Iowa sheriffs are granting gun permits to blind people, the Des Moines Register reported on Sunday. The permits allow them to carry guns in public places.
According to the Register, some sheriffs are resigned to the fact the Iowa law forbids them from denying gun permits to most people. Iowa sheriffs used to be able to arbitrarily deny gun permits to citizens, until 2011′s “shall issue” law was passed.
However, at least one sheriff is refusing to issue a gun permit to blind people. Dubuque County Sheriff Don Vrotsos told the Register he wouldn’t issue a permit to someone who is blind.
Also according to the Register, in Missouri and Minnesota, applicants must complete a live fire test before obtaining the permit, which means they have to shoot and hit a target.
legally blind does not necessary mean 100% blind. A criminal may not actually know if a potential victim is blind or not.
My opinion is that blind people have as much right to defend themselves as any other citizen in the country.
Do the mentally deficient have a right as well?
Seems as if you are looking for a fight. The law says that anybody that is mentally deficient or a felon may not own a firearm. I don’t see anything about the blind not being able to own a firearm.
Just because it’s legal, doesn’t make it right. If they can’t drive because of impairment, why should they be able to CARRY (not just own) a gun?
Isn’t that called discriminating the physically challenged?
There is a difference between owning and carrying.
yes there is a difference but the law says SHALL issue. If a person legally can own a firearm they SHALL be issued a permit to carry upon request. If you say that they cannot own or carry a firearm just because they are blind then you need to be bitchslapped by a blind person. Sorry for the language Matt.
What makes you think they can bitchslap ANYONE?
@Anonymous-The law says mentally deficient people can not own a gun. But you can try anyway.
If you could only read…
Peter, this is not a permit to carry, it is a permit to own the gun. This can’t be denied to any citizen without a criminal record in Iowa without cause by the Sheriff. There is no reason that this guy can’t have a gun in his house to protect himself if needed. He doesn’t need to pass your stupid target test as you suggest. I am pretty sure that when he hears you in his house, he knows exactly where you are and would be able to handle his gun just fine inside his house. (Even someone with a loud tail pipe, “fart” inside the house, he would know exactly where you were.
That is what scares me about thinking about you on the council, (not that you would have any power or will ever get there in the first place.)
This guy just wants a gun so he can defend himself inside his home. He is not going to take it outside and attach it to his white cane for gosh sakes. Get your facts before you spew your wisdom upon your peasants.
Does a young woman, about to be raped, really need to see with 20/20 vision in order to shoot a man who is on top of her?