Holy cow... Concealed weapons

From: Joe R. <rigdonj_at_cfl.rr.com>
Date: Mon Aug 9 11:10:38 2004

At 11:05 AM 8/9/04 -0400, chris wrote:
>>South Carolina requires training and has a written test and a shooting test
>>that people must pass before receiving a concealed weapon permit. Most
>>other states have training requirements also.
>>But, none of them are very arduous and yes many states don' t have training
>>requirements at all as you say.
>
>In NJ to get a carry permit, you have to be 18, and you have to petition
>a judge to issue you the carry permit. Before they will consider you, you
>MUST "qualify" with a handgun. That basically means, you know how to
>load, unload, handle, and can hit the broad side of a barn. After that it
>is entirely up to the judge if you get the carry permit or not. Generally
>speaking, they won't give you the permit unless you have a really good
>reason for it (work as armed security, or have some profession such as a
>diamond dealer that would give you a valid reason for it). General
>shmucks would not be given the permit... unless you happen to be buddies
>with the judge.
>
>So in NJ, it isn't impossible to get a carry permit, but it isn't the
>easiest thing for a general citizen to get.
>
>At least that was the way it worked 10 years ago when it was last of
>issue to me (I used to work for a security company as a "rent-a-cop" to
>pay for college).


   That's the way it worked in most states up until the last 15 years or
so. You had to be a buddy of the judges and then you got a permit weather
you NEEDED one or not and weather or not you were compitent.* If you
weren't a buddy of the judges you didn't get one no matter how bad your
need. However a lot of states (at least here in the south) have now gone
to a "shall issue" philosphy. That means that as long as you meet the
training and background requirements, they MUST issue you a permit unless
they can go to a judge and show a GOOD reason that you shouldn't have one.
Generally speaking you must be able to show that you are a legal resident
of the state, are mentally compitent, aren't a convicted (or under
inditment) felony, that you aren't a habitual drug user or alcoholic, that
you've had extensive (formal) training with firearms such as police or
military service or a formal school, and you must study and be tested on
the laws concerning when you are allowed to use your weapon and where and
when you can carry it and when you can't. Then you must pass a local and
state police and FBI background check. (I THINK that covers it). Since
this change, the number of people with CWPs has gone from a few hundred to
over 200,000 here in Florida. And Ed is right, people simply aren't being
shot dead in the streets either accidently or intentionally. In fact,
you've probably noticely in the last ten years or so how the criminals are
now focusing on the tourists. That's because they know that if they take on
a Florida citizen then there's a VERY good chance that they're going to
shoot back! Now they've taken to following tourists out of the airports
and robbing them once they're away from the airport. That's because they
know that if they just got off a plane that they aren't armed and can't
resist.

   * You would be surprised how many of the Hollywood and Washington DC
liberals have a CWP and are armed. Even though they live in gated and
guarded communities and are the ones that are crying to ban guns.


   Joe
Received on Mon Aug 09 2004 - 11:10:38 BST