Louisiana Heading Toward Constitutional Carry

[jf837]

Seriously? What is with some of you guys that think that there should be a training requirement to exercise a constitutionally protected right?

Thank you! And in the words of Louisiana Shooting Association President, Dan Zelenka, "Louisiana already has open carry provisions, this bill just allows you to put on a jacket".

[jf837]

Guys, the proposed training module is optional. We're on the same page when it comes to requirements to exercise a right.

I believe they were saying the current statute is in place to require training, whereas the proposed statute would make said training optional.

[Sauer Koch]

A good friend was at the range, and near him was a woman who had bought her first firearm, a Glock. She complained that she could not get it to fire. This lady thought that they came loaded and was not aware she needed to purchase ammunition. She is an example of someone who should have some sort of training. During my teaching career, I taught numerous stupid people. They too might benefit from minimal training. I worked part time at a range that sometimes hosted training sessions for armed security guards. The walls and ceiling were pock marked with stray bullets.This same range was a site for chl classes. I saw numerous doofuses. Minimal training might be teaching how to handle a handgun without pointing it at others and steps to take to avoid negligent discharges. Training should not be an obstacle. Then it is onerous. Absolute and unrestricted access to firearms legally places them into hands of convicted felons and those having been committed to insane asylums or should I say state mental hospitals. When I think about the number of fellow citizens who believe that 2A rights do not pertain to individuals, then I am happy when the state allows constitutional carry with minimal and abbreviated training.

The first part about the lady thinking the new gun came loaded...holy shit! Scary. When my wife took her CC class, there was a woman who had never shot a gun, but bought one just before the class, so she could get her permit. 90-120 days later, she was carrying; again, scary. Gun handling skills are a thing, and the only way to attain it is through a lot time with one in your hand, some proper fundamentals, with either dry fire, or live shooting, and neither of those can happen in the course of a one day CCW class.
It’s always interesting to hear people complain about the price of a training course, one or two day. Knowing that you SHOULD train, but can’t afford it, is one thing; thinking you know it all, therefore you don’t, is another. “Training should not be an obstacle”...but it is for most, since the majority of ‘gun owners’ are not serious ‘shooters’ (people who enjoy shooting frequently, say more than once a month).
Any trip to a public indoor range proves the need for training and decent gun-handling skills.

[Paul D]

Seriously? What is with some of you guys that think that there should be a training requirement to exercise a constitutionally protected right?

100% agree. Alcohol is a constitutionally protected right (21st amendment) and it probably has killed more Americans than guns. Nobody requiring alcoholics to get training.

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[Joe in PNG]

Then again, how much mandated training is generally useless when it comes to actually making people be safe? I'm sure plenty of the instructors, LEO's, and veterans/ active duty mil here can post plenty of stories of students, cops, and soldiers doing really dumb and unsafe things with firearms.

The "but we need to mandate training to be safe" excuse is just an excuse. Vermont, and all the states after them seem to get about the same level of derpy unsafeness as just about everyone else where guns are concerned.

[alamo5000]

Edward's is as Pro-gun a Dem as you will ever find. His main concern is citizens carrying without any sort of training like what our CCW requires... and I can't even call that a bad argument based on the stupid shit I see people do.

In Texas our CHL class is about 95% about when you can use force. IE When can you legally shoot a bad guy kind of thing. There is no 'training' when it comes to actual firearms handling.

That said at least when I took mine (years and years ago) you had to demonstrate safe gun handling during the range session of the class. Now I don't know if they still do that. It was (at least then) assumed that you already know how to safely operate a gun before you ever enroll in a class.

[revchuck38]

Current training in Louisiana is the NRA Basic Pistol course.

[KellyinAvon]

First off, good on the Cajuns for recognizing that the Bill of Rights is not multiple choice.

Secondly: Government-mandated training to exercise a Constitutional Right is a violation of our Constitutional Rights. It's a Right the Founders recognized as natural. The government can only take these Rights, they can't give us what we already have.

Third: Should everyone seek out training and be encouraged to take training? YES!!! Hey .gov!! How about a tax credit for training classes and storage devices. Nothing ridiculous, maybe a couple classes, a quick-access device, or a good chunk of the cost of a safe. Encourage people, quit trying to tax ammo (which is needed for the training you want everyone to get, this is directed to bureaucratic hacks who don't know duck shit from apple butter yet seem to get elected... rant over.) and get out of the way.

Fourth: Indiana SHOULD'VE been State #19 with Constitutional Carry. Hopefully we do better than we did with Sunday beer sales (spoiler alert: we were the 50th State to allow alcohol sales on Sunday.)

[Pacioli]

The illogical part of the anti’s argument in this issue and in others that came before, is that it will lead to more guns, therefore more crime on the street. The people willing to do harm already have guns “on the street.” I don’t see how Baton Rouge could have much more gun crime unless it devolves into open warfare.

The law abiding who don’t have permits have guns in their vehicles but must go unarmed when they leave the vehicle (in LA you have rights in your vehicle very similar to those you have within your dwelling). That makes them more likely to be victims. And it makes their guns more susceptible to theft.

So every time I see this or that DA or some Sheriff’s Assoc mouthpiece expressing “deep concern,” I just want to bitch slap them. You would think these are the very people who would be on the side of the law abiding but they’re working for the criminals.

[Bergeron]

I would certainly welcome Constitutional Carry in the state. When discussing training, trainers, and the numbers surrounding the issue, it is clear the amount of training available is nowhere near sufficient to get all gunowners, much less all law-abiding citizens, trained- which also begs the question of "trained to what level?"

I recently completed the Louisiana CHL class, and I think our instructor did a good job, particularly because he focused on the law. Of course, everyone here likes training, and also is generally very supportive of Constitutional Carry. For me and my way of thinking, state-provided training really ought to focus on the law. The instructor brought in a U.S. Law Shield sales rep, which I thought was a clever move, and they were able to offer James Reeves' book, Louisiana Gun Law.

As has been said many times before, the private citizen has the advantage of knowing exactly who is attacking them, and that over last 30 years, anytime anyone has tried to make the tired "blood in the streets" argument, they've been proven wrong.

My worksite has recently hosted several events for Louisiana law enforcement, one of my grad school projects back in the early aughties was done with the support of the Lafayette Parish Sheriff's Office. I've had very positive experiences with Louisiana law enforcement, and I find that the officer "on the street" is very supportive of the rights of citizens. Any "deep concern" pushback against Constitutional Carry is not representative of the sort of officers I've ever met.