Wisconsin is not a state naturally averse to guns. Although a historically blue state, our penchant for progressivism doesn’t trump our love for firearms, be it deer season, turkey season, Christmas, what have you. It comes as little surprise, then, how relatively calmly Wisconsinites accepted legislation leaving Illinois the lone holdout to the nation’s recent love for packing heat.
I’m going to throw it out there that I’m a liberal: I’ve been called a “hippie puke” on Badger Herald comment boards. But I am a firm supporter of the right to bear arms and our state’s recent concealed carry legislation. I believe one person’s sense of comfort should not count for more than another’s personal safety. But I’m also not some nut job advocating for anyone who can squeeze a trigger to be allowed to carry a gun.
Now, our concealed carry legislation may not be the most stringent in the nation. It is actually some of the least stringent, with a large variety of training available and no requisite hands-on time. Surprisingly enough though, while outside groups are lobbying for even fewer restrictions, it’s Republican Attorney General and staunch concealed carry supporter J.B. Van Hollen holding the line against looser qualifications.
Regardless of just how our legislation could be interpreted and what special interests may advocate, our state needs to exercise some degree of common sense and responsibility by treating every concealed carry license application, forgive the expression, as if it were loaded.
Gov. Scott Walker recently approved emergency rules requiring four hours of training before an applicant may receive a concealed carry license. The temporary rules are necessary due to the relatively short time between when the Department of Justice drew up the legislation’s wording and Nov. 1, when it goes into effect.
The idea is these rules can be approved for now and more thorough permanent rules will be established sometime after. As it currently stands, there are a variety of forms of training approved, ranging from hunter safety courses to state- and nationally-certified firearms instructor-led classes, but very little in the way of requisite time or range experience. These rules give some structure for now; but some, namely the National Rifle Association’s Institute for Legislative Action, are crying foul.
To reiterate, I support the Second Amendment; but today’s NRA – finally able to stop masturbating over the dog-eared, stuck-together pages of old John Birch Society pamphlets – is more of a buzzing gnat than the stoic defender of patriotic Americans it sees itself as.
The NRA-ILA laid out its claims of the DOJ deviating from the legislation’s wording and intent by working to establish the four hour requirement in a statement on its website.
“As part of the Executive Branch of state government, the DOJ’s role is to faithfully implement the laws adopted by the [L]egislature, not dramatically change them,” the statement said. “If the Emergency Rules are allowed to become permanent, they will set a dangerous precedent that perverts our system of government and its principles associated with the separation of powers.”
The concealed carry legislation cannot go into effect Nov. 1 without these emergency rules, that’s just the way it stands. But this melodramatic, “democracy is collapsing!” attitude isn’t going to benefit anyone. A dangerous precedent perverting our system of government? Come on, what do you think this is, the Associated Students of Madison? (Cue crickets chirping.)
Van Hollen deserves to be applauded for doing what needed to be done to put this legislation into effect. But in all likelihood, the emergency rules are going to be suspended in favor of significantly altered permanent rules. Both Van Hollen and Walker would be wise to maintain a reasonable degree of responsibility if we’re going to allow concealed firearms throughout our state.
Jake Begun ([email protected]) is a senior majoring in history and journalism.
