Just make basic firearms safety a REQUIRED course in high school.
My thought as well. Teach it along with Safe Sex and Driver's Ed.
I'm still waiting for someone to tell me what problem more training will solve, and demonstrate that problem actually exists.
I'm waiting as well. From my understanding, bad shoots by CCW holders, in a situation where they wouldn't have been carrying without the permit, that would have been reasonably preventable by training is zero.
IE It's not a problem.
The lady shooting for the first time after getting the permit? She would have had the same thing happen if she'd gone to the range before the class.
Heck, there's even the possibility that she thought the CCW permit was actually a usage permit like a Driver's License. She might of thought she needed it before going to the range. BTW - at least she went to the range.
One problem with a shooting course is that it requires people to bring their weapons in, and perform at a range. Suddenly you can't hold the legal class part teaching about the legal side of using lethal force in self defense. There's a lot fewer ranges out there than classrooms. Some ranges have classrooms attached, many don't.
My thought? Make sure they can load/unload safely, cover the legal aspects, call it a day.
jackdanson said:
Bah, if folks don't want to shoot they shouldn't have to. Personal choice and all. That being said I should have not been forced to take art class... dang that teacher hated me.
Then don't require them to shoot, merely attend the gun safety portion. IE how to safely handle a gun, safety measures to use when unloading, etc... Think hunter safety. You can teach them 'don't point it at anybody you don't want to hurt' with a nerf gun.
heavyshooter said:
shot by a drunk driver who is trying to defend himself from a carjacking.
1. Did he have a CCW permit?
2. Was he carrying legally, even discounting that DUI is a felony, therefore it's felony in possession in many states?
3. Given that there's training against drunk driving in Driver's Ed, and prohibitions against it in driving manuals and he ignored those, even if he had training, would he have paid attention to it?
4. Idiots happen, training or not. Look at the recent shooting by a BART officer in Oakland, CA. He was presumably trained and permitted. Heck, as a police officer he has effectively 50 state carry today.
Heavyshooter, I understand what you're saying about inner-city shooters. I'd argue that many, even most of those types would be prohibited from carrying through the felon prohibition. Regardless, I believe that we need to take an approach that looks at people's actions, not their possessions.
Shoot a 7 year old girl because you're being stupid? Manslaughter. Deliberatly? Murder. Discharge your weapon for no good reason, especially if you're being unsafe? Disturbing the police/creating a public hazard(terms vary).
Going after training for CCW holders is missing the curve. Most(not all) CCW holders are enthusiusts. It'd be like requiring training for professional racecar drivers when you don't require any training for normal drivers.
On the other hand, it is a
right. Thus - if we need training for safety's sake, we should spread it universally. The logical spot for this would be to have it be a course in school.
