“It took both sides in the gun debate about two days to respond to the horrific incident in Hayden, Idaho, and as usual, they both behaved in kind,” Mike “The Gun Guy” Weisser writes at huffingtonpost.com. “Pro-gun bloggers like Robert Farago immediately attacked gun-control organizations as ‘bloody shirt wavers of the civilian disarmament industrial complex’ because they suggested that Veronica Rutledge probably had ‘little’ required training . . . Poor Veronica Rutledge held a CCW permit from Washington State, by the way, so Farago’s attempt to push back on the Coalition’s statement was both silly and wrong.” I don’t know about silly, but I was wrong . . .
Weisser’s right: Rutledge held a Concealed Pistol License from Washington State. Which is recognized by Idaho. Here’s the info I missed via krem.com:
Deputies said the Rutledge was in town for holidays and is not from the area. Authorities said the victim did have a concealed weapon. Authorities said Rutledge had a concealed weapon permit out of Spokane.
So my post’s extensive reference to Idaho’s concealed carry training was irrelevant. More than that, anti-gunner Ladd Everitt’s snarky anti-gun aside – upon which I based the post – was right. Ish. This is what Everitt wrote on his Facebook page:
The mother in this case was a concealed handgun permit holder in Idaho, which as you know by now, means little in the way of required screening or training.
Washington state does not require any firearms training for its Concealed Pistol License. I regret the mistake and have amended the post in question. I would also like to credit Mike TGG Weisser for putting firearms “accidents” (a.k.a., negligent discharges) into statistical perspective in his post – even though he seems to conclude that we should ban all guns.
One more thing: I don’t support mandatory firearms training. Or any law that infringes on Americans’ natural, civil and Constitutionally protected right to keep and bear arms. Don’t get me wrong: I recommend firearms training for anyone who owns a gun. But “shall not be infringed” means no government-mandated regulation for keeping and bearing arms. None. No mandatory training. No background checks. No limitations on ammunition magazine size. No limitations on firearm type. No safe storage laws. Nothing.
As for Rutledge’s demise, firearms training might have convinced her to keep her gun under her direct control at all times, especially around children. But that’s simple common sense. Which millions of American gun owners practice every day of their life. The statistically insignificant – but nonetheless tragic – percentage who don’t practice common sense gun safety sometimes pay the price. At the risk of sounding cruel, that’s the price of freedom.
In any case, I regret the error. And one more thing: in two other posts, I upbraided Mr. Weisser for using the phrase “The Truth About Guns” in his posts, and claimed that we owned copyright on that phrase. Not true. As Mr. Weisser reminded me in a short phone call, we hold the right to the name The Truth About Guns for a blog or other publication, not “in common parlance.” Coke is it?™ Nope. Mea culpa.