All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.
I fully appreciate doing everything possible to keep Law Enforcement Officers safe. They often do a thankless and dangerous job. LEOs have nothing to fear though from law abiding citizens with firearms. This is a well documented fact. Major academic studies all say that citizens with permits to carry firearms are less likely to commit a crime of any sort than the rest of the population - including LEOs. People who have permits have taken training and more importantly have thought through the consequences of using a firearm for any purpose. Taking responsibility for your own well being and safety is NOT being paranoid it is being prepared. As much as we appreciate the jobs LEO's do they simply cannot be everywhere at every time. We are fortunate in Iowa to live in a pretty safe place. Your odds of actually needing a firearm to defend yourself are really low. However, we all read the papers and listen to the news. Things happen to good people all the time.
Permits to carry concealed weapons in Iowa are a matter of public record. At the Department of Public Safety in Des Moines it shows that there are around 140 some permits issued in Mahaska County. Further examination reveals that all but around 30 are issued with so many restrictions that they are virtually useless pieces of paper. Of the unrestricted permits some showed as issued for carrying large sums of money or valuables (which is puzzling since Iowa law doesn’t allow the use of deadly force to protect property). So what is this saying, that property is worth protecting but human life isn't? I also know of some HIGHLY qualified or endangered individuals that have been turned down for a permit, but if you are say a County Supervisor, prominent attorney or friends with the sheriff you can probably get one. Is this favoritism, discrimination or cronyism on part of the sheriff?
Most counties in Iowa have sheriffs who fairly issue permits. A good example is Polk County Sheriff Dennis Anderson (D -btw). Anyone who takes the Polk Co. class and passes the background check demonstrating responsibility will generally be issued a permit. There are close to 3000 permits issued in Polk Co alone. Through preemption laws once issued a permit is valid in all 99 counties –even in Mahaska Co. So when my friends from Des Moines visit me in Oskaloosa they are allowed to protect themselves where I am not! I am not saying everyone should be allowed to have a weapons permit -in fact there are several who should NOT. According to Iowa law it is the sheriff’s discretion of whom to issue a permit. This "trust the professionalism of the sheriff" argument eliminates the presumption that individuals have the right to defend themselves.
There is no reason though why a Mahaska Co. citizen with a clean record who can pass a background check and the required training (demonstrated responsibility) and without other eliminating just cause should not be afforded the same right to self protection as are citizens of other Iowa counties.
A sheriff that won't issue permits to his law abiding citizens but will issue to friends and cronies discriminates in the worst possible way. He arbitrarily says that some lives are more valuable than others.
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Oskaloosa
