Two-Faced about Colorado Carry Bill, because USPSA!

I find myself ... to my amazement ... giving credence to  Liberal cautionary remarks.

Gun bill to allow "constitutional carry" passes GOP-led committee:

 “If you’re legally eligible to possess a firearm, you should be able to carry that weapon concealed for self-defense without begging for government’s permission,” said Sen. Tim Neville, R-Littleton, the bill’s sponsor. He called it “common-sense legislation.”
 Mary Parker of Ken Caryl, who has a concealed-carry permit, opposed the bill. She said there’s not enough training required now to carry a gun, and allowing untrained people to walk around armed won’t end well.

I've been training people for six years now, and I've never rejected anyone from my "INTRODUCTION TO USPSA" class FOR THE SOLE REASON THAT they are a total incompetent.

That's why I'm there; to teach the "incompetents" to become competent.

Having said that, I admit that I've passed too many "Total Incompetents" through the training regimen.  Usually, they're just unfamiliar with the concept of "drawing from a holster" and it's obvious that they will improve with experience... so we treat that First Match as a "Training Experience" and allow them to continue.

If they're "irredeemably totally incompetent", they usually figure it out for themselves and they don't show up for the monthly matches (unless they have elicited some private/personal training; not a common thing.)

OTHER THAN THAT:

I've said it before, I'll say it again, here and now:

SOME PEOPLE SHOULDN'T BE ALLOWED TO HANDLE A GUN!

USPSA COMPETITION:

I teach a no-fail class on INTRODUCTION TO USPSA at my local gun club.

. One student was unable to perform a reload (drop the old magazine, insert a new magazine) under the \pressure of time.
. One student thought it was "funny" to draw his (unloaded) pistol and wave it in my face, because ... what was I going to do to him after I Disqualifed him?  (Nothing)

Both students passed the course, because  it was a 'no fail course';  I had no options; they passed the minimal requirements, which was to show up and accept the instruction.

In the final analysis, there is no alternative if, after you have provided the best training available, the Student doesn't listen.  Or having listened, is either incompetent or un-willing to accept the basic rules of safe gun-handling practices.

Neither of these two students met my standards, which is to demonstrate sufficient knowledge, experience and practice of the rules of gun safety.  I have since changed the parameters of the class to specifically state that "people who are unable or unwilling to demonstrate safe gun-handling will not successfully pass the course of instruction".

Which is to say ... nothing much.

Nobody, including my home club, pays any attention to the training which "new shooters" may or may not receive.  If you show up and pay the match fee, you get to shoot.  No questions asked.

The match organizers assume that you know what you are doing, and there is no examination of credentials (although in casual conversation the person accepting the match fees will ask for a USPSA member number ... and the United States Practical Shooting Association (USPSA) only asks for your member number when you show up for a match.   If you pay your dues, you get to shoot; your skills  are judged only by the number of matches in which you are enrolled.

If you are DisQaulified  (DQ'd) because of demonstrated bad shooting/competitive/handling skills, you are only disqualified from THAT MATCH ... you can go to another match and be equally as incompetent; there is no limit to the number of Disqualifications you may accumulate before you are booted out of  USPSA (United States Practical Shooting Association) because only one person has ever been ousted from the Association, and that was for flagrant cheating while recording stage scores during a match.

In truth, USPSA doesn't give a dam about your competence (or lack of competence) in gun-handling skills.  If you can't meet their standards during a match, you don't get to continue competition because the Range Officer will kick you out.
Then you can attend the next match, and perhaps be DQ'd from that match as well.   There's no limit.
DQ's are not reported to USPSA, nobody cares how often you demonstrate that you are unsafe.  As long as you continue to pay your annual dues to USPSA, they still love you.

But you may be surprised by the fact that nobody will squad with you at a local match, becuase they know your reputation.  Is that "A Bad Thing"?  No ... everyone wants to squad with you because that makes the match go faster ... until they learn that you are not A Safe Shooter.

Which makes your squad size even smaller.