What A Difference A County Makes!

I have been following the carry movement in Iowa with considerable interest ever since the topic broke out on the internet.  Iowa has been, and will be a "May Issue" state until the end of December.  Pressure was brought to bear on the state legislature and the governor to pass a "Shall Issue" law so qualified citizens can carry a weapon regardless of the personal opinion of their county sheriff.  The current law allows the sheriff's to control who may and may not be armed, and with 99 counties in Iowa, the citizens there had 99 different policies about carrying weapons.  That will change on January 1, when Sheriffs "Shall Issue" a carry permit to applicants who qualify under the new law.

Not all the sheriffs in Iowa are happy about the coming change, and the sheriff of Linn County (Cedar Rapids) has been very vocal with his whining, and misinformation.  Washington County Sheriff Jerry Dunbar is an inspiration to me in the way he has handled the coming change.  He is getting out in front of the citizens and explaining what the new law's changes will mean, and he is signing up people for carry classes through the County Sheriff's office, insuring that those who take his classes will be well trained in the classroom and the range. 

Washington County Sheriff's Office instructor, Chad, and Bea.

Sheriff Gardner in Linn County has been very loudly complaining that people will be 'open carrying,' and that is a possibility with the new law.  The new law is a "Carry Law," not a "Concealed Carry Law," and that is actually quite important to folks who wish to carry a weapon.  An accidental exposure of  your weapon in many states can cause your arrest, and in Las Vegas recently, a man was killed by police because he inadvertently exposed his weapon while reaching up in a store while he was shopping. 

Carrying a weapon for self defense places a load of responsibility on the individual, and I thank Sheriff Dunbar for leaping to the forefront in Washington County to be the educational resource that citizens need.  Thanks also go to The Washington Evening Journal for granting permission to link to their fine newspaper, and to Stranded In Iowa for the Linn County news.

MORE:  How important is it for a person to be armed?  Read this article from the Courier-Journal, and be sure to watch the video about Sylvia Hall, in the upper right of the page.