Soldiers in Alaska are no longer allowed to carry concealed weapons

[Toots]

off post. I have a buddy who lives in Alaska and he just told me there is an article about soldiers in Alaska no longer allowed to carry concealed weapons off base because there have been numerous instances in the last year with one ending in a civilian's death and three soldier on trial for murder. The thing that strikes me about this whole thing though is when I was in Vietnam we were not allowed to carry any weapons in most cities. Saigon or Nha Trang or Da Nang, almost every single city. It was considered a War Zone in Vietnam and I received Combat Pay for the entire time I was "In country" whether I was on R&R or just visiting some town. It was illegal for us to carry weapons. I carried a 38 caliber pencil flare with me everywhere I went since it technically was not a weapon but would certainly do some damage if fired into a person at close range. When traveling the roads or trails or humping we were certainly armed but not in the cities. I guess America is considered more of a "War Zone" then Vietnam in this day and age. It is considered fairly common for people to walk around armed in many states. Does anyone think this is a bit odd?

[ChairmanAgnostic]

1. isn't alaska occupied by the US? Until we sell it off to Dubai?

And with the anti-missile missile construction, clearly it is a war zone.

[ThomWV]

2. What Kind Of Nonsense Is That

There is nothing about being in the Military which gives any GI or GIette any right or privilege to carry a concealed weapon off base at any time what so ever. A member of the military might avail themselves to whatever laws might apply to a place where they are stationed and lacking any military directive to the contrary might do what ever in hell the law allows, but that in no way give them special privilege.

So the premise is wrong to start with, and to tell the truth the story just plain stinks to high heaven anyway.

[Toots]

3. I never said there was special privileges, alaska has a concealed carry la

All citizens of Alaska are allowed to carry concealed weapons with a permit but no longer can soldiers be eligible for a permit. I don't know what article he was referring to but I would bet an Anchorage Times or Juneau Empire article. :shrug: google may say..
Here is a link
http://www.usarak.army.mil/alaskapost/default.asp

[CBGLuthier]

4. Except Alaska has a CW law

So the question should be why are military men and women not allowed to use the same law as the other citizens of the state.

Now mind you I hate CW laws but allowing one group to have rights and another to not sounds kind of wrong to me.

[northofdenali]

10. After a number of incidents in which soldiers stationed here

used weapons in crimes (3 are on trial in Fairbanks, having killed a guy a while ago), the US Army/Alaska (USARAK) decided to impose this law.

It won't do any good, because our concealed carry laws are so lenient, unless they're actually caught in a crime.

I think it's dumb, actually - there's a lot more assholes carrying concealed that don't know what they're doing (again, referencing the above trial), who are NOT military. I'd rather someone trained, as the military are, carry concealed that some bozo who walks in off the street and buys a semi-auto.

The only advantage to actually taking a class for concealed carry is that you can buy guns without a waiting period if you have the certificate.

Dumb, after the fact regulations don't mean shit. Too little, too late, as usual.

[CBGLuthier]

5. Here is the article

Army made the decision, not Alaska

http://www.news-miner.com/Stories/0,1413,113~7244~3271592,00.html

[MrBenchley]

6. Uhhh....say what?

"It is considered fairly common for people to walk around armed in many states. Does anyone think this is a bit odd?"
Yeah, I think it's pretty fucking odd that anybody thinks that it's common for civilians to wander around heeled. The gun lobby and the GOP have managed to get many of the states to hand out pistol permits like candy...but in almost all cases it's only a handful of loonies who sign up.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

8. agreed!

[Toots]

9. I'm not sure permits are even required in Alaska and possibly other states

as well. I could be wrong but I don't think so.

[MrBenchley]

11. They are if you want to trudge around with a popgun in your pants

Disgracefully, the gun lobby and the GOP have gotten a lot of states to hand out pistol permits like candy....in fact, the gun lobby commisssioned a racist crackpot named John Lott to produce a pseudoscientific bit of claptrap to "prove" more guns would cause crime to drop. Needless to day, that's horseshit.

In Missouri, when voters were offered the plan by referendum, they turned it down; but the GOP pushed it through anyway.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

7. why should people be allowed to carry concealed weapons`

on civilian streests