The biggest problem with this belief (and I happen to agree with it IF, and ONLY IF stricter gun laws were implemented (see below)) is the fact that 99% of people carrying concealed do not have any experience, practice, etc with their weapon. Very few states require anything more than a criminal background check and maybe a few hours in the classroom learning about gun safety. Texas is one example of where you are required to show proficiency, but like it was mentioned above, that is a one time shot (pun not intended) and you are allowed, what I consider, to be an extremely large margin of error. Tennessee has the best laws I have seen regarding firearms, so far and they pretty much mimic (and more) what I am going to write next...
As a military Veteran, who has hands on experience with various weapons of differing caliber, we had to show proof of ability at a minimum of once a year; failure to qualify on the range could result in you being discharged from the military under general conditions. With this being the case, ANYONE wanting a license to carry (concealed or not) should have to follow the following steps, NO MATTER WHAT:
1. FEDERAL AND STATE criminal background checks
2. Physical from your doctor, stating that you are BOTH,
physically capable of handling the weapon without accident AS
WELL AS MENTALLY responsible and capable. If you have certain
mental health diagnoses, that should be a mandatory 10 year
minimum ban on owning a firearm.
3. 80+ hours classroom training on when and how to use your
firearm, as well as safety, storage, marksmanship, etc. You
should be required to qualify on the range both in a standing
position AND in a prone position (laying on the ground), with no
more than a 10% miss rate.
4. Mandatory annual range qualifications equal to your initial,
meaning that at least once a year, you have to go to the range
and requalify with your weapon; YOUR weapon, not a range weapon.
Your results are notated in a Federal database; if you failed,
you have to take a refresher course on the range and qualify
again, within say, one month. Failure to do so, or second fail
on the range, means the range instructor confiscates your
weapon.
5. Finally (and again, these are just MINIMAL standards), by
applying for and receiving your carry permit, you are tacitly
agreeing to use your weapon for Civil Defense, if the need
should arise, up to and including agreeing to being temporarily
deputized in a given situation.
Yes, we have a right under the second amendment to own AND CARRY firearms (within reason). but with this right, comes responsibility, and you need to accept that responsibility, or choose to not exercise your right to own and carry.
edit: I forgot to mention that you should also be required to go through the classroom training every so often as well (I personally think it should be every four or five years, minimum)
Edited by
Daniel74126
on Wed 12/09/15 01:10 AM