Following its northern neighbors' footsteps, Oklahoma passed a Constitutional Carry law on November 1, 2019, effectively allowing adults 21+ (or military personnel 18+) to carry a concealed firearm in public without a previously required CCW (Conceal and Carry Permit). While Second Amendment advocates view this step as a significant win for the personal freedoms of Oklahomans, the policy change has sparked debate as to whether or not this was a good move for public safety. 

As reported by CBS News, the RAND Corporation published data outlining gun ownership in America, citing that 54.7% of residents in the state of Oklahoma reported owning a firearm for home defense. 

Until the Constitutional Carry Law was passed in the State, Oklahomans were required to obtain a permit for concealing firearms anywhere outside of the home. Lawmakers, in an effort to respond to an uptick in community crime, pushed to pass the new legislation under the Second Amendment of the United States Constitution. 

Oklahoma's Constitutional Carry Law permits residents to conceal loaded firearms for hunting, competitions, target practice, training, and self-defense. Advocates in favor of Constitutional Carry policies cite personal freedoms and a need for adequate self-defense measures as justification for the laws. They believe that the existing requirements in place on a federal level for owning a firearm (background checks) are enough of a safety measure to prevent any potential issues that could arise in an armed society. 

Those who oppose Constitutional Carry laws believe that the liability of allowing any citizen, regardless of their training or ability to handle safely, a concealed firearm is not worth the potential risks that these laws pose to society. Advocates in favor of more restrictive gun laws cite a rise in gun-related deaths, both from violent crime and suicide, as one example of why they believe firearm laws are necessary preventative measures for public safety. 

Both advocates and their opposition use public safety as the primary point in their arguments regarding changing gun legislation in the state, leaving the question up for debate: Should Oklahoma require a permit for citizens to carry concealed firearms?