Anti-gunners are wringing their hands about those with visual disabilities getting carry permits in Iowa.
Any excuse they can imagine, right?
This “story” made the mainstream media. Could you imagine many other topics they would treat the same? Can you imagine these same people who are worried about so-called blind folks getting a carry permit… would they also argue against people with hearing disabilities getting a driver’s license?
I’ve been an personal protection (as in teaching folks to use guns to defend themselves from violent attack, as opposed to teaching people how to punch holes in a round target) instructor for 15-plus years now and I’ve had all manner of disabilities in the classes. Legally blind, deaf, wheel-chair bound, amputations, extreme old age and more I’ve surely forgotten about.
Not a one of these people had a problem keeping hits on a sheet of paper at 9-12 feet when they used the fundamentals we taught them.
Given the fact a majority of deadly force encounters are roughly 6′ or less (don’t let the bad guy in your personal space!), you don’t have to see 20/20 to utilize deadly force for self-defense.
Even if a person is stone-cold blind, if someone’s grabbing them and assaulting them, they don’t need to see what color shirt the offender has. Put the gun in their gut by feel and pull the trigger.
Here’s the story. Remember, would the author write it the same if he was discussing allowing disabled people to drive cars?
(DesMoines Register) – Here’s some news that has law enforcement officials and lawmakers scratching their heads:
Iowa is granting permits to acquire or carry guns in public to people who are legally or completely blind.
No one questions the legality of the permits. State law does not allow sheriffs to deny an Iowan the right to carry a weapon based on physical ability.
The quandary centers squarely on public safety. Advocates for the disabled and Iowa law enforcement officers disagree over whether it’s a good idea for visually disabled Iowans to have weapons.
On one side: People such as Cedar County Sheriff Warren Wethington, who demonstrated for the Register how blind people can be taught to shoot guns. And Jane Hudson, executive director of Disability Rights Iowa, who says blocking visually impaired people from the right to obtain weapon permits would violate the Americans with Disabilities Act. That federal law generally prohibits different treatment based on disabilities.
For a summary of Underreported News Stories of Guns Used in Self-Defense please visit equalforce.net. One of the leading web aggregators of Defensive Gun Use (DGU) stories.
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We trained a guy last year from a neighboring state who was white cane/dark glasses blind. Part of our job as instructors is to find answers to such problems, rather than encourage legislation to deny a human of their natural right to self-defense.
And thanks to our friend, Master Firearms Instructor Peter Burlingame, the answer was incredibly simple. We equipped our student with a revolver loaded with blanks. Blanks are lethal at contact distance, but not any threat at all outside of contact distances.
If our student was physically attacked, he could defend himself with gunfire that in no way put bystanders in harms way, yet have a way of doing serious damage up close and personal.
He was blind, he possesses a carry permit, and he’s carrying responsibly.