Mother Jones columnist Tim Murphy demonstrated how easy it was to get an official conceal carry license in America, by getting his in just four hours in a suburban Baltimore shopping center.
Murphy was nursing a hang over when he wandered into Dukes Defense World, a local self-defense shop outside of Baltimore, MD. Murphy knew next to nothing about guns, but after a four-hour course, he gained a conceal carry license that was recognized in 32 states (not counting the 8 states where you do not need a license), which would be mailed to him in 60 days after his application was processed.
Although Maryland has stricter laws, Murphy received his license from Utah. A Utah conceal carry permit is the de facto identification for handgun owners in America. Utah is a “shall issue” state, meaning that it will grant licenses unless there is a “compelling reason” not to, like a felony record. Recipients do not need to demonstrate proficiency with a handgun, and do not need to set foot in Utah.
Murphy simply needed to pay a $50 processing fee, and complete a course in gun safety, taught by owner and instructor Kevin Dukes. Murphy did not need to fire a gun in the course — in fact, he never fired a weapon in his life. Murphy walked the reader through the four hour course:
“We listen to a 911 call from a Utah woman whose husband had just killed a home invader. Dukes asks us what we’d do in that situation, and one of my classmates, who has already committed to moving to Texas to escape Maryland’s gun-grabbing government, says immediately that she’d pull the trigger. Dukes’ lesson: If you’re not prepared to kill, you’re not prepared to carry.”
After the four hour self-defense training course, Murphy was given a certificate, and would be mailed his license within sixty days.
As Dukes walks us through a long list of precautions, it’s clear that he’s passionate about safety. It’s equally clear that I don’t know the first thing about how to responsibly handle a firearm, let alone carry one in public. Jenny invites us to come up front to practice loading a handgun with fake rounds. When my turn comes, I struggle to load more than a few before they’re ejected halfway across the room. But that’s not going to stop Utah from giving me a permit.
You can read Murphy’s entire piece here.
Featured image via Mother Jones
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