattacks.InsteadofbanningMuslimsorpushingforeveryone
togetaconcealedcarrypermit,weneedtoimplementincreasedsecurityatairportsandother
commonterroristattacksitesandalsopushforstricterbackgroundchecksforthoselookingto
purchaseguns.


Phillips7

WorksCited
"GunsinFranceFirearms,GunLawandGunControl."
GunsinFranceFirearms,GunLaw
andGunControl
.GunPolicy.org,n.d.Web.21Mar.2016.
"JuvenileLawCenter."
YouthintheJusticeSystem:AnOverview
.Web.11Mar.2016.
Maraniss,David,andRobertSamuels."DonaldTrumpSaysToughGunControlLawsinParis
ContributedtoTragedy."
WashingtonPost
.TheWashingtonPost,14Nov.2015.Web.
25
Mar.2016.
Schmidt,MichaelS."F.B.I.ConfirmsaSharpRiseinMassShootingsSince2000."
NewYork
Times
.NewYorkTimes,24Sept.2014.Web.27Feb.2016.
"StatisticsonGunDeaths&Injuries."
LawCentertoPreventGunViolenceRSS
.LawCenterto
PreventGunViolence,Nov.2015.Web.12Feb.2016.