And if U.S. Rep. Chris Cannon, R-Utah, has his way, they'll be even more popular.

Cannon is backing a bill that would require states to recognize concealed-carry permits issued by other states. The only concession to sanity that Cannon and his 36 gun-loving, vote-seeking co-sponsors from the Deep South and the Wild West will make is requiring visitors to comply with local statutes prohibiting guns in churches, schools and other buildings.

The legislation is known as the Secure Access to Firearms Enhancement Act of 2008. That's the SAFE Act, for those of you who appreciate irony.

Trouble is, the proposal is anything but safe, forcing states with stricter standards to honor permits issued by jurisdictions that toss them around like confetti, littering the streets with handguns. States like Utah.

Of 112,000 Utah permits, more than a third are in the hands of out-of-state residents, and no wonder. You don't even have to step foot in the state to acquire one.

Applicants simply fill out the form, write a check, have a firearms safety instructor sign off on the application (some will let you watch a video, negating the need for an actual safety course) and get ready to start packing.

If other states are willing to honor our permits, fine. But Cannon and Congress shouldn't force them. It's a clear-cut imposition on states' rights, the kind that Utah politicians normally can't abide.

Cannon says your Second Amendment rights shouldn't end at the state line. But the right of a state to safeguard its citizens should begin there.

Similar bills introduced in the past have died in committee. This one should be shot down, too.