Truck drivers are only too familiar with the dangers of the open road, and many choose to arm themselves to be ready for incidents categorized as unexpected but increasingly common.
Unfortunately, too many of these blue-collar professionals get ensnared by state laws that infringe on their gun rights. Two truckers challenged Minnesota’s gun control regime that denies reciprocity for carry permit holders from states that have less strict gun laws.
This week, a federal judge decided that drivers must continue to unload and lock away their firearms when crossing into the Gopher State.
Court rules that truckers lose fundamental rights when they enter Minnesota
District Judge John Tunheim claimed the state law did not violate the plaintiffs’ Second Amendment rights.
“The Supreme Court has interpreted this language to mean that the Second Amendment protects an individual right to bear arms…and applies to the states,” Tunheim wrote, and so far, so good. But then he continued.
“However, the rights bound up in the Second Amendment are not without limit.”
Law-abiding drivers should not be at the mercy of violent criminals
All rights have limits if matters are taken to extremes, but seeking to be able to defend oneself hundreds or thousands of miles away from home is hardly a radical act.
The two truck drivers, David McCoy II of Texas and Jeffrey Johnson Sr. of Florida, told the court that violent criminals often target truckers for their isolation and vulnerability. The Minnesota law created a circumstance where good people must choose between abiding by the statute or being prepared to defend themselves.
The only alternative for professional drivers currently is to apply for a Minnesota permit. This must be done in person at a cost of $100 and must be renewed every five years.
This system defies logic and is not practical for an individual from another state.
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