A debate is taking place in Iowa over the ability of people who are legally or completely blind to carry guns in public. The issue stems from a 2011 change in the state's gun permit rules, allowing visually impaired people to carry firearms in public.
"State law does not allow sheriffs to deny an Iowan the right to carry a weapon based on physical ability," The Des Moines Register reported Sunday, in a feature that included several videos (we've posted one above). The paper added, "Advocates for the disabled and Iowa law enforcement officers disagree over whether it's a good idea for visually disabled Iowans to have weapons."
One person with a unique perspective on the question is Warren Wethington, the sheriff of Cedar County, Iowa. He has taught his visually impaired daughter Bethany, 18, to use firearms.
"People have this preset idea that blind people are going to be shooting at voices, and it's just not going to happen," Wethington tells NPR and WBUR's Here & Now on today's show.
Wethington acknowledges that there are limitations — but he says that a blind person who is in close contact with an attacker could be more accurate with a gun than a sighted person who is 5 or 10 yards away.
[...]
"I'm not an expert in vision," Delaware Sheriff John LeClere says. "At what point do vision problems have a detrimental effect to fire a firearm? If you see nothing but a blurry mass in front of you, then I would say you probably shouldn't be shooting something."
Is it even necessary to comment on just how batshit crazy this is? (I'm going to assume they are still not allowed to drive, right?)
I'm completely in favor of disabled people having all the rights that other people have. But any blind person who thinks he can accurately shoot a deadly weapon that clearly requires vision is someone I don't think should have a gun.
This country has lost it. Our gun culture is so deluded that it's made the leap that even blind people should be armed at all times. Because tyranny. Yikes.