By: Kaci Lane Hindman

Gun laws vary from state to state and can even be different within states themselves, so it can be challenging to keep them all straight. In Alabama, BamaCarry exists to help educate citizens and communicate the issues of gun laws and gun safety.

Current BamaCarry president Eddie Fulmer’s discovery of Alabama’s confusing gun laws prompted him to want to join a gun rights group. Fulmer came across a suspicious-sounding ordinance that led him to dig deeper into the state’s gun laws. He was working at the Tuscaloosa Fire Department when an ordinance passed that prohibited anyone from carrying a weapon on city property. Some online research led him to the Alabama Code, where he discovered his suspicions were correct. Cities do not have the right to create gun laws; only the legislature can do so.

“After some time, [a few pople and I] got together and formed what is now the largest no-compromise gun rights group in Alabama, BamaCarry, Inc.,” Fulmer said.

BamaCarry serves as a great source of “information, organization, and patriotism relating to Alabama’s gun rights and laws,” bamacarry.org states. The site has plenty of helpful information concerning gun safety and the latest news concerning gun rights and laws in the state. It also provides links to the Alabama Legislature and websites that explain constitutional rights and other state gun laws.

Teaching Law Enforcement about Gun Laws
Fulmer encourages anyone interested in gun laws and rights to join the group, as it discusses the facts about laws and also offers classes on situational awareness and how to handle weapons safely. Many people, including local law enforcement, have learned things about gun laws they didn’t know before.

“When I first became interested in gun laws, about nine years ago, very few people knew the real facts,” Fulmer said. “Even law enforcement had them wrong at times. Our local sheriff, whom we support, will tell you BamaCarry has taught him a lot about our gun laws.”

Continual Growth
I was privileged to attend BamaCarry’s 75th meeting. Since this is an election year, several candidates running for office were in attendance and shared their views on topics like constitutional carry, a hot topic in Alabama. Tuscaloosa’s local sheriff, district attorney, and judges can often be seen in attendance at the meetings, too.

I listened as Fulmer proudly announced that the group had met 75 times and reminisced about how it had grown over the years. Alabama now has BamaCarry chapters in 29 counties, and more are in the early stages of forming.

“What started with a meeting at a Cracker Barrel in Tuscaloosa is now sporting a following in excess of 30,000 on Facebook, Twitter, Google, and other social media, with a paying membership of well over 1,000 [people],” Fulmer said.

Constitutional Carry a Priority
BamaCarry members are constantly working toward bringing constitutional carry to their state. Fulmer said that for the past six years, a bill on constitutional carry has passed the Senate but never made it to a House vote. Each time, the bill was held up in a House Committee, where it eventually died.

Fulmer said the biggest hurdle his group faces in getting constitutional carry passed is the corruption originating in the state’s capital of Montgomery. Alabama has seen its share of government officials arrested for bribes and other “white collar crimes” in recent years, and the corruption has taken a toll on many bills BamaCarry wants to see become law.

BamaCarry provides a list of pro-gun candidates it endorses, and Alabama residents can easily join BamaCarry and get involved with the gun rights movement through BamaCarry.org.

Kaci Lane Hindman is a writer, editor, and humorist, writing from Tuscaloosa County, Alabama. Contact her by visiting kacilane.com.