Maryland concealed carry permit holder sues to get his license renewed ...

[spin]

Md. crime victim sues over denial to renew permit to carry concealed handgun
By Fredrick Kunkle
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, August 15, 2010

On a snowy Christmas Eve a few years ago, Raymond E. Woollard was watching television with his family when he heard someone tapping at the windows of his Baltimore County farmhouse.

It was not Santa.

At the sound of breaking glass, Woollard dashed to his bedroom for a shotgun, and the holiday evening quickly became one of the most frightening nights of his life.

There was a hand-to-hand struggle for the weapon, but Woollard, with help from his adult son, eventually subdued the 6-foot-2, 155-pound intruder at gunpoint. Then they waited for more than an hour for police to find their way, on icy back roads, to the home, about 25 miles south of the Pennsylvania border.

That night made Woollard a crime victim for the first time in his life and also one of a select few Maryland residents to receive a license to carry a concealed handgun. But to Woollard's surprise, Maryland State Police denied his request last year to renew the permit, saying they thought the danger to his life had passed.

The agency said it was "because I hadn't been attacked" again, Woollard said in an interview. "They said, 'If you have any problems, you let us know.' "

Instead, Woollard filed a federal lawsuit July 29 to get his permit back, becoming the first person to challenge Maryland's gun control laws in the wake of two landmark Supreme Court decisions that have recalibrated the battle over gun rights and opened the doors to such challenges nationwide. The first, District of Columbia v. Heller, recognized individuals' Second Amendment right to own firearms and struck down the federal city's 32-year-old ban on handguns; the second, McDonald v. Chicago, held that the right also applies to other state and local governments.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/08/14/AR2010081402547.html

I just recently renewed my Florida concealed weapons permit. I didn't have to provide any reason for why I needed such a permit. I have no enemies and I do not carry large sums of money or live in a bad neighborhood. This renewal was the third time that I have renewed my permit and I have never had a reason to use my concealed weapon in self defense, nor do I ever wish to.

Why should I have far more rights to carry a firearm than a resident of Maryland or several other states or cities? Why should such people be basically second class citizens in our nation? Why should some bureaucrat have the power to forbid an honest citizen with a clean background check the right to the most effective means of self defense?

Denying the renewal of a permit to a person merely because they haven't been attacked again might well lead to the person being murdered or severely injured if he is attacked. Will the bureaucrats apologize to Raymond E. Woollard or his survivors if this happens? Probably not.

I believe and hope that his lawsuit will succeed.

[SteveM]

1. This is what happens with Jim Crow-era "may issue" laws...

The same thing happened to the "Progunprogressive" (based out of Baltimore) when the moderator of that site went to get a license after receiving a death threat from a thug (who was identified by police, with the assistance of witnesses). The threat wasn't great enough, meaning, I guess, that the goblin didn't actually shoot him.

[virginia mountainman]

2. A "needs arguement" for a civil liberty??

Easy court victory...

[Name removed]

3. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[cowman]

4. And you just

keep spouting your usual anti gun crap. You anti's just can't stand it now that the SCOTUS has pretty much stuck a fork in gun control, but hey, keep on with your whining, all it does is strenghten our resolve.

[safeinOhio]

6. Show me where the SCOTUS

has made any ruling on concealed carry?

If any big shot, connected person in the state has a CCW that does not have the same requirements, I'd say he has a pretty good case. That is the reason behind "shall issue". Unless anyone is calling for a federal CCW law, states have the right to impose their own laws. However, I would think they could not be arbitrary.

[spin]

10. O.K. Glad to oblige ...

How to Get a Permit to Carry a Concealed Weapon in Illinois

Illinois has the greatest restrictions on firearms of any state. There are no provisions for the open or concealed carry of firearms by residents of the state. The following steps will show how you can carry a concealed firearm in Illinois.


Step 1

Be over 21. You will need to provide your Illinois Identification Card number or Illinois driver's license number on the application.

Step 2

Apply for a Firearm Owners Identification Card (FOID) which is issued on a "shall issue" basis. See www.isp.state.il.us for more information on how to apply. The application form is available at the same website. The FOID card will allow you to possess (not carry) firearms.

Step 3

Send the completed FOID application, along with the processing fee and your photograph to the Illinois State Police, Firearm Owner's Identification Unit, Post Office Box 19233, Springfield, IL 62794-9233. The fee is non-refundable and your application will be processed within 30 days.

Step 4

Sign the FOID card. This card must be renewed every five years.

Step 5

Become a mayor, alderman, president, trustee, marshal, deputy marshal or policeman. Pass a training course given by the Illinois Law Enforcement Training Standards Board. This will make you a "conservator of the peace" as defined in the Illinois Municipal Code, Article 3.1, Division 15, Paragraph 25.emphasis added

Step 6

Comply with the following laws regarding firearms: The Firearm Owners Identification Card Act (430 ILCS 65), the Unlawful Use of Weapons Law (720 ILCS 5/24) and the Wildlife Code (520 ILCS 5).
http://www.ehow.com/how_2061096_get-permit-carry-concealed-weapon.html

Gun Control, Chicago-Style
The shameless hypocrisy of Windy City politicians
Steve Chapman | November 23, 2009

Last week, the body of Chicago school board president Michael Scott was found in the Chicago River with a single bullet wound in his head. The big story was that this powerful, well-connected public official had, according to the county medical examiner, committed suicide. The less-noticed story was that he did it with an illegal weapon.

After all, handgun ownership is not allowed in the city of Chicago, which has one of the strictest gun control laws in the country, and Scott killed himself with a .380-caliber sidearm.

Unlike most Chicagoans, Scott could have been a legal handgun owner. Because he had it before the ban was enacted, he was allowed to register and keep it. But the police department says he never did. By having it in the city, Scott was guilty of an offense that could have gotten him jail time.

***snip***

Scott was shot in the abdomen while chasing a burglar in 1988, so it's understandable that he would appreciate the value of having the means to defend himself against criminals. But that understanding didn't extend to the needs of ordinary Chicagoans. When the city gun ban was challenged in court, the board of education that he headed filed a brief defending Chicago's right "to prohibit classes of arms in order to prevent crime and protect public safety."

A law banning handguns, in Scott's view, was necessary to protect public safety. But when it came to protecting his private safety, he somehow perceived the law to be a hindrance, not a help.

Does his attitude carry the distinct tang of hypocrisy? Yes, but that's not out of the ordinary for Chicago politicians. Under a state law dating back to 1872, mayors and aldermen are designated peace officers. And, conveniently, peace officers are permitted to not only own but carry handguns.

That makes aldermen a special class in Illinois, one of only two states with an almost complete ban on the carrying of concealed handguns. In most places, an adult with no criminal record or history of psychiatric commitment can get a concealed-carry license after taking a training class.

But here, we have a unique system. You want to be able to pack a weapon in public for your safety? Fine. All you have to do is 1) run for the city council and 2) win. emphasis added
http://reason.com/archives/2009/11/23/gun-control-chicago-style

Dorothy Tillman

Dorothy Tillman was elected as an alderman representing Chicago's Third Ward in 1985, being the first woman elected for that ward. As an alderman, she was active in education, housing and homelessness.

***snip***

During one loud session of the City Council, Tillman gained the attention of the entire floor when she produced a pistol from her handbag and brandished it about.<5> This led calls by some aldermen and Chicago citizens to call for a censure on Tillman's professional ethics, and possible mandatory gun safety training. Tillman also opened herself up to charges of hypocrisy, as she is a well-known advocate of gun control, yet she personally possessed a pistol. Since Chicago has strict gun control laws, it has been also seen as elitist that she can take advantage of gun ownership (under Chicago law, aldermen are allowed to carry firearms) while Chicago citizens could not.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dorothy_Tillman

[safeinOhio]

12. Thanks, however I'm missing something

the SCOTUS court case on CCWs. I'm sure you are right, I just need the case name. Thanks

[SteveM]

5. No, it's about: Jump! Jim Crow, jump! Glad to correct you. nt

[spin]

7. O.K. What exactly is wrong with concealed carry for honest citizens? (n/t)

[Name removed]

8. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[PavePusher]

9. And yet when some of us do....

many people bitch about that too.

Which way do you want it? Note that Vermont has always had both. Den of inequity, eh?

P.S. You can cease with the unfounded aspersions.

[spin]

11. No. I am afraid of being arrested ...

And I would be as open carry in urban areas is ILLEGAL in Florida.

If we ever make open carry lawful, I will definitely consider it. Currently during the summer months I carry a S&W Model 642 Airweight .38 special in a pocket holster.



In the cold winter months I often carry a S&W Model 60 .357 magnum with a 3" barrel in an inside the waistband holster under a light jacket.



Both are great firearms, but the longer sight radius and the better sights enable me to be quicker and more accurate with the Model 60. The weight of the Model 642 and the fact that it doesn't have an exposed hammer makes it the better choice for pocket carry.

There is a movement to allow open carry in Florida, but the fact that many tourists would panic at the sight of an exposed firearm makes passage difficult.

I do often carry a 4" fixed blade knife in a belt sheath exposed in the small city I live in. Knife laws in Florida are somewhat ambiguous and I might be hassled by law enforcement in larger cities like Tampa. In the small town where I live no one notices or cares.


Bark River Classic Lite Hunter

I also carry a Spyderco Endura with a fully serrated 4" blade in the a Velcro pocket in my cargo pants or shorts. It's considered a concealed weapon as the pocket clip is hidden. Florida has a concealed WEAPONS permit which allows the carry of a number of weapons including knifes and firearms.



Note, I am not a knife fighter which is a unique martial art. Knives are merely tools to me. I like fixed blade knives for any task that involves cutting food as they are easier to clean than folding knives. A fully serrated blade is very useful for more difficult tasks such as cutting rope or wire.

Just in passing, if your post was an attempt to insult me, it failed. I have a thick skin and merely laugh at such comments. Thanks for the opportunity to post some gun and knife porn.

edited to add:

The post I replied to was deleted prossibly because the insult violated DU rules. The mods do a great job that I appreciate and I agree that insults do not lead to productive debate. But to the poster, I only wish to say that I never alert on a post. As I said, I have a thick skin.

Please feel free to respond to my post. I love to debate (which is why I post here). Your opinions are as important as mine, but you have to be careful how you phrase them. DU is a great place and I feel the new rules are an improvement. Still, they do take some of the fun out the experience.

[mvccd1000]

13. Florida open carry vs. tourists

Someone should point out (during the efforts to influence legislators) that not only do many other states with large tourism industries allow open carry, but with 40-some states currently allowing it, most of the states the tourists come FROM already allow open carry!

[spin]

14. That's an excellent argument that could be useful. (n/t)