Senator Mastriano is at it again. He recently introduced Senate Bill 244, “Protecting the Rights of Concealed Carry Permit Holders Traveling Across State Lines Act.” Not only does he want Pennsylvanians to be able to carry guns in their cars in the Commonwealth, he now favors doing so in states that have the sense to limit them.
My family was recently in Florida. On I-95 there were warning signs posted that it is against the law to travel more than 10 miles under the speed limit. “It’s the law”, the sign read. I thought how curious that rather than try to reduce drunk driving or promote wearing seatbelts, the message was not to drive too slowly on the Interstate.
I later learned that the reason for the warning was that road rage gun killings had skyrocketed when gun carry laws were recently relaxed in Florida. This meant that slower drivers, who could irritate faster drivers with guns, were literally risking their lives due to the expanded gun law. It turns out that drivers who keep guns in their vehicles are more prone to road rage than those who do not.
Senator Mastriano, the purpose of good governance is to protect public safety, not endanger it. If Maryland is sensible enough to limit carrying guns in vehicles, we should honor their effort to keep the public safe. In fact, we should learn lessons from Maryland and Florida about the dangers of lax gun laws.
Patricia Shoap,
Gettysburg
I hope that you will send Mastriano (or his office) this important message.