To the editor:

Carrying a gun comes with responsibility. That’s why Kansas law requires completion of a basic handgun safety training course before issuing a license to carry. Kansas Senate Bill 45 proposes to effectively dismantle Kansas’ concealed-carry licensing system. If the bill passes, the law will freely permit the carrying of guns in public places by people who have never handled a gun before.

I support the Second Amendment. I also support basic public safety. Standards such as licensing, criminal background checks and training courses are common sense measures that protect the gun owner, his or her family members and the larger community.

“The vast majority of Kansans are law-abiding citizens and should be trusted to keep the peace,” says one senator, and I agree! But what about that small, unstable minority? A gaping loophole in Kansas law allows criminals, abusers and the severely mentally ill to buy guns without a background check, yet this obvious omission is not remedied in the Senate bill. On the contrary, the bill actually takes away a critical law enforcement tool. Upon apprehending an armed suspect, officers would no longer be able to verify whether the carrier has a criminal record with a quick verification of his or her concealed carry license.

Would you want to sit in a stadium or concert hall next to an excited, angry, inebriated or seriously mentally ill man or woman carrying a concealed gun for the first time? Eliminating the concealed carry licensing system will move our state in the wrong direction.