Some of the most ardent supporters of gun rights in Palm Beach County say it’s too easy to get a concealed weapons license in Florida, where gun owners from as far away as Alaska take the course to get the right to carry.
Critics of the Florida system, including members of the National Rifle Association, say state law does not require enough training to prove “competence” with a handgun. That worries them. If sloppy handgun owners shoot first and think later, their mistakes could cause unintended deaths and jeopardize the rights of responsible gun owners.
Even a plastic pellet fired into a bucket of sand has been used to demonstrate handgun proficiency, said Mike Caruso, owner of the Delray Shooting Center and a life member of the NRA.
“It’s insanity,” Caruso said. “It’s like learning to drive a car with a 25-cent coin in a video machine.”
Gun-rights fanatics will of course deny all this. Let's hear it from Greg and Kurt. The way I see it, Florida is still the worst.
What's your opinion? Please leave a comment.
It's a problem that these comments were deleted. You've lost the record of an exchange between Dog Gone and me that showed her to be exactly what I've always said.
ReplyDeleteFortunately, I can remember much of it:
I said that I when got a Florida non-resident permit, I had to go through a background check and submit proof of training.
She accused me of not being able to qualify in Arkansas and thereby needing a Florida permit, which she called crappy.
I reminded her that I got a license first in Tennessee, then transferred that one to Arkansas when I moved. I have the Florida license as a backup for when I face the bureaucratic delay in renewing my Arkansas license.
I also offered her the chance to apologize for once again being snide and dismissive and for showing an unwillingness to use critical thinking skills.