Originally Posted by
KalashniKEV
It's only prohibitive to folks without $500.
It's sad, and it does amount to a poll tax, but there needs to be some significant cost in order to make the citizen feel as though they are embarking upon a journey, and that they must now live by the discipline.
The money generated could go into a special fund that raises awareness and educates the public about the awesome responsibility carrying arms, why we have it, and why it makes us unique.
It could also help pay for the initial cert, or long-course, where citizens would learn about the law and how it's applied, go through shoot or don't shoot scenarios with their instructor, build skills, and be checked out mentally and physically.
It would be administered by a renewed CMP/DCM that would also promote all manner of modern shooting sports as well as a new kind of run and gun biathalon/ tough mudder with guns/ der waffenlauf.
People would be proud of their status as holders of a national CCW, just as they are when they pass the bar, obtain a private pilot's license, or get PADI certified. There would be T-shirts/ special license plates/ whatever...
$10 quals would be required annually, but you could also take them every month if you want- and you would not simply qualify to hold the license, but earn a skill level like Sharpshooter--> Marksman--> Expert.
If you failed to qualify, you would be shamed by your peers, but could come back in 2 weeks to re-take the test.
Nobody would ever carry a Ruger P-95 in a Chinese Walmart holster. Everyone would be skilled and tough (because the test would be hard), and we would greet each other as "Warrior Citizen Brother ______."
It would be glorious.