These incidents are easy to avoid, so long as you do your research. But the principle of the matter remains: why should American citizens forfeit their right to self-defense while traveling within the boundaries of the United States?

Anti-reciprocity proponents may claim each state should be able to evaluate whether another state’s concealed-carry laws are stringent enough to satisfy its own standards: why shouldn’t a state government want to protect its citizens from potential violence? Here’s the problem with that argument: the risk of violence from concealed carriers is already lower than that of the general population.

Indeed, the crime rate from concealed-carry permit-holders is so low compared to that of the general population that it almost beggars belief. As Crime Research Prevention Center President John Lott has shown, CCP holders commit crimes at less than a sixth of the rate of police officers—the latter of which already commit crimes at a rate substantially less than the general populace.

In other words, a state that refuses to grant permit reciprocity to another state is abridging the right of self-defense of a class of citizens who are more trustworthy than law enforcement.