Right, so according to the Des Moines Register blind people can now publicly carry handguns for the purpose of self defense. Stumped? You’re not the only one.

Here’s some news that has law enforcement officials and lawmakers scratching their heads:

Iowa is granting permits to acquire or carry guns in public to people who are legally or completely blind.

So apparently this is a rights issue for the gentlemen in the above video in that he has a right to carry a gun in public as a US citizen however, all the other things mentioned in the video, responsibility, range time for proficiency, being able to see his attacker or even determine if he’s being attacked, the ability to determine whether he has a round in the chamber quickly and easily, the ability to determine if he’s in fact surrounded by five year olds begging for candy, all these things are in question.

So, what about the public’s right to know that people carrying legally licensed weapons in public have the ability to see their target? As a guy who actually has a conceal and carry permit and has carried many times as part of my previous employment I can tell you that seeing the target is the most important part of upholding your responsibility as a legal gunowner. However, a lot of this seems to come down to vaguely written law.

“It seems a little strange, but the way the law reads, we can’t deny them (a permit) just based on that one thing,” said Sgt. Jana Abens, a spokeswoman for the Polk County sheriff’s office, referring to a visual disability.

You’ll note at the end of this video that the blind gentleman states that if there was a car that a blind person could drive then he’d get one. But, there isn’t and if/when there is/was it will be full of computers designed to see for the driver. I’m unaware of any “guns for the blind” in existence. If/when something of the kind is invented I can only imagine that all the decision making and targeting computations would mean it would have to look a lot like this.

When it comes to matters of opinion, discover some of the most intriguing, informed points of view you’ll find anywhere — at The Opinionator, from The New York Times