SUPPERTERS CITE BENEFITS OF GUN LAW

Supporters who favor conceal-and-carry laws have armed themselves with an arsenal of statistics to show that Missouri would benefit from such gun legislation.

The issue currently is before state lawmakers.

Lawmakers and other supporters say crime rates have declined in states with right-to-carry laws.

Florida is a case in point. Since enacting its law in 1987, the rate of homicides involving the use of guns has declined by 36 percent. Those involving handguns has declined by 41 percent.

This has occurred despite an increase nationally, National Rifle Association officials say.

The NRA cites FBI statistics that show significant decreases in everything from robbery to murder rates in right-to-carry states.

Florida's law has provided the framework for similar laws and legislative proposals in other states.

Critics of the Florida law worried that it would lead to frontier justice and Wild West shootouts.

But NRA officials said that hasn't happened. Those who have permits for concealed weapons are largely law-abiding citizens, they said.

Few permit holders have committed firearm crimes. Florida has revoked only 1 percent of the nearly 400,000 permits it has issued.

During the last decade, 22 states have adopted right-to-carry laws, the NRA said.

Kansas lawmakers passed a right-to-carry bill, but the state's governor vetoed the measure earlier this month.

Like Kansas, Missouri is a state with a governor who opposes letting residents carry concealed weapons.

But lawmakers like state Rep. Larry Thomason, D-Kennett, believe concealed weapons can help combat crime.

Individuals are more reluctant to commit crimes when the public is armed, he said.

Thomason said Missourians should have the right to protect themselves. "The criminal element is already armed," he said.

State Rep. David Schwab, R-Jackson, agrees. "There is no question it deters crime," he said.