| These laws would permit the licensing of the right to carry concealed weapons. They are enacted state by state, as a popular voting issue. "Popular," in this case, means "voted on by the population," because concealed carry is most unpopular with most gun control advocates.
There is a strange dichotomy of thought about concealed carry; many gun control advocates seem to believe that allowing concealed carry will allow more crooks to carry concealed weapons. However, a moment's thought should cast serious doubt upon this idea--for (1) crooks already do illegal things; why should the absense of a law keep them from carrying a concealed gun? and (2) folks applying for concealed carry permits will have to go through rigorous background checks and take classes in gun use and safety before being allowed to carry a concealed weapon; this will weed out all or almost all of the crooks, as well as increase the knowledge of gun safety in the general population--which is another benefit of concealed carry.
Furthermore, states with concealed carry laws have been shown to have lower crime rates than those without. As Robert Heinlein put it, "An armed society is a polite society." When any robbery or rape victim is potentially carrying a gun, would-be criminals are given pause.
And police officers usually favor concealed carry, as well, as it makes their jobs easier and safer. One police officer mentions, in Randy Cassingham's concealed carry rant page (http://www.thisistrue.com/peeve/guns.html), that concealed carry has saved his life twice, when citizens have retrieved their guns from their vehicles and come to his aid. And yet gun control advocates still try to paint concealed carry as a law-enforcement issue.
There have been reports of more states considering allowing concealed carry in the wake of the recent terrorism incidents. While it is doubtful this would have helped prevent the WTC tragedy, it might at least save some lives in the future. | 
