The N.C. General Assembly is trying to make it easier to buy a handgun and carry it with you, but these relaxed gun regulations would be disastrous for public safety.
A bill that could soon land on Gov. Pat McCrory’s desk would allow guns in locked cars on all public school and university property, which would endanger students, faculty and staff — including children as young as preschool age.
School public safety departments would have a harder time responding to gun crimes, especially large-scale ones.
The bill would also let people buy handguns without a permit, and background checks would no longer be necessary for private gun sales.
Some legislators argue that expanding gun access would allow legal gun owners to defend themselves more easily — but these guns could too easily result in impulsive, spur-of-the-moment aggression.
Proliferating deadly arms allows volatile interpersonal conflicts to fatally escalate without warning.
