• This is a political forum that is non-biased/non-partisan and treats every person's position on topics equally. This debate forum is not aligned to any political party. In today's politics, many ideas are split between and even within all the political parties. Often we find ourselves agreeing on one platform but some topics break our mold. We are here to discuss them in a civil political debate. If this is your first visit to our political forums, be sure to check out the RULES. Registering for debate politics is necessary before posting. Register today to participate - it's free!

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
sawyerloggingon

sawyerloggingon

Banned
DP Veteran
Joined
May 6, 2011
Messages
14,697
Reaction score
5,704
Location
Where they have FOX on in bars and restaurants
Gender
Male
Political Leaning
Independent
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
 
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???
 
a legally blind Korean has won world archery championships that involve him hitting consistently a 12.2 Centimeter sized 10 ring at 70 meters distance. Legally blind does not mean an inability to see an attacker well enough to deploy defensive firearms firing
 
If you can see well enough at say 10 meters to positively identify a threat, why not. Such vision may make you legally, but not totally/completely, blind and unable to drive but you still may be able to shoot well enough at short distances.
 
legally blind =/= unable to see. my middle brother is legally deaf but he can still hear. he just can't hear well or sounds coming from a distance. I think it should be handled on a case by case basis. If you are legally blind but still have enough vision to not pose a threat, good to carry. but if you are freakin stevie wonder blind, no gun permit for you.
 
why not let a blind member respond;)
 
I personally think it constitutes a reasonable limit oh wait not in 'Murica. It is just a really horrible precedent to set sure the guy who is legally blind can see several metres away but then that opens it up to people with much worse vision. If you want to do it it will require redefining legally blind or at least putting limits on the blindness. Though that is only because I know banning concealed carry and reasonable limits on rights are unacceptable in the U.S..
 
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.
 
Carjosse said:
I personally think it constitutes a reasonable limit oh wait not in 'Murica. It is just a really horrible precedent to set sure the guy who is legally blind can see several metres away but then that opens it up to people with much worse vision. If you want to do it it will require redefining legally blind or at least putting limits on the blindness. Though that is only because I know banning concealed carry and reasonable limits on rights are unacceptable in the U.S..
Click to expand...

Some others made good points about a legally blind person still being able to see a close up attacker but you have a good point too. If you let someone who can barely see carry a gun you have to let a bat blind guy carry one too. Maybe there needs to be at least some type of vision requirement just as there is to drive a car.
 
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.
Click to expand...

You would be a good one to ask this question I have been wondering about. If there was an aggressor 10 feet in front of you could you determine if there was a woman and her 3 kids 10 feet behind him?
 
sawyerloggingon said:
Some others made good points about a legally blind person still being able to see a close up attacker but you have a good point too. If you let someone who can barely see carry a gun you have to let a bat blind guy carry one too. Maybe there needs to be at least some type of vision requirement just as there is to drive a car.
Click to expand...

See in Canada if we had such a right we just add a "medically capable" clause to it. Sometimes precedents espeially about controversial issues have a bit too much powerful or are interpreted poorly.
 
sawyerloggingon said:
You would be a good one to ask this question I have been wondering about. If there was an aggressor 10 feet in front of you could you determine if there was a woman and her 3 kids 10 feet behind him?
Click to expand...

Probably but I couldn't identify them. I can see mass very well, it's detail that I don't get. So, I couldn't be sure if I was shooting a 9 year old kid or a 58 year old "little person". Also, contrast is critical to me. I can read on a white background but not on a colorized background.
 
sawyerloggingon said:
You would be a good one to ask this question I have been wondering about. If there was an aggressor 10 feet in front of you could you determine if there was a woman and her 3 kids 10 feet behind him?
Click to expand...

Blind shooters should be required to use hollow-point bullets. The woman and kids would be safe.
 
Easy solution, sell em blanks, they won't see the difference. :mrgreen:
 
I think that everyone should have to pass a basic marksmanship test in order to carry a gun in public. If a legally blind person can pass it, I see no reason to ban them from carrying a gun. If they can't, they shouldn't have one.
 
molten_dragon said:
I think that everyone should have to pass a basic marksmanship test in order to carry a gun in public. If a legally blind person can pass it, I see no reason to ban them from carrying a gun. If they can't, they shouldn't have one.
Click to expand...

If a blind person can not see the target then how can she or he pass a test?:confused:
 
Both my sister and mother are legally blind. They are both able to have their sight though corrected with lenses. But my mother's can't be completely corrected.

Key Definitions of Statistical Terms - American Foundation for the Blind

In fact, given my brother's eye problems, he is likely legally blind too, considering his one eye isn't correctable with lenses and that affects his sight in his good eye.
 
Rocketman said:
why not let a blind member respond;)
Click to expand...

sawyerloggingon said:
Now THAT was funny!
Click to expand...

Not really. Blind people use computers too.

I should point out that, uncorrected, I am legally blind myself but I fly airplanes for a living. So no, I don't think being legally blind should inherently disqualify you from gun ownership or carrying. :)

However, it would make sense to me to bar someone from publicly carrying a weapon if they aren't correctable past the "legally blind" threshold. Such a person cannot properly identify targets or ensure they aren't endangering bystanders. I can barely walk around my apartment without the contacts in.
 
Last edited:
Deuce said:
Not really. Blind people use computers too.

I should point out that, uncorrected, I am legally blind myself but I fly airplanes for a living. So no, I don't think being legally blind should inherently disqualify you from gun ownership or carrying. :)

However, it would make sense to me to bar someone from publicly carrying a weapon if they aren't correctable past the "legally blind" threshold. Such a person cannot properly identify targets or ensure they aren't endangering bystanders. I can barely walk around my apartment without the contacts in.
Click to expand...

ability to wear corrective lenses does not qualify you as blind, I can't see 15 feet in front of me without glasses, I am not legally blind
 
Deuce said:
Not really. Blind people use computers too.

I should point out that, uncorrected, I am legally blind myself but I fly airplanes for a living. So no, I don't think being legally blind should inherently disqualify you from gun ownership or carrying. :)

However, it would make sense to me to bar someone from publicly carrying a weapon if they aren't correctable past the "legally blind" threshold. Such a person cannot properly identify targets or ensure they aren't endangering bystanders. I can barely walk around my apartment without the contacts in.
Click to expand...

How do blind people use computers? Not being a smart ass, I honestly don't know.
 
Carjosse said:
I personally think it constitutes a reasonable limit oh wait not in 'Murica. It is just a really horrible precedent to set sure the guy who is legally blind can see several metres away but then that opens it up to people with much worse vision. If you want to do it it will require redefining legally blind or at least putting limits on the blindness. Though that is only because I know banning concealed carry and reasonable limits on rights are unacceptable in the U.S..
Click to expand...


the problem is that in the past you have argued for almost complete gun bans. So when we see your posts on this subject we see it as nothing more than an attempt to push those bans. "reasonable limits" to you is extremely unreasonable to people who actually trust the members of the supreme sovereign to be armed.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom