Albemarle Tradewinds February 2016 Final Web

Concealed Carry and Responsibility By: Joe Forbes
It was a typical Tuesday morning until the phone rang. The caller was a concealed carry instructor
whose former student had just killed someone in self-defense in another city. He needed a referral to a
criminal lawyer. In an instant, the shooter went from being concerned with the ordinary details of life to
being terrified that he would be prosecuted for murder and locked in prison with violent criminals…
This is a column I’d rather not have to write. I know that particular instructor to be responsible and
competent, but the proliferation of questionable training or no training for concealed carry makes me fear
getting more of these phone calls.
Carrying a loaded weapon is an awesome responsibility. You are responsible for safekeeping the
weapon, handling the weapon, and, if need be, using that weapon to defend yourself and your loved ones, all
without doing harm to yourself or innocent bystanders.
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There really are states where you can get a non-resident concealed carry permit online with no
training or demonstration of ability whatsoever. Simply have a clean background, pay your money, and the
permit comes in the mail.
North Carolina law requires that the concealed carry candidate receive instruction in the law of
self-defense and demonstrate proficiency with a firearm in the form of passing a shooting test at the range
with a certified instructor. But I’m hearing stories of instructors fudging on class time, and some are
encouraging an aggressive attitude in their students, focusing more on the student’s rights instead of the
responsibilities, and risks and aftermath of carrying and using a gun.
Even to those familiar with firearms, concealed carry imposes a whole new level of responsibilities.
You have to be in positive control of the weapon all the time. You can’t lay your coat down (with the gun
inside) around children or even adults who might pick it up not realizing it contains a weapon. You can’t
absentmindedly forget it either. Then there are the added decisions that must be made if you have to actually
use the weapon: Are you actually in fear for your life? Can you safely draw and fire at the threat without
injuring yourself or some bystander? Where is the bullet going if you miss? Then only way to prepare for such
a situation is repeated training and practice. Repeated.
The state may only require an initial legal and firearms course, but you are kidding yourself if you
think that’s all the training you’ll ever need. To borrow a phrase from aviation, “You may be legal, but are you
proficient?” There’s a reason that every law-enforcement agency requires its officers to regularly “qualify” with
a weapon, and it’s not just so they can hit their target: Every bullet that leaves the barrel, intentionally or
accidentally, has a potential lawsuit or criminal prosecution attached to it.
That same reasoning applies to you.
You should be spending an hour on a shooting range with your weapon at least every 6 months. You
should review with an instructor the laws applicable to its use at least every two years. You should have a
systematic plan for carrying and storing your weapon and follow it religiously. And you should obtain
insurance to cover you for legal costs and liability for the discharge of your weapon. You made a profound
decision to carry the weapon. Live up to the responsibility.
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