I know what it is, but I’m not sure why. Either way, I’m confused.
What “it” is, is more and more people are interested in getting concealed carry permits. Since my state heavily regulates gun ownership, a license is a prerequisite to buying a firearm of any type. Stupid, I know, but it’s the law. And no, it doesn’t prevent crime as people who go through the licensing process are not inclined to be criminals. Nor do they have any criminal record.
Anyway, back to my subject. Over the past month a number of people I know, including Mrs. TOTWTYTR, have taken their firearms safety classes. I was over a friend’s house the other day and out of the clear blue she asked me if I knew someone who could teach the class. Her daughter mentioned that she too wants to take the class. Both of these women have been married for some years to men who have their licenses and never expressed any interest.
One of my former partners and his wife decided about a year ago to get their licenses out of the clear blue. Another former partner has taken the class and filed his application for a license.
Did I mention that my son, who had zero interest in firearms when he was younger, now has his concealed carry permit in his new state of residence? Or that my daughter in law wants him to take her shooting so she can get her CCW permit?
Other friends and acquaintances have started to ask me about the process. Even more amazing, to me at least, is that once I explain the licensing process they mostly don’t think it should be so complex and open to discretion of local officials.
None of these people are wild eyed right wing nuts, in fact a couple of them are decidedly liberal.
While I’m encouraged that more people I know and care for are taking responsibility for their own safety, I’m concerned about what it says about their view of the future of society.
I’m also concerned that I’m missing something here that I should be seeing.
I apologize for what seems to be a rather random and disjointed post, but I’m trying to sort this all out and the best way to organize my thoughts is to write them down and let me readers help me sort them out.
Interesting times indeed.
I am sensing a sea change in the population. Folks see the very real possibility they are going to be arbitrarily denied their right of self defense, and albeit likely too late… they are doing something about it.
You may be right. I don’t think anything is going to come out of the Congress at the federal level, but maybe some states will enact more restrictions. The hysteria isn’t necessarily good for the country, but it does seem good for the NRA, gun stores, and manufacturers.
I rather expect something to happen at the federal level, if only as a sop to slake the hysteria the usual suspects have been whipping up. Even if only a high sounding pile of useless kaka, something will likely happen. I also expect the usual suspects to shrill non-stop for the next four years regarding how they were ‘blocked from doing anything by the evil Republicans’, or some such nonsense.
In any case, I wonder if this period of unrest will provide a needed and heeded wake up call….. or just pass beyond popular notice as most things do.
The last time the Congress did something at the federal level it cost the Democrats control of the House of Representatives and it cost Al Gore the Presidency in 2000. The hysteria is limited to the media and politicians in places already unfriendly to firearms and firearms owners. Keep in mind that most of the country thinks that blocking the Congress from doing anything is a good thing. If there is such a national consensus for “doing something” why has the NRA added over 100,000 members in the last month? People I would never expect to join have joined.
I hope that this is a wake up call to push back at an overbearing federal and in some cases, state government, but I’m not that optimistic.
Yep, I’m going to dinner tonight with some friends SPECIFICALLY to talk about guns, training, and CCW licensing…
And voting. We have to remember to always talk about voting to keep our rights. But you knew that already.
Anyone who lives in a house with guns should take a safety course, even if they never intend to use the gun. It also wouldn’t be a bad idea for some to take a refresher course. The children in the house also need to learn gun safety.
My grandmother was shot in the leg by an ‘unloaded’ gun(hunting rifle) when she was a child. Her brother accidentally shot her when he dropped the gun. A former coworker of mine, after someone tried to break into his house, pulled out his old gun to clean it and verify it still worked. He found out it still worked by taking a self inflicted .357 bullet to the chest and almost dying due to it.
I have always liked guns and I do have a firearms owner ID for IL and if conceal carry becomes legal I will get a CCL and carry my Glock 19.
People are worried about rights getting taken away due to all the recent crazies going on shooting sprees. It could happen and it might. However, my main reason for wanting a CCL is about my own safety.
I once got out of a bad situation once by reminding someone that we lived in a state where conceal carry was legal. This was in TX and some crazy woman cornered me while I was hugely pregnant wanting to touch my belly and just talking crazy about how much she wanted a baby and how it had to be a boy(which I happened to be pregnant with.) she was acting in a manner where I felt extremely threatened. I reminded her that conceal carry was legal and she backed off. This was after I told her no less than 5 times to back off. Each time I told her to back off she started acting stranger and talking crazier about needing a baby boy thus making me feel even more threatened. Now I wasn’t carrying a gun but the fact that I hinted I might be was enough for her to back off and let me finish my shopping(which I wasn’t able to do) and go home.
I should have the right to protect myself from harm and if I ever have to pull a gun on someone I’m going to use it. I know several things that I have been taught by coworkers and other gun savvy people. The most important are: Don’t pull your gun unless you plan on using it and Don’t point your gun at anything(including yourself) that you aren’t planning on shooting. My 10 year old also knows basic gun safety. I also let him hold my (verified unloaded) Glock so he could feel how heavy it was and because he was curious about what it felt like. I put it in his hands flat and then took it back. He didn’t ever hold it properly nor was he allowed near the trigger. I knew the gun wasn’t loaded as I had just unloaded it and racked it several times to verify there was nothing in the chamber, even though I knew there wasn’t just to make sure and to demonstrate to him to never ever EVER assume a gun is unloaded. Always assume it is and treat it as such.
More people learning gun safety isn’t nessesarily a bad thing. Problem is, as you said, the people who do this and who go through all the steps required, for their state, to own a gun or obtain a CCL are rarely the ones you have to worry about. It’s the ones who haven’t that you do because they usually aren’t planning on using said gun for lawful purposes and/or aren’t going to handle said gun safely.