Concealed-Carry Reciprocity

It's ridiculous to have to apply for a permit to do something that is my constitutional right. I don't have to apply for a permit to go to the church of my choice or to exercise free speech. My First-amendment rights seem to be rights. My Second-Amendment rights seem to be privileges. Maybe the Bill of Rights should be called The Bill of Rights or Privileges.

I have my concealed-carry permit from Virginia, and I applied for my Utah permit. Why did I have to get a second permit from a state where I don't even live? Because my Virginia permit is only good in states that recognize Virginia's permit. So not only do I have to apply for a permit, I may need several in order to get anywhere. For example, my Virginia permit is recognized in Florida, but until this month it was not recognized in South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi. So how do I can I feel safe traveling to Florida?

If I have to get a permit to carry a weapon for my own self-defense in the United States, it should be good in all of the "united" states. But until that time, I will have to be satisfied with extending Virginia's reciprocity with other states. This month, Virginia entered a reciprocity agreement with South Carolina. That means that with my Utah permit (which is recognized in Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi, but not in South Carolina) I can now get to Florida.

Today I found out that Virginia established reciprocity with Mississippi, so that's another great step in the right direction, but I wish all states would recognize permits from all other states. Some states, including Arizona and Utah, already do this. I'm grateful for sanity in a few legislatures.

I found out about the VA-MS reciprocity agreement by an email from the Virginia Citizens Defense League (VCDL). They are doing a GREAT job in Virginia, and I'm proud to be a member.