Recently, a court case was filed in Maryland District Court challenging the "good and substantial" clause of the Maryland Concealed Carry Permit application requirement. This requirement directly conflicts with the Second Amendment of the United States Constitution, in that it greatly prohibits an individual their God given and inalienable "right to bear arms".

This clause is predicated on the State of Maryland's interpretation of the U.S. Constitution, particularly the Bill of Rights, and whether or not those rights transfer from the federal to state governments under the Fourteenth Amendment. As part of his certiorari opinion, of the landmark case "McDonald vs. Chicago", Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito clearly stated that the Second Amendment does transfer to the states.

So, what does all of this mean? Basically, that of these fifty United States, the State of Maryland is still only one of ten remaining "hold-out" states that choose to infringe upon your constitutional rights to defend yourself and your family. So stalwart are they in their position, they are willing to waste your tax dollars to continue to litigate this issue, rather than adopt "Shall Issue" permitting laws.

Statistics have proven that those states that adopt "Shall Issue" carry permit laws immediately see an average 7 per cent reduction in all major crimes. Therefore, please contact your elected officials and urge that they support "Shall Issue" laws in the State of Maryland, and help to make it a safer place.

Jerry R. Roope, Perryville