CHARLESTON – Apparently all that matters is getting reelected, at any cost including loss of life. That is the message the SC Senate is sending now with the advancing of HB 3094, Open Carry with Permit.
“In bypassing regular order, the Senate is refusing to acknowledge and address the dangers inherent in passing this bill,” says Dr. John Hallett, an Arm-in-Arm Board member, “and the Senate is refusing listen to those that would be directly impacted, including the medical community. In a matter of days, nearly 200 of us have signed a statement opposing this dangerous and reckless policy. Frankly, this appears to be more about avoiding primary opposition than common sense.”
The medical statement voicing opposition to Open Carry has been signed by over 180 medical professionals, and reads as follows:
As medical professionals from across South Carolina, we are seriously concerned about efforts being made to pass Open Carry with permit (H.3094) and permitless Open Carry legislation (H.3096). From the unintentional shootings involving children to suicides, domestic violence incidents and gang conflicts, we bear witness to the brutality of gun violence in our communities. In recent weeks, our country has seen multiple mass shootings with the deaths of too many innocent people.
We question the wisdom and need for legislation that would, in the midst of an unprecedented pandemic, in any way further burden overwhelmed medical staff. Apart from the acute trauma surgeries and the long term rehabilitation of survivors, and their real cost to the state, consider overall public health and well being. What is the impact of regular, yet unpredictable, and uninvited exposure to a deadly weapon carried by an unknown person in life’s common spaces: in a grocery aisle with a child, window shopping, in a restaurant or hair salon, a park or playground? At leisure or at work, a visible firearm does not invoke a sense of safety or security, as some ill-guided proponents might suggest. It is, for many, unsettling; a setting of uncertainty, anxiety and fear. This is not a healthy community environment, especially for children.
Passage of an Open Carry bill, with or without permit, would allow people to do just that. At a time when political tensions are high and an armed insurrection and multiple mass shootings have already shocked our nation, this bill will only intensify the public health burden of gun violence in South Carolina. Let there be no mistake, we and our medical colleagues will be using our skills to try and save the lives of more victims, that did not have to be.
We, the undersigned, therefore, urge all legislators to oppose any Open Carry legislation currently being considered.
According to polling just released, only 10.1% of SC GOP primary voters see gun rights as their top issue. The proverbial tail is wagging the dog, letting fear replace facts, partisanship replace prudence and extremism replace every ounce of common sense on this issue.
Hallett and others who are pushing back against Open Carry in SC say there is another side to this story that is being completely ignored by some members of the SC Senate, and a host of unanswered questions about the policy:
● What is going to happen with all the cultural events in SC, like Spoleto in Charleston and Fall for Greenville in the Upstate? Will tourists be carrying their firearms too? Will people avoid travel to SC because of Open Carry?
● Will there be Open Carry on the beaches? The county parks?
● There are half a million CWP holders, how are they going to be trained?
● It is commonly accepted that CWP training is less than consistent, how will this be improved?
● There’s no provision or budget to train law enforcement? How expensive is it going to be to re-train law enforcement, and who is going to pay for this?
● Don't other states have restrictions, and other laws in place, that make Open Carry at least safer? We don't, and you're not adding them to the bill? That should happen in the Judiciary Committee.
● Why isn't Open Carry being discussed in the committee? Why are you pushing this through so fast, rather than considering the implications and important safety precautions?
● Why do you think Open Carry in bars is OK? Yes it's illegal for the gun owner to drink, but what about the guy sitting next to him? No holster either?
● Why is there no requirement to holster a handgun? Even Texas has that.
About Arm-in-Arm
Established following the tragedy at Emanuel AME, Arm-in-Arm is a non-partisan grassroots nonprofit committed to reducing the public health crisis of gun violence statewide. The group’s platform bridges the fracture in gun policy dialogue, giving stakeholders and elected officials a pathway to safe gun policy while still supporting the 2nd Amendment. Board and supporters consist of gun owners and non-gun owners, including hunters, veterans, gun violence victims, doctors, lawyers, teachers, students, civic leaders, law enforcement and clergy. Please visit arminarmsc.org
