Something needs to be changed. I, personally, HATE going to the base unarmed. Not that I am in fear of much bad happening on the base itself, but the to & from is what bothers me. I like to stop in some not so savory areas that are near the base & VA Hospital. Too bad that the very Federal Govt which is supposed to ENSURE our rights is the first one to wash them down the drain. I wouldn't even mind an exception, something like Permit to Carry holders can bring there weapon on the base, but it must be cased and unloaded or be in a gun vault type locking device while on the base. Maybe something like this:
http://www.safetysafeguards.com/site/402168/product/3912-SH
I contacted Senator Coleman on this issue. Here is a copy of my letter:
Dear Senator Coleman,
We have an issue that I feel should be addressed. The issue is that many states now allow concealed carry of weapons by it's citizens and that all military bases prohibit weapons on the base, unless one is living in the barracks, then it must be surrendered to the base armory. I would suggest that a change be made so that a permit holder can, at a minimum, surrender their weapon, temporarily, to base security while that person conducts their business on base. This would require some sort of small storage facility similar to those that are used by our law enforcement officers while inducting a prisoner into confinement. The cost would be miminimal and it would help preserve our 2nd Amendment rights, after our business on base is concluded.
Personally, I feel that NOT allowing a permit holder to NOT have their weapon available is an infringement on our 2nd Amendment rights, but I am willing to make certain concessions to not have to drive a couple of hours one way, conduct my business, and then go about the rest of my business in the area. After all, the permit holders have had background checks, and are probably better citizens than some of our military. To demonstrate the importance of civilians that hold permits, check out this web page:
http://www.twincitiescarry.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=517
It shows that civilian permit holders are almost effective as police in forestalling & preventing violent crime. Granted, there is not a lot of crime on the military bases, but it DOES happen!! As a prior reserve police officer, I have been required to investigate assaults, domestic disputes, and other potentially life-threatening crimes. It always takes some amount of time for a police officer to respond to any given situation.
In closing, I would hope that you would be instrumental in getting this rule/law changed to benefit society and those of us that are law-abiding citizens. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or concerns in this matter.
Respectfully,
BigRobT
USN(ret)
I can only urge y'all to contact your Senators & Congressmen. The more we contact, the more likely the status may get changed.