Five facts that the gun extremists don’t want you to know about the new concealed carry law which takes effect in Wisconsin on Nov. 1, courtesy of the Wisconsin Anti-Violence Effort, a voice for sanity in firearms policy:
1. It forces guns into places they just don’t belong and puts us all at risk. Places like banks, restaurants, hospitals, and virtually anywhere that’s not a private residence.
2. The vast majority of Wisconsin opposes it. By a 3 to 1 margin, the people of Wisconsin say they’ll feel less safe, not safer, in public places that allow guns.
3. It means guns in bars.What used to end with a few black eyes could now end with guns drawn, shots fired and bystanders killed.
4. It’s a threat to workers.When businesses allow guns, workers are 5 to 7 times more likely to be murdered, according to a study from the American Journal of Public Health.
5. It’s an assault on Wisconsin’s social fabric.Breeding fear and mistrust, the law encourages a mantra where every family needs to "arm up" to go out of their home.
And that's just Step 1 of the gun extremists' agenda.
On the same day the new law takes effect, the Assembly will take up Assembly Bill 69, the so-called Castle Doctrine bill which essentially makes it legal to kill anyone who breaks into your house.
No need for your life to be in danger. The presumption is that if someone has entered your property illegally, that you believed you needed to shoot to defend yourself, even if the person is unarmed and has not actually threatened you. Nor is there any requirement that you try to get away, like going out the back door. Just aim and fire, knowing you'll be exonerated by the legal system. (Can't bring myself to call if the justice system.)
The extremists who run the National Rifle Assn. and control the NRA board have a way of labeling things to make them sound more mainstream. "The Castle Doctrine" -- a person's home is his castle, right?License to Kill would be more accurate.
"Constitutional carry" has a nice ring to it -- until you look at what it means. That's the NRA term for the extreme idea that the 2nd Amendment means it is OK to carry a weapon any place, any time, with no stinking permits or training requred.
Couple that with a push now for a federal law that would require receiprocity -- basically saying anyone with a concealed carry permit in one state could carry anywhere in the country, regardless of how low the standards might be in his/her home state -- and you see where this radical agenda will take us.
Wisconsin now requires four hours of training, but that's likely to be relaxed in the future. Some states don't even require that, or background checks to keep guns out of the hands of people who shouldn't have them. If the federal law passes, those people will be able to pack weapons in Wisconsin, too.
But the struggle is far from over. You can help keep guns out of Wisconsin businesses, who still have the right to post signs banning weapons on their own property. (It's amazing that provision even survived; you can bet there will be efforts to get rid of that in the future.)
Here's how you can get involved and let businesses know you want to be able to shop in places that are free of weapons.Sign the pledge here.
Want some signs to offer to businesses you patronize?Email Milwaukee Veterans for Peace to get signs like the one displayed with this post.
[This post is written as part of the Media Matters Gun Facts fellowship. The purpose of the fellowship is to further Media Matters' mission to comprehensively monitor, analyze, and correct conservative misinformation in the U.S. media. Some of the worst misinformation occurs around the issue of guns, gun violence, and extremism, the fellowship program is designed to fight this misinformation with facts.]