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Should the legally blind be allowed to carry guns in public?

Should the legally blind be allowed to carry guns in public?

  • Total voters
    47
Korimyr the Rat said:
My mother's legally blind. She knows how close a target has to be, in order for her to be able to safely shoot at it.

Like all matters related to arming rights, it's a matter of responsibility.
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What about the legally ignorant? Lots of that goin' 'round. Legally blind. Legally ignorant. Blind and ignorant is OK for a gun. I must be delusional. I thought I said blind and ignorant can carry a gun. Good thing I didn't say blonde.
 
specklebang said:
I am legally blind. But I can see well enough to hit your body mass. So, in theory, I should be allowed a gun. I happen not to want one but......

I don't think anyone should be allowed to carry a gun unless they have been qualified to do so. I personally might, or might not, be able to see the qualifying target and hit it. Or I might not. Simple to determine really.
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I am also legally blind, and I could also hit a body mass. If the target was too far away, I'd be smart enough to simply not fire.
 
sawyerloggingon said:
I'm torn on this one. On one hand if they qualify they should be able to but on the other hand, c'mon your BLIND! You want to drive too?:lol:

"According to Prof. David Kopel of the University of Denver's Strum School of Law, in the past 25 years, 42 states have made similar alterations to their laws, changing the language to state that a sheriff "shall issue" (instead of "may issue") firearm permits to applicants without a felony record. According to Aaron Dorr, executive director of Iowa Gun Owners, sheriffs may reject a permit application based on the applicant's behavior in the previous two years.
"We don't think being legally blind is a behavior," Dorr says"

.Should the legally blind be allowed to carry guns in public? - Crimesider - CBS News
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As long as they don't shoot them...

True story: my ex-wife had a college friend who worked in Sen. Kent Conrad's office. He was lobbied by the "Blind Truckers Association." If that don't scare you, nothing will.
 
sawyerloggingon said:
I'm torn on this one.
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Yeah - why in hell would we not want a person who cannot see who or at what they may be firing at to not want to carry a gun? :doh

Just when you think the bottom of the barrel has been hit you discover that extremists are rapidly using power machinery to dig a new subbasement under that same barrel. :roll:
 
haymarket said:
Yeah - why in hell would we not want a person who cannot see who or at what they may be firing at to not want to carry a gun? :doh

Just when you think the bottom of the barrel has been hit you discover that extremists are rapidly using power machinery to dig a new subbasement under that same barrel. :roll:
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because not everyone who is legally blind cannot see who or what they may be firing at. that's why I said it should be handled on a case by case basis instead of just a blanket ban on everyone who is "legally" blind.
 
Blind people are not mentally deficient.

Blind people realize that they are blind.

They're as capable of realizing the risks of carrying a firearm as well as the additional risks of carrying a firearm while visually impaired as sighted people are.

They don't need you to look out for them.

They're grown-ups just like you and me.

They can be trusted just as much as sighted people can be to make the decision about whether or not to carry on their own.
 
Matt E said:
I am also legally blind, and I could also hit a body mass. If the target was too far away, I'd be smart enough to simply not fire.
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Well said. I don't have enough interest to acquire the skills to be a responsible gun owner. I'm amazed so many people own guns and would be clueless and inept in a crisis.

Add my lack of interest to my poor vision and right there is a solid case that I have no business owning a gun. I wish that all (handgun) owners would be thoroughly trained for both situation and accuracy. That any idiot can buy one seems incorrect. OTOH, the ones that actually know what to do are potential saviors for me.

Does anybody here own a gun and has not trained how to shoot accurately and have some study of situational events? Just curious. I am NOT anti-gun.
 
specklebang said:
Well said. I don't have enough interest to acquire the skills to be a responsible gun owner. I'm amazed so many people own guns and would be clueless and inept in a crisis.

Add my lack of interest to my poor vision and right there is a solid case that I have no business owning a gun. I wish that all (handgun) owners would be thoroughly trained for both situation and accuracy. That any idiot can buy one seems incorrect. OTOH, the ones that actually know what to do are potential saviors for me.

Does anybody here own a gun and has not trained how to shoot accurately and have some study of situational events? Just curious. I am NOT anti-gun.
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I don't think you need much training to have a gun in your house but before you have a permit to carry you really do need to get some instruction unless of course you were in the military.
 
sawyerloggingon said:
I don't think you need much training to have a gun in your house but before you have a permit to carry you really do need to get some instruction unless of course you were in the military.
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No, you don't "need" training. But what use are you if you don't know what to do and when to do it. That gun is more likely to harm you or yours than it is to defend yourself unless you bother to learn how to shoot at a fluid target. Would you buy a car and never earn how to drive until you had an emergency?

Most of the problems in crime are handgun based. People watch too many movies and guns aren't toys. You can't undo what happens with a gun. So, I think you should even take a few police type courses, so you'll be effective if the time ever comes and you'll calmly shoot the right person.

Just a humble opinion© of course.
 
specklebang said:
No, you don't "need" training. But what use are you if you don't know what to do and when to do it. That gun is more likely to harm you or yours than it is to defend yourself unless you bother to learn how to shoot at a fluid target. Would you buy a car and never earn how to drive until you had an emergency?

Most of the problems in crime are handgun based. People watch too many movies and guns aren't toys. You can't undo what happens with a gun. So, I think you should even take a few police type courses, so you'll be effective if the time ever comes and you'll calmly shoot the right person.

Just a humble opinion© of course.
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In your own house it is pretty easy to identify a threat and take proper action. You need to be familiar with your weapon and know how to shoot it but I don't think any special training is necessary, just my opinion.
 
Simon W. Moon said:
Blind people are not mentally deficient.

Blind people realize that they are blind.

They're as capable of realizing the risks of carrying a firearm as well as the additional risks of carrying a firearm while visually impaired as sighted people are.

They don't need you to look out for them.

They're grown-ups just like you and me.

They can be trusted just as much as sighted people can be to make the decision about whether or not to carry on their own.
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I'm curious what some of our law enforcement members here would think of grownups being relied upon to act rationally.
 
I have to admit that considering some of the people I'm surprised to find aren't in favor of barring legally blind people from owning and using guns, I'm ignorant on what the minimum standards for what being legally blind are.
 
Cardinal said:
I'm curious what some of our law enforcement members here would think of grownups being relied upon to act rationally.
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I only said that blind folks're as trustworthy/responsible as sighted people are.
 
Cardinal said:
I have to admit that considering some of the people I'm surprised to find aren't in favor of barring legally blind people from owning and using guns, I'm ignorant on what the minimum standards for what being legally blind are.
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https://www.google.com/search?q=leg...7&sourceid=chrome&espv=210&es_sm=122&ie=UTF-8
Key Definitions of Statistical Terms - American Foundation for the Blind
Legal blindness is a level of vision loss that has been legally defined to determine eligibility for benefits. The clinical diagnosis refers to a central visual acuity of 20/200 or less in the better eye with the best possible correction, and/or a visual field of 20 degrees or less. Often, people who are diagnosed with legal blindness still have some usable vision.
 
Beaudreaux said:
I, too, am torn on this one.

I do not agree with revoking anyone's Constitutional rights. But blind people... carrying a gun???

Tough call. Start limiting rights (other than convicted felons) and where does it stop? Do we prevent people that are stupid from voting? They are more dangerous than a blind guy with a gun.

But blind people... carrying a gun???
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Let them carry a gun but prohibit them from buying bullets.

vasuderatorrent
 
vasuderatorrent said:
Let them carry a gun but prohibit them from buying bullets.

vasuderatorrent
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that's really stupid. the worst thing you can do is to point an UNloaded gun at someone who needs shooting
 
Simon W. Moon said:
https://www.google.com/search?q=leg...7&sourceid=chrome&espv=210&es_sm=122&ie=UTF-8
Key Definitions of Statistical Terms - American Foundation for the Blind
Legal blindness is a level of vision loss that has been legally defined to determine eligibility for benefits. The clinical diagnosis refers to a central visual acuity of 20/200 or less in the better eye with the best possible correction, and/or a visual field of 20 degrees or less. Often, people who are diagnosed with legal blindness still have some usable vision.
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Like this guy


Im Dong-hyun, who is registered as blind, broke his own 72-arrow mark of 696 by three points and was also part of a record in the team shoot. Im's partial sight means he shoots at the centre of a colourful blur he sees 70 metres before him.



Blind South Korean archer smashes London Olympics' first world record | Sport | theguardian.com
 
Shall not be infringed UNLESS YOUR BLIND? BS!
 
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