EFFORT RENEWED FOR CONCEAL-CARRY IN MISSOURI

When voters went to the polls two years ago to decide on Proposition B, a measure that would have given law-abiding Missourians the right to carry concealed weapons, they demonstrated support that was offset only by opponents in the St. Louis area who had been subjected to a strong and costly campaign of fearmongering.

For the most part, rural counties overwhelmingly supported the so-called conceal-carry legislation.

This year, some state legislators are trying to revive the issue. Gov. Bob Holden has already said he would veto any legislation that mirrored the 1999 proposal, but he said he would look at the current bill, if it reaches his desk, to see if it makes changes that would overcome his objections to Prop B. So far, he said, he hasn't seen much difference.

There are differences. The new legislation bars concealed weapons from sports stadiums, for example. This was something that was heavily targeted in the opposition campaign of 1999. The new bill would also deny concealed-weapon permits to anyone convicted of certain misdemeanor charges and to convicted drunken drivers.

The new legislation is different in another way from the 1999 proposal: Lawmakers could pass this law without having to ask voters for their approval.

As with concealed-weapon laws in other states, the privilege of carrying a weapon for protection is intended for law-abiding citizens. Criminals don't need laws permitting them to carry weapons. They do so illegally, which gives them a deadly advantage. What proponents of the concealed-weapon law want is for citizens to have the right to protect themselves in dangerous situations.

Moreover, a concealed-weapons law in Missouri would legalize the hundreds of state residents who already keep weapons in the vehicles or briefcases or purses. These are, for the most part, upstanding citizens who want the security of being armed. But they are breaking state law even if they believe they are adhering to the Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. The concealed-weapon law would make their self-protection a legal activity.

Given the experience of crime rates in states that already have concealed-weapon laws, it makes sense for Missouri to revisit the topic.

It would take considerable courage for lawmakers to pass a law on their own rather than shifting the responsibility to voters.

But it would be an act of trust in the citizens of this state to choose whether they want to be armed for safety.