Investigative journalist and author Emily Miller has made serious headway in her effort to obtain a Washington, D.C. concealed carry permit.
On Tuesday she published a story for Fox 5 News that updated where she currently stands with respect to the lengthy, expensive and arbitrary process.
“I have only received preliminary approval. To get the permit, I have to take 18 hours of classes with an instructor certified by the police within 45 days,” wrote Miller. “I’m taking the class, but my decision whether or not to carry a gun in public is a personal one and will remain private.”
Miller is one of only 16 applicants to be approved for a license. Since the new ‘may-issue’ standard went into effect in October, following a federal court ruling striking down D.C.’s ban on concealed carry, 76 people have applied for permits. Thus far 31 have been denied, five have withdrawn their application and only 16 were approved. It appears the other applicants are still waiting to hear back.
While any U.S. citizen can apply for a D.C. permit, the chances are slim that they’ll actually receive it. The reason it’s so difficult is because one must prove they are threatened by “special dangers” — specific, documented threats.
“I got the police reports from two different threats against me, as well as an FBI warning that a terror group is targeting journalists. I turned in my application at the end of November,” explained Miller.
“I dropped off my application in the permit office. I paid the non-refundable $75 fee,” she continued. “Then I just had to wait because Police Chief Cathy Lanier has 90 days to decide on carry applications.”
While Miller will likely go on to get her permit, thousands of other law-abiding D.C. residents will still be unable to obtain one due to this unreasonably burdensome issuing standard.
Hopefully, the Supreme Court finally takes up a case challenging the Constitutionality of may-issue concealed carry laws because until that happens folks in cities like D.C. and New York will be denied their fundamental right to keep and bear arms for self-defense.
The truth is we can no longer allow cities and municipalities to trample on our Second Amendment rights. It presents too much of a risk to the overall pro-gun cause when wide swaths of the population become used to living without their right to keep and bear arms. As it’s been said, injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.
Our government is so fucked up they don’t know which way is up. It’s the publics fault for electing these assholes. Now we’re all jammed up in a political mess!!!!