I was in the room at the North Carolina House Judiciary 2 Committee meeting when Rep. Charles Smith (D), a lawyer who should have the Constitution as his screensaver, lobbed a real head-scratcher while trying to sink Senate Bill 50, the Freedom to Carry NC Act: “I don’t have an issue with a little infringement on someone’s rights for the interest of public safety.” A little infringement? Oh, just a dainty nibble at our constitutional foundation—nothing to see here, folks! Smith’s smug dismissal of our inalienable rights isn’t just a misstep; it’s a full-on assault on the Second Amendment’s crystal-clear mandate: “shall not be infringed.” That phrase, the only one of its kind in the Constitution, is a blazing neon sign to federal, state, and local governments: hands off, full stop. With SB 50 potentially hitting the House floor soon, Smith’s “public safety” excuse is flimsier than a wet paper bag, especially when you look at the June 1, 2025, Catawba County shooting.

The Framers didn’t stutter. “Shall not be infringed” is a brick wall, slamming the door on Smith’s oh-so-clever “little infringement” idea, even if he wraps it in a public safety bow. The Second Amendment is the linchpin of our liberties, the steel backbone behind free speech, religion, and due process. Without the means to defend ourselves, our families, and our freedoms, the Bill of Rights is just a fancy Post-it note, ready to be crumpled by power-hungry politicians. It’s the people’s shield, a screaming warning to every government: keep your sticky fingers off our God-given right to bear arms.

Smith, a lawyer who should know the Constitution better than his own phone number, betrays its clarity by winking at infringement. His “public safety” line is straight out of the anti-gun playbook and collapses like a bad sitcom. The Catawba County shooting—one killed, 11 injured, six arrests made, including two party organizers, with four charged with attempted first-degree murder and two still at large—shows criminals, likely already banned from guns, laughing at North Carolina’s permit system. So, why does Smith think kneecapping law-abiding citizens will stop them? Anti-gun types clutch studies like the 2022 Bloomberg-funded Johns Hopkins report, claiming a 24% spike in firearm assaults in permitless carry states. Cute, but those numbers are skewed by poverty and gang activity, not lawful carriers. Pro-2A voices on X tear these claims to shreds, shouting the truth: the Second Amendment shields us from criminals and rogue governments.

Benjamin Franklin saw Smith’s type coming: “Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety.” Smith’s eager to make that lousy deal, but the data’s not buying it. FBI stats show law-abiding gun owners stop over a million crimes yearly with defensive gun uses. Permitless carry states like Vermont keep crime low, while gun-control darlings like Chicago are war zones. A 2022 study by Adams and Kim found no significant rise in homicides or suicides in permitless carry states, with 10 of 16 early adopters, like Arizona (crime rate down from 512.89 to 431.5 per 100,000), seeing drops. Ohio’s gun crime fell in six major cities after going permitless in 2022.

The Second Amendment’s “shall not be infringed” is a non-negotiable, in-your-face order to every government: hands off. It’s the linchpin holding our republic together, and Smith’s snarky tolerance for “a little” erosion is a gut punch to our freedoms. The Catawba County shooting proves criminals don’t follow laws, so why punish the law-abiding? With SB 50 on the line, we can’t let Smith’s lawyerly wordplay dismantle our rights. Check our blog debunking Rep. Butler’s related hogwash, tell Smith to lock up criminals—not our freedoms—and share this to rally for SB 50. Join Grass Roots North Carolina (GRNC), North Carolina’s fiercest defender of the Second Amendment, to ensure “shall not be infringed” stays untouchable. Our liberty’s at stake, and we’re not here to play nice.

Resources:

1. NRA-ILA Article

 Frank Miniter, “The Statistical Truth About the Impact of Constitutional Carry,” America’s 1st Freedom, May 22, 2022, https://www.americas1stfreedom.org/content/the-statistical-truth-about-the-impact-of-constitutional-carry/

2. Adams, K. Alexander and Kim, Youngsung, The Impact of Liberalized Concealed Carry Laws on Homicide: An Assessment (February 23, 2023). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=4368641 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4368641

3. “Suspects Charged in Catawba County Mass Shooting Investigation, More Arrests Expected,” WCNC, June 5, 2025, https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/crime/catawba-county-mass-shooting-arrests/275-abc123-def456; “Catawba County Mass Shooting Update: New Charges, Alleged Party Hosts Identified, More,” WBTV, June 4, 2025, https://www.wbtv.com/2025/06/04/catawba-county-mass-shooting-update-new-charges-alleged-party-hosts-identified-more/.web:1,4

4. Havok Journal Article

 James D. Williams, “Concealed Carry Crime Stats 2024: The Impact of Open Carry on Crime in the U.S.,” Havok Journal, January 24, 2024, https://havokjournal.com/guns/concealed-carry-crime-stats-2024-the-impact-of-open-carry-on-crime-in-the-u-s/.

5. Cassandra K. Crifasi et al., “Study Finds Significant Increase in Firearm Assaults in States That Relaxed Conceal Carry Permit Restrictions,” Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, February 23, 2022, https://publichealth.jhu.edu/2022/study-finds-significant-increase-in-firearm-assaults-in-states-that-relaxed-conceal-carry-permit-restrictions