The idea gives some pause, but others say blind people would be more responsible owners.





Advocates for Iowa's blind have found themselves amid an international buzz about a state law that allows visually impaired people to carry guns in public.
The discussion was sparked by a Des Moines Register report on Sunday that told the story of three legally or completely blind Iowans who have been granted gun permits since January 1, 2011, the date that Iowa became a so-called "shall issue" state.
The story has been picked up by a range of media outlets, from FOX, ABC and CBS news sites to news services in the United Kingdom and France.
In addition, the article has generated hundreds of responses, including from a professor in New York, a gun trainer in Oskaloosa, Iowa, and a blind, nationally recognized author who is a graduate of the University of Iowa's Writer's Workshop.
"At least on its face, it just seems totally absurd and absolutely in the other direction from the kind of common-sense gun safety restrictions that the president and others fought for earlier this year," Jeff Smith, an assistant professor of politics and advocacy at the New School in New York, told CNN.
Blind author Stephen Kuusisto, whose memoir Planet of the Blind was a New York Times "notable book of the year," wrote about the story on his blog.
"Predictably my liberal friends don't know what to make of this story though their instincts tell them that blind people and guns don't go together," wrote Kuusisto, who was a Fulbright Scholar in addition to being a graduate of the Iowa Writer's Workshop.
"Comments on Facebook are either giggly or snarky," Kuusisto added. "Me? The whole thing puts me in mind of the "most interesting man in the world"— "I don't always shoot guns when I'm blind, but when I do, I do it in Iowa. Stay loaded, my friends."
Meanwhile, Steve Hensyel, an Oskaloosa resident who has taught gun safety and is on the executive committee of the Iowa Firearms Coalition, had his own thoughts, which he posted on The Register's web site.
"Anyone who uses poor judgment in the application of deadly force will most likely be prosecuted if they are blind or not," Hensyel wrote. "I would surmise that a blind person probably understands their liability and responsibility more than most citizens."
Michael Barber and Quintin DeVore — two visually impaired Iowans featured in the article — told The Register Monday that they welcome the interest in their situation.
Barber, president of the National Federation of the Blind of Iowa, spent part of his day answering media requests and plans to take part in a CNN interview Tuesday night.
"This interest is good," said DeVore, an 84-year-old legally blind man from Newton who was featured in the Sunday story. "It shows we're like anyone else and we don't want to be left behind."
DeVore continued: "I think it might also help people realize that blind people aren't sitting in the corner twiddling our thumbs."
Iowa sheriffs for decades could legally deny gun permits for virtually any reason, including a person's inability to see.
But since Iowa's new law took effect, gun permits can only be denied for a reason specifically cited in state or federal law — such as domestic abuse or felony convictions. Physical disabilities are not one of the reasons a gun permit can be denied.
And because the safety certification in Iowa can be completed online with no required shooting accuracy test, sheriffs say they cannot deny the permits even if the applicant can't see where to sign the application without assistance in guiding his or her hand.
Not everyone is pleased about the change, including Frank Strong, a legally blind Des Moines man and president of the Iowa Council of the United Blind.
Strong said Monday that he hopes an avalanche of public discussion will bring about common sense changes to the law — and that those changes would better protect the public and prohibit blind people from carrying guns in public.
Specifically, Strong contended that the Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution relates most directly to the United States militia, even though many legal scholars generally cite the amendment as guaranteeing individual gun rights.
"I think it's ridiculous," Strong said. "These people are not part of a militia and that's what the Second Amendment refers to is a well-regulated militia. We're not talking about a militia. We're talking about just a bunch of people running around getting guns."
Strong continued: "I too could get a gun permit but I don't want to help contribute to an unsafe community."
Richard Sorey, the director of the Iowa Department for the Blind, is blind and is a hunter. He noted that blind Iowans have been legally hunting for years, and the Iowa Department of Natural Resources even has a program to assist them.
Sorey said he isn't overly concerned that the media focus on blind people carrying guns in public will spark changes to Iowa's law that could make it more difficult to obtain a permit.
"I think it's good" to have this discussion, Sorey said. "This helps the public to understand that this is an issue of rights and responsibilities. An individual has rights but with that right we also have responsibility."
Iowa lawmakers from both parties have consistently said there is little chance that the 2011 law will be revised soon. Both sides say such changes would be politically unpopular and not supported by the overall legislature.


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Gringos: The craziest people on earth.

A mailbox shaped like a gun in Lopatcong Township, N.J. 
Sue Beyer/Express-Times, via Associated PressA mailbox shaped like a gun in Lopatcong Township, N.J.