It is a wonder to me

That the nation is not awash in a perpetual bloodbath of CCW holders blasting it out with one another, if editorials like this are to be believed.

Utah’s concealed-weapon permits are like fast food for gun junkies. They’re inexpensive, easy to obtain and very, very unhealthy – to Utahns, and the nation as a whole. 

Actually, I kind of like that opening sentence from a writing standpoint – it’s punchy and creative, and gets your attention.  Too bad it’s also stupid, but I guess that you can’t win them all.

The general point of the article is that because Utah’s CCW is easily obtainable in other states, it’s somehow bad for the country, and Utah as well.  And while the author never comes out and states it; he not so subtly implies that CCW holders are committing crimes with their permits.

Out-of-state permits are rarely revoked in the interim because, as BCI attorney Rick Wyss told the Legislature’s Administrative Rules Review Committee this week, “we have no information on (permit holders’) activities.” 

See, and that’s the thing – an out of state permit would be revoked if the holder was arrested and convicted of a felony.

I guess if you think that citizens passing a safety course, background check, and then carrying a concealed weapon is a bad thing, I can understand why you might be worried about Utah’s CCW permit.  But if that scares you, then how scared are you of the Indiana LTC?  I have one – it’s recognized in 20 states, and for $75 bucks you can get a Lifetime Duration permit.  As long as I don’t commit any of the “crash landing” crimes, this permit will be valid until the day I die, which you have to admit is pretty cool.

2 Comments

  1. Well, it is a teeny bit bad for Utahns… it seems that the cost of issuing out of state permits is a lot more than what they charge. The state is taking a hit of something like a half million a year on them.

    However, maybe it increases property values because more people would see Utah as a desirable place to live or improve tourism since folks might be more inclined to visit. I think they’re just taking one for the team…

  2. GunGeek–
    That’s because of the way the legislature created the permit funding process. BCI gets a fixed amount, no matter how many permits are issued. The money people pay for permits goes to the general fund. Thus, the legislature can claim that BCI is losing money, but in reality, the government is actually making a good little chunk of dough. BCI shows a paper loss even though the general fund has received a net gain.

    I have a Utah CFP, and I live in Utah. Frankly, I’m glad to live in a state where the government doesn’t think I need to be babysay like a 4th-grader (I moved here from California).

    And just for kicks, here’s the Utah CFP revocation stats.
    http://bci.utah.gov/CFP/Firearm%20Statistical%20Review/firearmrev_200604.pdf
    That’s 4thq 2006.
    Licenses issued and renewed: 4800
    Licenses revoked: 34
    That’s less than 1%.
    Of those denials, over half were for alcohol-related incidences, and another third for “moral turpitude.”

    Pity that the journalists don’t actually check the statistics behind their rhetoric before they publish it. In any other field, such tripe would be an embarassment.

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