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Posted on 04/23/2012 8:17:10 AM PDT by marktwain
Kellie Mejdrich of the Arizona-Sonora News Service wrote an article for the Tucson Sentinel in which she describes how easy it is for an Arizona resident to obtain a concealed carry permit and then implies the state needs tougher CCW issuance standards.
I know some of you are shaking your heads right now saying, “I thought Arizona was one of the four states that approved Constitutional carry, why would one even need to obtain a CCW license?”
Well, you’re correct on that, but as she pointed out in her article:
In Arizona, hip slingers needn’t worry themselves over a permits if the gun’s visible you’re in the clear—even carrying concealed is allowed permit-free in most places. But to carry a concealed weaponin [sic] privileged places—like national parks, restaurants serving alcohol, and near schools — and to have your right to carry concealed recognized in 36 other states, you’ve got to get a permit.
So, the young and intrepid Ms. Mejdrich sets out to get her CCW. But she’s got a secret. And that secret is she’s never fired a gun before in her life.
To obtain a CCW permit in AZ., one needs to satisfy the following requirements, Ms. Mejdrich wrote:
There are some requirements: citizenship, being 21 years old, not suffering from mental illness (this isn’t ever evaluated though), never have been convicted of a felony, and having “satisfactorily completed a training program or demonstrated competence with a firearm,” according to state law.
Instead of registering for a beginner course, one that would teach her the basics of how to safely handle and shoot a firearm, she signs up for an expedited one-hour class, that’s specifically suited for “the person with experience with firearms, who does not have time to seat through several hours of additional firearms training.”
In addition to that disclaimer, an in-class statement underscores that the one-hour class is not designed for those new to guns.
Nevertheless, Ms. Mejdrich proceeds to take the one-hour class for those familiar with firearms and subsequently obtains her CCW permit.
“I’m a 22-year-old woman who has never touched a gun in her life, but obtaining a concealed weapons permit in Arizona took me little more than a lunch break and $100,” she gloated at the beginning of her article.
The obvious point Ms. Mejdrich is attempting to illustrate is the relative ease by which an Arizona resident can obtain a CCW license, especially if the applicant resorts to legerdemain.
Although she acknowledged that she misrepresented her experience with firearms, she seems to fault the instructor, Bob DeNis of CCW AZ School, LLC., a DPS-certified and NRA-certified instructor, for not questioning her suitability for the class.
“DeNis never asked me whether I had shot a gun before, or evaluated my proficiency once I sat down for class,” she wrote.
In a follow-up interview, she asked DeNis why he didn’t inquire about her experience with firearms.
bob-denisIn addition to pointing out that he has no legal obligation to do so, that those aforementioned disclaimers pass legal muster, and that it’s impractical to question every student who takes his one-hour class, he said that those who are seeking CCWs without adequate training are only hurting themselves.
“Are they trying to circumvent the system and just get the CCW?,” he asked. “If they’ve never even fired a gun before, is that going to really be of help to them? Is that really going to be of value? They’re probably just wasting their money.”
While DeNis raises very cogent points, there’s an ideological dynamic to this discussion. That is, personal responsibility v. government oversight.
At the end of the day it comes down to this simple question: do you want the government to be solely responsible for your personal safety?
Arizona is a free state, a state that values an individual’s fundamental right to self-defense. In California, in particular in Los Angeles County where I live, the average Joe cannot carry a concealed handgun. By denying citizens that right, Los Angeles County is telling its residents that it is responsible for their personal safety.
Bearing this in mind, I would just like to remind Ms. Mejdrich how good she’s got it because, if given a choice, I’d much rather live in a place that errs on the side of freedom, than one that errs on the side of ‘government knows best.’
So, congratulations Ms. Mejdrich, you fleeced the system to obtain a concealed carry permit. But at least you were able to get one.
Liberals think that there should be massive hurdles to overcome in order to carry a firearm, but asking for ID before voting is an infringement.
Liberal thinking on display for all to see, folks!
This loon seems proud of her “scam”. How smart do you have to be to steal something that is free for the taking?
I wonder how long it will be before we read the report of her shooting her foot off while drawing her concealed weapon that she knows nothing about. Just because you have a right to do something doesn’t mean it is always the best idea.
The Tucson Sentinel? I am a native Arizonan and have lived in Tucson for the last 48 of my 66 years. I have never heard of the Tucson Sentinel.
This is the philosophy that brought us Pol Poi, the Gulags, and the holocaust.
This was one of the comments:
“Miss Mejdrich interviewed me extensively for this article, in 3 conversations over an hour last week.
As an instructor, I asked her if she could use deadly force on someone who had broken into her home and meant her harm, if he did not have a weapon. She did not know the answer.
Rules on when you can use deadly force, especially in your home, are something you do not forget in 2 months. That is prima facia evidence that she committed perjury on her application, on familiarity with the laws.
There is also no such thing as a 1-hour NRA course which could lead to a permit. If DPS does not pull her permit, it is malfeasant.
I told her prepeatedly that NRA only certifies instructors to teach THEIR courses - and there is no one hour course.That did not make it into the article.
This report is what the Society of Professional Journalists would say, has a “framing bias,” in that it presents an imbalanced picture.
As a journalist and talk show host, I expect better out of the media.
Respectfully,
Charles Heller
CCW Instructor
Communications Director AzCDL
Host, America Armed & Free Radio
AM 1030 KVOI Tucson”
Thank you for your informative post.
I have been wondering about the origin of the one hour course.
I have wondered if it might be a course offered by some lesser known national organization, or perhaps a hunter safety course from another state.
Probably a silver spoon slut educated in an ivory tower that never spent more time on the street than it takes to walk away from her Prius and say hello to the doorman.
When Obama’s son is smashing her skull into the pavement she’ll be pulling the trigger with the safety on. Her dying thought will be how she’s going to sue the firearm manufacturer for millions and be interviewed by Oprah.
show the same twit how easy it is to vote as a person who you are not, and her head would explode while screaming “FRAUD”
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