All Quiet on the Southern Front

It has been a quiet few months down here, as far as Second Amendment issues are going. We are anxiously waiting for the next Louisiana Legislative Season to begin in March (and the onslaught of pro and anti Second Amendment bills that come with it) and two Second Amendment items have already been pre-filed. More about that in a minute but I want to take time to reflect on some past events here in New Orleans that have kind of lifted the spirit of this city.
We've had a pretty exciting couple of months. I've started a new job in the IT field, Christmas and New Years blurred into the whole New Orleans Saints NFC Championship / Super Bowl / Mardi Gras blow out and I was glad to actually be a part of the celebration. I'm originally from the Boston area and I know how we felt when the Red Sox finally punched the big ticket. But I lived in the Big Easy then and was at least happy to have my own Red Sox celebration with a few friends here. To actually be a part of the whole Super Bowl celebration was magical. Not so much for me (ok, I admit, as a Patriot's fan, I had to leave my loyalties aside this year) but for the city and the residents. To go downtown and see people just having a great time with each other and NOT burning cars or rioting shows again that we now how to party with a purpose. Crime actually goes DOWN when the Saints are playing. To say nothing of the Saints parade! They figured over 1/2 a million people crammed downtown in cold, windy weather to say Thank You. Thank you to the Saints and the players for giving the Big Easy a big, collective boost. It's been a tough decade and somehow, all that, at least for a few weeks, made all that go away.
So thank you. Thanks Drew, thanks Tom B, thanks Sean Payton, and thanks Reggie and definitely thank you to Tracy Porter for the big 4th quarter interception. Thanks to all the Saints player for letting us know what it means to live in New Orleans

OK, tissue moment is over. On to the Legislature!!

Rep Wooton (R-Belle Chasse) has pre-filed legislation to make sure that CCW Instructors in Louisiana meet certain minimum criteria and to clarify reciprocity. For CCW instructors, the instructors certified by the National RifleAssociation shall be certified as an instructor in Basic Pistol Shooting, Personal Protection in theHome, or Personal Protection Outside the Home. I've got to agree that this is a great idea. The current law doesn't specify that they need to have training specific to this discipline and it is only right that they should be. After all, the type of training included in CCW instructions directly correlates to this type of discipline. Training specific in this area can only benefit the student.

The second pre-file contains to reciprocity in that a CCW Permittee from another state that has reciprocity with Louisiana be 21 years of age. Current law does not define that as some states allow CCW as young as 18. No problem here, I think 21 is a good age to start. I do not believe in that whole I'm 18 can vote and go to war but I can't drink or carry concealed. I know the Second Amendment is a right and not a privilege (like drinking) but the drinking age was raised because that experiment didn't work out too well. I can be 18 and got war, yes, after 3-5 months of dehumanizing, in your face training to leave the civilian life behind and become a soldier. CCW doesn't provide that much training.

So, all is Quiet on the Southern Front. Let's hope it stays that way for a while

Good Night, from the Who Dat? Nation