Wednesday, February 24, 2021
SB24 has passed and will become law. The battle for our God given rights is never ending. Gun Owners of Arkansas is proud to have stood against what we feel is a law that creates legal jeopardy for gun owners, and increases the likelihood of imprisonment for people who, other than their location, are justified in defending themselves from a lethal attack.
Gun Owners of Arkansas believes we have a right granted by our creator to defend ourselves or another person from a deadly threat or violent felony. Unfortunately, SB24 only recognizes that right after you meet certain conditions. Your right to defend yourself certainly should not be determined by location.
Arkansas is among 18 states where no permit is required to carry a weapon. When Florida, which is not a constitutional carry state, passed the original SYG law, Constitutional carry was not considered. We feel that the legislature made a mistake in drafting this law with its lack of a definition of “lawfully present”, that could force law abiding citizens to defend themselves and then worry if they had been lawfully present based upon a prosecutor’s interpretation of lawfully present. Also, as a constitutional carry state, it is possible that citizens are unknowingly in a gun free zone, and even if their use of deadly force was otherwise authorized, they could face homicide charges if it was determined they were simply on the wrong side of the street.
Losing this battle does not end the fight for our freedoms. Gun Owners of Arkansas stands ready, as the largest gun group in Arkansas, to defend the ability of all Arkansans to carry a weapon without governmental infringement as prescribed in Article 2, Section 5 of the Arkansas Constitution, and to defend themselves from violent attack. Losing a battle doesn’t stop the fight. We will not compromise this principle. We will not be deterred. We will always fight for the rights of the people of Arkansas.