RALEIGH, N.C. — On Thursday, the United States Supreme Court threw out a New York law that restricted access to concealed carry gun permits.
The 6-3 ruling is a big win for Second Amendment advocates. The law required concealed carry permit applicants to show “special cause” for why they needed the gun.
The U.S. Supreme Court threw out a New York law that restricted access to concealed carry gun permits
The law required concealed carry permit applicants to show “special cause” for why they needed the gun
A Raleigh firearms instructor believes the court made the right decision but also says he is not opposed to other gun laws
Tony DeRico is a firearms instructor and owner of Strategic Tactics of Protection (STOP) in Raleigh.
“I love teaching, for one. I’m a prior law enforcement officer,” DeRico said.
He takes pride in being a firearms instructor, but, at the same time, he understands that being a gun owner comes with a responsibility.
“From my perspective we should be able to bear arms, and I’m an advocate for that,” DeRico said. “That you know how to safely handle it, that you know the laws around it, the places you can and cannot go with it, which makes it a safer environment for all involved.”“From my perspective we should be able to bear arms, and I’m an advocate for that,” DeRico said. “That you know how to safely handle it, that you know the laws around it, the places you can and cannot go with it, which makes it a safer environment for all involved.”
Thursday’s ruling won’t have an immediate impact on North Carolina, but DeRico believes the court made the right decision.
“This will allow the door to be open so that everyone has the opportunity to protect themselves prior to something happening rather than it being an afterthought or an action after having endured some type of trauma or hardship,” DeRico said.
As for North Carolina, DeRico believes the state already has proper requirements in order to conceal carry.
“From an eight-hour class to the actual marksmanship certification, we've taken the action to make sure that in order to get a concealed carry permit in our state that you must complete the required training and not just a Cliff Notes. We do in-depth training,” DeRico said.
However, he’s not opposed to implementing other gun safety laws.
“Federally, I probably would be against some of my colleagues' better opinions. I am an advocate for having that age raised to 21 years of age for obtaining an assault rifle,” DeRico said.
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As much as he advocates for responsible gun ownership, he feels there’s more to it than just the right to bear arms.
“Legally you can make it so that you can have a firearm, but is that the best thing for humanity? Humanity requires if you were going to have a firearm that you be educated on the laws, and you know where you can and cannot go with that privilege, and you can effectively demonstrate your effectiveness being able to fire that firearm accurately if a threat presents itself,” DeRico said.
In response to Thursday’s Supreme Court ruling, the North Carolina Justice Center released a statement reading in part, “… the Court’s decision is deeply historically flawed, staggeringly tone-deaf, and will sadly only lead to more violence in this country. We condemn the ruling … which will have profound implications on efforts to enact meaningful gun legislation that could prevent the daily occurrences of mass shootings in the United States.”