CNN.com report; Iowa approves gun permits for blind residents....

C

ClydeFrog

Moderator
The state officials in IA just approved new gun/carry permits for residents who are blind/vision impaired.
:confused:
CNN, www.cnn.com ran the news item today. The state wanted to comply with the federal ADA(Americans With Disabilities Act) & avoid any discrimination complaints.
Im not quite sure how a blind person would carry a loaded handgun or use it in a lethal force event but it sounds like a sticky legal issue.

Clyde F
 
Being legally blind does necessarily mean one has no vision at all - it just means that one's visual impairment is significant enough that it means significant changes in your behavior (ie you should not drive a car, operate machinery, etc.). Many folks who are legally blind can still see shapes, movement, etc.
 
Let's not confuse "blind" with "unable to see anything at all." I have a friend who is, legally, blind. He's also an architect, a profession in which vision would seem to be fairly important. I know that he drives a car regularly. As long as he wears his corrective lenses, I wouldn't hesitate for an instant to go shoot with him, and likely have done so. (I've known him long enough that I really can't recall if we've ever shot together, but it would not surprise me if we had.)

ETA: I see that csmss beat me to it.
 
And additionally, in a Shall Issue state like Iowa, they didn't make it legal. They didn't make it ILLEGAL. Eyesight is not something that makes you a prohibited person. While we may not see the use of such a thing most of the time, there's no legal reason built in to deny it. If a completely sightless person wanted to do so, even without ever expecting to load a firearm, they can do so.

We should also remember, possession of the permit does not confer immunity for reckless use of the firearm. It's not like a sightless person could use a firearm negligently and get off the hook for a permit.
 
We had a member some years ago who was trying to get his CCW and he needed a spotter at the pistol range....

As he said it, he wants the same rights to self defense as anyone else even if his range is shorter....

I wonder what ever happened to him?

Brent
 
Well, since for many carriers, the level of marksmanship is "stick it in his gut and shoot," this isn't earth-shaking even if the person is truly blind.

Considering how many people have learned to do the following, blindfolded:

Disassemble and reassemble an M16 or M4, M1911A1 or M9 (a lot of our vets can still do this);

Rig a basic underwater demolition device (neighbor when I was a kid had undergone some EOD training, and described this as part of their curriculum);

Egress from an underwater, inverted helicopter simulator (did that one a few times, myself, courtesy of Navy DWEST and recurrent aviation survival training);

Fight off multiple attackers (my old sensei used to love lights out or blindfolded randori, so I have done this one, too);

Given all that, I would think a blind person could be trained for basic firearms maintenance and safety.

So, what compelling reason should Iowa have for denial?
 
We had a member some years ago who was trying to get his CCW and he needed a spotter at the pistol range.
Click to expand...
I know a guy like that. His muscular memory is impeccable, and he puts some sighted shooters to shame.

Here's an interesting rebuttal from a sheriff who's teaching his visually-impaired daughter to shoot, and one from the point of view of a blind gun buyer.

I'd like to see the specific policies Polk county has regarding the matter. That said, this is more a general issue than one which should be confined to L&CR, so I'm moving it to GD.
 
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In my former jurisdiction they attempted to deny a gun possession permit to anyone who could not be corrected to 20/40.

Not to mention the Vice President says to just shoot the shotgun in the air. People who are completely blind can sense up and down anyway
 
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