Gun Permits for the Blind?

[bassman]

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2013/09/08/iowa-granting-gun-permits-to-blind/

[Marinakorp]

Why not. They got a right to defend themselves just like the folks who can see.

[john]

                           

[MarkT]

Wow.  Mixed feelings on this.  Slippery slope and all that.  I hate to use this liberal expression - but sometimes "common sense" might apply.  I can't imagine, just from the tenet of gun safety and muzzle discipline, how any blind person could think this is a good idea.  I just took my 11y.o. grandson to the range this summer, and introduced him to the world of firearms, and gun safety.  How could I, with a straight face, support the blind shooting guns - or even handling or pointing them - after what I taught him about gun safety.

[fudgie]

Cause your blind or poor dont mean you dont have a right to defend yourself ( unless you live in Chicago  ). Chances are they are gonna have 'hands on' contact with the person. Easy to shoot that way.

[MarkT]

Cause your blind or poor dont mean you dont have a right to defend yourself ( unless you live in Chicago  ). Chances are they are gonna have 'hands on' contact with the person. Easy to shoot that way.

Who said anything about the "poor"?  I'm talking about safety here, nothing else.

[Chrisj CMA]

There are also degrees of blindness.  One can be "legally blind" and still see enough to safely point a gun at an intruder.  I dont know the particulars of this case

[Probie (Scooter57)]

well they let Stanley have one so I don't see a problem with it 

[fudgie]

Cause your blind or poor dont mean you dont have a right to defend yourself ( unless you live in Chicago  ). Chances are they are gonna have 'hands on' contact with the person. Easy to shoot that way.

Who said anything about the "poor"?  I'm talking about safety here, nothing else.

No one did, I've seen posts in gun sites. I wasnt impling you did.

[The Anvil]

No. Just f**king NO.

[G-Man]

To Those Who Oppose,

For self defense in the home (they aren't talking about the blind carrying), what form of weapon would YOU allow SOMEONE ELSE who is blind to use in case of a break-in?  In rural Ohio, a home invasion won't get a police response until the bad guy's already in Illinois.  Even in upstate NY, my dad has something within reach of his recliner.  If there's a break-in, while he's watching TV in the dark at 1:00 he won't have time to aim, but I guarantee he'll be firing in the general area, which will scare the crap out of the idiot and if he's not hit, will take off.

How about a knife, and what length would be good for you?  A club maybe?  Maybe a baseball bat, but not the aluminum kind because that's just wrong.  Must it be hand to hand combat for the blind because you just don't trust them with any kind of weapon to defend themselves?

Just asking.

[musclehead]

even the blind should be able to defend themselves with deadly force if necessary. called 'contact shooting' according to a shooting instructor, why shouldn't they RKBA?

[Chrisj CMA]

OK (those that say h311 no).  Someone breaks into your house in the middle of the night.  Not only did he cut the power at the breakers (so its pitch dark), he mased/pepper sprayed you in the face as you entered the hallway with your gun in your hand.  Do you:

A.  Charge forward the 3 to 5 feet and tackle the intruder and stick the barrel of the gun in his chest...or

B.  Retreat and toss the gun on the bed because you are now blind and shouldn't be using a handgun.

Which is reasonable to you?

[The Anvil]

Chris, is the moon waxing or waning and is Venus in retrograde? 

Fuckit. Let's just let blind people drive too. This kind of politically correct bullshit might as well go all of the way into total and complete idiocy.

[MarkT]

OK (those that say h311 no).  Someone breaks into your house in the middle of the night.  Not only did he cut the power at the breakers (so its pitch dark), he mased/pepper sprayed you in the face as you entered the hallway with your gun in your hand.  Do you:

A.  Charge forward the 3 to 5 feet and tackle the intruder and stick the barrel of the gun in his chest...or

B.  Retreat and toss the gun on the bed because you are now blind and shouldn't be using a handgun.

Which is reasonable to you?

Wouldn't happen to me.  My night time home defense gun is a .45 with JHP full power loads, Streamlight and laser.  I can still see the perp - aligned with my laser sight - no matter what he does to the fusebox.  But aside from that - I learned long ago to positively identify my target and what's behind it.  I would not shoot in the dark w/o qualifying my target in all but the most dire case.  e.g. he is shooting at me (or the like).  His Mace/pepper spray use qualifies him as a target.  Which BTW is arguably NOT "less-than-lethal" when used on an asthmatic.

I'd say if the blind person can fire with certainty he is not taking out anyone but the perp then that's OK.  Note we just had another mistaken identity shooting in the news right now - and that's a sighted shooter who had questionable training / discipline.  I'm saying a blanket approval would authorize too many without proper training or ability to compensate for their sight loss.  IOW - if it's a good idea depends on the circumstances.  And no I don't have any answer about who should evaluate and approve them.  That's another can or worms and an issue I will vote against any gov't agency being the authority.  Because I will fight ANY attempts at govt restriction of gun rights - they shouldn't have ANY authority re: guns.

[The Anvil]

Wouldn't happen to me.  My night time home defense gun is a .45 with Streamlight and laser.  I can still see the perp - aligned with my laser sight -

But if you are pepper sprayed, that's another matter. Personally, I would have to weight the situation. Where are my wife and kids in relation to the assailant... that kind of stuff. And I also have a TLR4 on my USP .40 as my night time gun.

But you make another good point which is that SIGHTED people routinely shoot the wrong person.

[Serk]

Also keep in mind, "blind" doesn't always mean "blind"... I know several people who are "legally blind" but with glasses or contacts have no problem driving a car, much less owning and shooting a gun...

[The Anvil]

Also keep in mind, "blind" doesn't always mean "blind"... I know several people who are "legally blind" but with glasses or contacts have no problem driving a car, much less owning and shooting a gun...

Yeah, but I think for the sake of this argument we're assuming the person is Ray Charles blind.

[fudgie]

Also keep in mind, "blind" doesn't always mean "blind"... I know several people who are "legally blind" but with glasses or contacts have no problem driving a car, much less owning and shooting a gun...

Yeah, but I think for the sake of this argument we're assuming the person is Ray Charles blind.

Ray was good with a gun in Blues Brothers. 

[The Anvil]

Also keep in mind, "blind" doesn't always mean "blind"... I know several people who are "legally blind" but with glasses or contacts have no problem driving a car, much less owning and shooting a gun...

Yeah, but I think for the sake of this argument we're assuming the person is Ray Charles blind.

Ray was good with a gun in Blues Brothers. 

Hmmm, you're right. I may have to think about this for a while...

[Hoser]

Also keep in mind, "blind" doesn't always mean "blind"... I know several people who are "legally blind" but with glasses or contacts have no problem driving a car, much less owning and shooting a gun...

Yeah, but I think for the sake of this argument we're assuming the person is Ray Charles blind.

Ray was good with a gun in Blues Brothers. 

Great comeback, Fudgie.  My favorite movie of all time!  Hoser