Iowa grants gun permits to the blind

[kpete]

This discussion thread was locked as off-topic by Lasher (a host of the Latest Breaking News forum).

Source: USA Today

Iowa grants gun permits to the blind
No one questions the legality of the permits, but some officials worry about public safety.



DES MOINES, Iowa -- 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.

Read more: http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/09/08/iowa-grants-gun-permits-to-the-blind/2780303/

[progressoid]

1. OFFS

[Iliyah]

2. They have guns braille now?

[pscot]

3. What could possibly go wrong?

[Bjorn Against]

4. Well if you ignore the well regulated militia part of the Second Amendment...

Then there would be no Constitutional basis for denying blind people the right to own guns. That is why that well regulated militia part is so important, there is no way you can justify keeping guns from blind people if it is their Constitutional right to own one. If we are talking about a well regulated militia however then regulations prohibiting certain people from owning guns are fully Constiutional and appropriate.

[Helen Borg]

5. True...

However, blind people are not allowed to drive a car for obvious reasons. It's a similar situation, I think.

[Bjorn Against]

7. I agree they should not be allowed to own guns

It is a similar situation, but the NRA would tell you there is no Constitutional right to drive a car. My point is there is no way you could justify denying guns to blind people if you accept the NRA's interpretation of the Second Amendment. There are of course other interpretations of the Second Amendment that take the well regulated militia part into account which would allow you to limit access to firearms.

[Helen Borg]

8. I agree.

If you ignore the "well organized militia part", then blind people have a Constitutional right to own guns.

[JohnnyRingo]

11. I hate to mention this well worn fact...

...but driving a car isn't in the constitution. You don't have the right to drive a car, it's defined as a privilege.

Regardless of how you or I feel about guns, every non-felon who has the mental capacity to buy one has a right to do so.

Denying that right based on a physical handicap would never hold up in even the lowest court. I'm not saying there aren't gun kooks in charge in Iowa, but I think this was a legal decision that will save the state money on a spate of lawsuits it can't possibly win.

[Paladin]

9. Might as well ignore it---Antonin Scalia sure as hell did...... (nt)

[IveWornAHundredPants]

6. In Idaho or Indiana I think this would be a bad policy, but in Iowa I think it will be all right.

We have only to check the statistics to see that this is so.

[JohnnyRingo]

10. I'm not sure why a blind person would want a firearm, however...

I would not want to learn that being sight challenged took away a constitutional right.

If Iowa announced it would deny those who qualify as legally blind the right to own a gun, someone would surely file a suit that would be difficult and expensive to defend. I frankly think this decision was made more by legal experts instead of gun nuts, though I'm sure the state has more than it's share of the latter.

I highly doubt many applicants show up if any now, but if you tell someone they can't do something because the state deems them incapable, then suddenly they will want it more than anything.

BTW...there are other reasons to own a gun. A blind person may want to purchase a collection of antique civil war firearms as a legitimate investment, for example, and the state should not decide that illegal based on a physical handicap.

[cosmicone]

12. So what?

The whole country has issued permits to people without brains for centuries.

[Duckhunter935]

13. Blind man shoots in competition matches

I guess people like him should be denied the right to own a firearm.

" SHERMAN, TX -- One Texoma man is proving it's possible to overcome any obstacle--If you just don't give up. He shows us how he's taken what some view as a handicap, and turned it into motivation to achieve his goals.

Competitive shooting. It's a sport that's popular across Texoma, with all sorts of people. John Flyum is one of them. But this durant resident's not your average shooter."

http://www.kxii.com/home/headlines/85444362.html

Also this is interesting.

[Rebellious Republican]

14. Well there you have it, that makes the case for thousands of blind people.

At least in a controlled environment, on a gun range being directed by a human that can see, assisted with electronic devices. Did I mention that the folks in this video have such a thick Texan accent that it is hard to understand even for this southerner.

[Deep13]

15. sorry, Mom, you sounded like a burglar. nt

[Paladin]

18. Yeah, Rule No.1 of gun usage has always been "Always be sure of your target."

I wonder what our DU Gun Enthusiasts would suggest as a substitute for the sight-impaired: "Make sure that noise is really, really suspicious sounding, take your best guess at the source location, then fire at will"?

[melm00se]

16. of course the ADA

only applies if you agree with the kind of protection it requires

[In_The_Wind]

17. Seriously ~ You have got to be kidding me!

[Lasher]

19. Locking as background analysis

It's an interesting angle though, and might be a good contribution in another Forum or Group.