e-mail to Missouri state senator and State Representative.

There has been some talk about Missouri joining with other States that have passed laws preventing the Federal government from violating our gun rights in Missouri.  This is good, but wouldn't it also be a good idea for Missouri to stop violating our gun rights?

Missouri State Constitution Article 1 Bill of Rights Section 23: 

"That the right of every citizen to keep and bear arms in defense of his home, person and property, or when lawfully summoned in aid of the civil power, shall not be questioned; but this shall not justify the wearing of concealed weapons"

This is good until it gets to the word "But" and then the section questions what it just stated shall not be questioned.  Why should any law abiding citizen of the State of Missouri have to get a permit to carry a firearm?  Although Open Carry is said to be legal, if you do (in most cities) you will be stopped, questioned, detained and in some cities arrested.  Locally, both Marshfield and Niangua have City Ordinances against carrying a firearm open or concealed.  To me, that is in direct violation of Article 1 Section 23.

As for Conceal Carry Permits.  Conceal Carry Permits do not prevent criminals from carrying firearms, it just questions a persons right to do so.  Training is a good idea, but to require a person to have two different types of weapons, an amount of ammo for the testing, pay the instruction fees, and then pay another fee with the Sheriff's office is not only questioning our right to bear arms, but makes it difficult for a poor person (Senior Citizen or other person on a fixed income) to come up with the fees.  It other words, you have the right to defend yourself with a firearm IF you can afford all the fees, requirements, and don't try to defend yourself in a City that has made that illegal.

I will be 70 years old in March, have owned and fired guns from childhood, I am on a fixed low income (SS), why should I have to buy or rent a different type firearm, shoot up a bunch of expensive ammo, and pay fees to both the instructor and the sheriff's Dept. just to be able to protect my wife and I???  My only other alternative is to risk arrest in my own town (Niangua) or in Marshfield (and no doubt Springfield).

This needs to be corrected.  Please see what you can do.