In many states, the first step to getting a CCW permit is to take some kind of "gun safety" course. This course is mandated by state law and the state usually provides a list of approved course instructors.
In many cases, all it takes to become a state-approved gun safety course provider is to be an NRA certified instructor. As I've sagely noted before, becoming an NRA certified anything is a function of paying the fee and a few hours of your time.
Nobody fails any NRA training.
As the Washington Post's Courtland Milloy discovered, many of these gun safety courses are taught by blowhards who more interested in signing you up for the NRA and bloviating about evil liberals than teaching anything about gun safety. In fact, Milloy's instructor, Jim Reynolds, seems to have difficulty accepting a black man as President.
That aside, there exist no standards as to the conduct of these trainers.
Although my CCW class was actually excellent, and most are, what you describe does happen.
ReplyDeleteI'd say the best answer is Arizona/Alaska/Vermont style CCW where no training or license is required. That way those few blowhards don't get any extra work.
So who should teach a gun safety class if not NRA Certified instructors?
ReplyDeleteFWM: That's up for discussion.
ReplyDeleteBut the fact remains the NRA passes everyone and once you're certified--there's no further oversight or maintenance training required.
I can't think of any other profession where a teacher or instructor is guaranteed to be certified and once they are--there's no further oversight or periodic refresher training.
Further, once you're certified--you then get to certify others.
And still you sagely offer no sage alternative.
ReplyDeleteFWM: I could offer a number of alternatives. They would involve no NRA involvement. They would involve training trainers to a set of skills and demonstrated proficiency. They'd involve oversight of those trainers to ensure they're teaching the curriculum. They'd involve mandatory periodic refresher training and competency testing. They'd involve feedback from trainees.
ReplyDeleteI like the point Jadegold brought up. I'm not surprised the pro-gun yes-men didn't have anything good to say about it.
ReplyDeleteAnyone who handles weapons must have very serious training. Once, only partly kidding I said gun owners should have to undergo Parris-Island-type training.
Many times I've expressed how inadequate is the training for policemen. Heavy psychological screening, as well as that of the prospective gun owners, should be part of the deal too.
I am a legal gun owner in one state but in another state in order for me to buy another hand gun, I have to take a gun safety class. I see these gun safety classes as only a revenue stream for the NRA.
ReplyDeleteTo answer FatWhiteMan, I think your local police department should do the training. They would have a more impartial opinion. Of coarse, all this depends on if the police officer who usually does the training is not on administrative leave after being drunk like the recent cop in Mass.
il Principle, one problem with your suggestion is that we are laying off police officers. We do not have enough to respond to crime now. I don't think we would have any available for training if we don't have any to respond to real crime.
ReplyDeleteSecondly, what makes a police officer a better trainer than an NRA Certified Instructor? In most cases they don't know gun laws as well as us gunloons do.
"I'm not surprised the pro-gun yes-men didn't have anything good to say about it."
ReplyDeleteThe reason we have nothing good to say about it is that other than Jade's and Courtland's assertion that there's a problem, there doesn't seem to be one.
Courtland took the class and then played a "he said, she said" with what was taught, and the instructor claimed that Courtland misrepresented what was taught.
Who are we to believe? Jade??? Please, I'd sooner trust a crack-whore 'jonesing' for her next fix than Jade, on any subject. Am I supposed to believe Courtland because he used the words "Roscoe" and "piece" in reference to a gun?
Thanks, but until the police are complaining that concealed carry permit holders are violating the law and not receiving proper instruction, or permit holders are suing their instructors because they are not being taught properly, I have to say that there just isn't a problem here.
In fact, if Jade says there is, then I say for sure there isn't.
Anonymous challenged, "until the police are complaining that concealed carry permit holders are violating the law and not receiving proper instruction, or permit holders are suing their instructors because they are not being taught properly, I have to say that there just isn't a problem here."
ReplyDeleteOh, if I only had ten minutes to google a couple things I could really shut you up, buster.
Well, go ahead. Show us the police complaining that permit holders are not trained enough,(and show us their resolution to that issue) and show us permit holders suing their trainers for their incompetence in training.
ReplyDeleteYou're convinced it's a problem. Show us.
Not everyone passes NRA courses. Even at the basic course level, students who do not demonstrate the proper Knowledg, Skill and Attitude to safely own and operate firearms do not receive a completion certificate. At the instructor course level, a pre-course qualification must be completed and passed prior to attending the training. At the Training Counselor (trainers of instructions) level, a whole lesson is devoted to evaluating instructor candidates and either recommending, retraining, reevaluating or rejecting them as NRA Instructors. It's easy to issue the blanket "everyone passes" statement. Yes, there are "bad apples", but these get weeded out. Perhaps you are one of the many would-be ninjas who thinks that pling X-Box shoot-em-ups make you a guru...but get your facts straight before you chose to attack the Nationally recognized QUALITY training provided by NRA Trainers.
ReplyDelete