Washington, D.C.—gun-control mecca and home of the nearly-impossible-to-obtain handgun carry permit—is experiencing a sharp jump in murders this year, leaving city officials scratching their heads and wondering how to battle the increased violence.
A weekend Washington Post story reported that the District has experienced 93 homicides this year, a 23-percent increase over the 72 reported at the same time last year. Also according to the Post, violence is spilling over into parts of the city that have largely been unaffected in the past.
Here’s a suggestion for D.C. officials: Do what the courts have twice ordered you to do, and begin issuing carry permits to law-abiding citizens who wish to protect themselves and their families from violent criminals. Nothing else you have tried has worked, and past evidence shows that expanding the Right to Carry corresponds with lower violent crime rates wherever it has been tried.
