# Iowa grants gun permits to the blind. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 9, 2013, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iowa-grants-gun-permits-to-the-blind/668366 "2013-09-09T00:13:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Moonlitherial](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4bbf92/32.png) [@Moonlitherial](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moonlitherial)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2013, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iowa-grants-gun-permits-to-the-blind/668366/21 "2013-09-09T23:50:40Z")
> [@aNewLeaf](#): > > As a competent adult, you can decide for yourself what’s safe. > Do we really need a law to tell you whether or not you actually could hit the side of a barn with your weapon? If we’re assuming that all adults are competent and would make the best choice for the safety of all, why do we have driving tests and vision tests for operating a vehicle? ---
**Author:** ![SeanHallam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3bc359/32.png) [@SeanHallam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeanHallam)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2013, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iowa-grants-gun-permits-to-the-blind/668366/22 "2013-09-09T23:59:16Z")
I am pro second amendment and I feel that giving ccw permits to the blind is creating more of a hazard to the public and the the blind person. The blind person is more then likely to have his weapon snatched or end up shooting in the wrong direction hitting innocents then hitting a target. ---
**Author:** ![RickG](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rickg/32/5174_2.png) [@RickG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickG)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2013, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iowa-grants-gun-permits-to-the-blind/668366/23 "2013-09-10T00:52:56Z")
> [@aNewLeaf](#): > > As a competent adult, you can decide for yourself what’s safe. > Do we really need a law to tell you whether or not you actually could hit the side of a barn with your weapon? > (Personally, I’d like to see gun owners pass a test to get a license, like with cars. But that ain’t happenin’.) This is an argument for eliminating _all_ regulatory laws. That’s really not a reasonable thing to do, IMHO. There’s a difference between allowing adults to decide on potentially self-harming behaviors like alcohol or drug use, or BASE jumping or walking into the wilderness without supplies, and doing something with potential life-threatening consequences to everyone else. As **moonlitherial** points out, we don’t let just anyone operate a vehicle. That ain’t because they might hurt **themselves**. > [@](#): > > Also, there’s all sorts of gun ownership that doesn’t involve the public in any way. > Target shooting, collecting/investing, just general gun nuttiness. Again, responsible people can decide what’s right for their situation. As I believe I said “unrestricted access to guns” should not be allowed for the blind. Simply owning? Fine. Target shooting under supervision? Fine. Collecting antiques? Fine. Public carry (concealed or open)? No. Effing. Way. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Bird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Little\_Bird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Bird)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2013, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iowa-grants-gun-permits-to-the-blind/668366/24 "2013-09-10T01:10:19Z")
Yeah, and we banned telemedicine. It’s been a bad week. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2013, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iowa-grants-gun-permits-to-the-blind/668366/25 "2013-09-10T01:24:30Z")
> [@aNewLeaf](#): > > It’s not, that’s the point. > > I wonder if color blindness affects marksmanship accuracy rates? No. And in some cases it makes camouflaged things _more_ noticeable. ---
**Author:** ![Double\_Foolscap](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/85e7bf/32.png) [@Double\_Foolscap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Double_Foolscap)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2013, 9:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iowa-grants-gun-permits-to-the-blind/668366/26 "2013-09-10T09:01:43Z")
I’d have thought that this type of thing would come under the “well regulated” part of the amendment, but I’m not a constitutional scholar by any means. I think sometimes you come to different conclusions if you start at “does this make sense” rather than “is this constitutional”. ---
**Author:** ![aNewLeaf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ac91a4/32.png) [@aNewLeaf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aNewLeaf)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2013, 10:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iowa-grants-gun-permits-to-the-blind/668366/27 "2013-09-10T10:40:52Z")
Exactly so. It makes no sense to ban people from carrying weapons simply for being blind. Making all concealed carry owners pass the same test to demonstrate competence, that makes sense. Singling out a single group- based on assumptions about them- makes no sense at all. Edit- sighted shooters aren’t all that accurate in real-world/real time situations. I seriously am sitting here wondering if a blind person has an advantage in a surprise situation. ---
**Author:** ![ZebraShaSha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/eada6e/32.png) [@ZebraShaSha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZebraShaSha)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2013, 11:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iowa-grants-gun-permits-to-the-blind/668366/28 "2013-09-10T11:00:54Z")
> [@aNewLeaf](#): > > It makes no sense to ban people from carrying weapons simply for being blind. Is this for real? I mean, I can see if you’re a limited government type and are against banning things in general. Like, it doesn’t have to be illegal for a blind dude to think, say, chainsaw juggling is a Really Bad Idea. But that doesn’t seem to be what your argument is, you seem to be suggesting that blind people can shoot guns just fine, maybe even better than sighted people in surprise situations. Which is _awesome._ I love this fucking country! > [@aNewLeaf](#): > > Singling out a single group- based on assumptions about them- makes no sense at all. Hahahahahahaha. Assumption: Blind people can’t see. THAT’S SO BIGOTED, YO! ---
**Author:** ![aNewLeaf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ac91a4/32.png) [@aNewLeaf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aNewLeaf)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2013, 11:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iowa-grants-gun-permits-to-the-blind/668366/29 "2013-09-10T11:08:51Z")
I’m basically on the left politically. I don’t mind laws in general. But yes, I’m serious. Banning someone from carrying a weapon solely for being legally blind is wrong. It’s morally wrong and factually wrong. OTOH, banning anyone, sighted or blind, who cannot safely handle and operate their weapon does make sense. ---
**Author:** ![JustinC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justinc/32/8083_2.png) [@JustinC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JustinC)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2013, 11:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iowa-grants-gun-permits-to-the-blind/668366/30 "2013-09-10T11:40:04Z")
I’m all for this, there aren’t enough guns and gun owners in America. Next up - ‘Guns for Pets’. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2013, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iowa-grants-gun-permits-to-the-blind/668366/31 "2013-09-10T19:35:47Z")
On a reread of the article, it seems that they cannot get their story straight whether we are talking about owning a handgun or legally concealing one. It is likely that it is not the former, as Iowa does not require registration AFAIK, and if a blind person can fill out form 4473 and is not a felon, etc. then they can own. Yet in several places it says things like “The Gun Control Act of 1968 and other federal laws do not prohibit blind people from owning guns. But unlike Iowa, some states have laws that spell out whether visually impaired people can obtain weapon permits.” Two different issues, owning and CCW. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/iowa-grants-gun-permits-to-the-blind/668366.md?page=1)