NC: Gun control wins, House folds on ending permit to purchase

[NutmegYankee]

2. The key on a purchase permit is to ensure that it is completely fair.

People will accept such rules as long as the process is seen as just and fair without opportunity for corruption or bias. In other words, if you apply for the permit and your background check comes back clean, the permit is issued. If some discretion is allowed, there must be a board that can review an appeal to ensure the reason was truly valid. On the other hand, if the permit is left to the discretion or feelings of an officer/official without an appeal or check feature, the process will not be viewed as fair or just. This was the classic Jim Crow setup to deny minorities guns.

Connecticut for instance is effectively shall issue, but officials have some discretion on issuing permits. It has a board that handles appeals, and some of the reasons were extremely petty - One first selectman refused a permit because the other man was a coach whose team beat his child's team in a sport playoff. Another denied an appeal to the wife of a another selectman because he wanted the husband to resign his position.

Keep the system fair and the benefits of preventing the wrong people from getting guns will sell the minor inconvenience.