Editor:
The purpose of my letter is to disagree with a statement made by Sheriff Jeff Gahler in the Friday article, "A New Sheriff in Town." In the article, it says Gahler wants to remove the training requirement provision from the Maryland State Police regulations for handgun qualifying licenses.
The training requirements mandated by the Firearms Safety Act of 2013, while not perfect, are the only sane thing in that new law. Prior to its inception, the only requirement for purchasing a regulated firearm in Maryland was to watch an on-line video. Frankly speaking, it was a joke. The new law requires a four hour program of instruction by a State Police qualified firearms instructor. One part of the program of instruction is the minimum requirement to demonstrate the ability to handle, load and safely fire a handgun. It is to fire one round of ammunition. Whoever thought this up should be examined for diminished mental capacity. This is woefully inadequate. Instead of advocating for the removal of the training requirement, Sheriff Gahler should advocate for an improvement to the program of instruction requirements.
As a responsible firearm owner, the individual should have a demonstrated proficiency in all aspects of firearms ownership. It is no different than someone seeking to obtain a driver's license, either for a car or motorcycle. Both require a great deal more time, cost and the successful passing of a demonstrated skills test than the handgun qualifying license requirements.
An individual seeking to purchase a handgun should welcome the opportunity for training.
Americans enjoy a Right that citizens of many other countries do not - the Right to own firearms. But, with this Right comes responsibilities. It is the firearms owner's responsibility to safely store, operate, and maintain their firearm. Also, it is the firearms owners' responsibility to learn and obey all applicable laws that pertain to the purchase, possession, and use of a firearm in their locale. Firearms are neither safe nor unsafe by themselves. When firearms owners learn and practice responsible firearms ownership, firearms are safe. The knowledge and skills comes from proper training, which the handgun qualifying license program of instruction provides. However, it does need tweaking.
I am by far not a fan of governmental infringement or regulation into many aspects of citizen's lives. In the case of the handgun qualifying license and the other training requirements in Firearms Safety Act of 2013, however, I am a big proponent. This is not because I am a State Police and NRA qualified firearms instructor who teaches the classes, or a Maryland regulated firearms dealer and federal firearms licensee, but because it is sound policy. I would hope Sheriff Gahler would reconsider his position.
Curtis E. Croom
Darlington