People all around Mississippi are up in arms over the new open-carry law — pun intended.

The law, passed by the Legislature earlier this year, was to go into effect July 1, until a Hinds County Circuit Judge stuck his finger in the end of the Legislature’s law barrel causing a misfire.

The aim of the law, its primary purpose, was to clarify the vague state law regarding the right to legally carry a weapon in public — so long as it’s not concealed.

Prior to the law, the challenge was: How do you define “concealed?”

Is a pistol in a holster where a portion of the barrel is covered up “concealed?”

What if the same pistol were tucked into a person’s belt?

Who knew? Interestingly, the criminals — you know, the folks who most of us think shouldn’t be toting around weapons in the first place — never bothered to ask for clarification.

They simply did what they wanted, regardless of what the law suggested.

Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood asked the state Supreme Court to overturn the lower court judge’s injunction, thus allowing the law to take effect.

We hope and pray the high court swiftly follows through on this matter and does as Hood has requested.

Criminals across the state may be silently protesting Hood’s move. From their perspective, only they should be allowed to carry weapons. If every citizen were to do so, the criminals’ entire way of life might have to change.

The fear that every Mississippian carrying a weapon would lead to pandemonium is a bit over the top.

That fear focuses on the wrong people. Law-abiding citizens follow laws; criminals don’t.