Mandatory Firearm Education

[Rich Parsons]

I do live in Mass, and am required to take a firearms safety course to obtain an Firearms ID, necessary to purchase any firearm or ammo. I'm OK with that, but not with the idea of having to pay money before I can exercise my constitutional rights, around $100 in this case. Imagine having to pony up $20 every time you want to exercise free speech, or $50 to invoke your right against illegal search & seizure. Sounds absurd, doesn't it? On the other hand, it is reasonable to expect an expert to be compensated for their time in teaching. I guess I shouldn't complain if I don't have an alternative, but I don't ...

Under the first admendment you can also meet and assemble, yet, many places require you to have a permit, which requires you to register the date and time of your event.

You are still allowed to exercise your rights, and just as you stated reasonable compenation should be in order.

 

[MisterMike]

I do live in Mass, and am required to take a firearms safety course to obtain an Firearms ID, necessary to purchase any firearm or ammo. I'm OK with that, but not with the idea of having to pay money before I can exercise my constitutional rights, around $100 in this case. Imagine having to pony up $20 every time you want to exercise free speech, or $50 to invoke your right against illegal search & seizure. Sounds absurd, doesn't it? On the other hand, it is reasonable to expect an expert to be compensated for their time in teaching. I guess I shouldn't complain if I don't have an alternative, but I don't ...

Yes, it was nice of them to change the license renewal fees from $25 or whatever to $100, all in one year.

 

[Makalakumu]

How to keep guns out of the hands of criminals? Simple. Keep them locked up for their full sentence, and only allow them to be eligible to leave after the sentence is completed with good behavior.

As for mandatory training by the law abiding, this is a slippery slope, indeed. I certainly agree that everyone who wants to use firearms should have some sort of training, but to arbitrarily assign a specific entity the power to control who passes and who doesn't opens things up for too much abuse.

Many people make the same argument against standardized tests in our schools and NCLB, however, tests can be designed so that they are fair and impartial. The bottom line is that no one would be denying anyone the right to bear arms...only adding a caveat of education. Heck, the process could even be privately contracted to find the most impartial organization.

 

[Jerry]

I would like to see more firearm specific education then just hunter safety. Perhaps, a course on the particular firearm or "type of firearm" would be advisable. I would also like to see an actual field component where students would actually have to shoot in situations where the type of firearm is appropriate.

To get my CCW I had to take and pass a firearms compitency course (people with Marksman ratings in the NRA, and people discharged from the millitairy are exempt).

We would all be better off if people needed licenses to reproduce.....

Yes.

You dont need a license to buy a car, only one to operate it on a public road.

Theoretically true but actually unrealistic.

I believe that anybody who buys a gun should get some training. Im not for placing a training hurdle in front of ownership. Gun violence has little to do with issues that skill can solve. Even if anti gun folks want us to believe that accidental gun deaths are the #1 problem. (Suicide is the largest chunk of "gun death" stats). Keep them out of the hands of criminals. Thats the key.

Training does keep them out of the hands of children who steal them from their parents who don't realize the danger, it does make their proper use defensively more effective, it does allow us to train people when the law allows a hangun to be pulled or used, etc.