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RIGHT TO CARRY: CAJUN SUCCESS!

No permit holder has been arrested for or charged with a gun crime since the law took effect in April 1996!

"Across America, Right to Carry out-performs its critics," said Mrs. Tanya K. Metaksa of the National Rifle Association of America on the second anniversary of the "shall issue" permit law in Louisiana. Right to Carry reduces crime, prevents injuries and saves lives. Louisiana citizens and law enforcement should be commended for demonstrating the effectiveness of Right to Carry."

The Measure of Success. In Louisiana and thirty other states where citizens can obtain a permit to carry a firearm to protect themselves and their families, the finding has been uniformly positive. In Louisiana, no permit holder has been arrested for or charged with a gun crime since the law took effect in April 1996, according to the Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections. "The verdict is in," said Mrs. Metaksa, Executive Director of the NRA Institute for Legislative Action which spearheaded the law's passage in 1996. "As a class of citizens, Louisiana permit holders out-performed their critics."

The Words of the Governor. In April of 1996, Right to Carry became law in Louisiana, and, in April 1998, the state celebrates two years of success. Regarding the two-year anniversary, Louisiana Governor Mike Foster said, "The right to carry gives law-abiding citizens the right to defend themselves from people who are toting guns illegally on the streets. Criminals will think twice before committing a crime if they know there is a possibility present that individuals can defend themselves. It's working in Louisiana and all the statistics ....show that it's working elsewhere."

The Political Drama. As a state senator in 1995, Governor Foster led the bi-partisan, populist effort to pass Right to Carry legislation -- only to see it vetoed by then-Governor Edwin Edwards. In a miraculous grassroots campaign built in large measure on Right to Carry popularity, citizens elected Foster Governor in 1996. One of his first official acts was to testify as Governor for the life-saving measure. In a 1996 special session, the final measure passed with overwhelming support.

The First Permit Holder. E. Peggy Landry of New Orleans was awarded the first right to carry permit (originally intended for the Governor). The Governor suggested that Landry be awarded the permit after she testified before legislative committees that she used her firearm to save the lives of three of her friends from a man brandishing a firearm during a robbery attempt.

Mrs. Metaksa concluded, "The landmark study on Right to Carry by University of Chicago researchers demonstrates that Right to Carry is associated with decreases in violent crime. In the wake of that study, anti-gun researchers have been left to argue only about the degree to which Right to Carry reduces crime. Louisiana is just another example of the fact that the system is working. Without the freedom to protect yourself, there can be no safety."

-- the nra: people protecting freedom --