Some can, and do, carry in city
The article on gun permits was nicely written. But some finer points are missing. People who live in towns that have less stringent licensing requirements, such as Dartmouth, are able to carry statewide. That includes Boston. Just because Boston's regulations are more strict, that doesn't do much to reduce the number of people who can carry a concealed weapon in the city.
I am a Class A license-holder who does not live in Boston. However, my license allows me to carry concealed in any county in the state, Boston included. I have carried in Boston occasionally. Whether riding the T or attending a late-night show, I do so to protect my family. Boston's extra licensing requirements do nothing to stop the out-of-city resident from carrying in the city legally.
So what is needed is uniform licensing standards that apply statewide and are not altered or "interpreted" by overzealous police chiefs who are accountable to no one. The current system punishes and unlawfully restricts the residents of Boston from employing their Second Amendment rights while many other cities practice no such restrictions.
There was a comment from a police chief in your article:
"When you get a driver's license, you practice driving," says Sergeant Paul Cullinane, Brookline's identification/firearms licensing supervisor. "This is the chief's way of saying you need to get a little practice if you're going to get a license to carry."
Well, last I checked there was a constitutional right to bear arms. That right does not include restrictions as to the owner's proficiency.
Zack Aubut
New Bedford
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