"We Went To Court For Our Pistol Permits And It Was A Nightmare!"

My husband, Dion, and I both needed to go before the judge on Thursday regarding our applications for pistol permits and for me, it was an absolute nightmare!

Let me start off by saying that it is our Constitutional right to keep and bear arms. With that being said, the following is the story, to the best of my recollection, of what happened on Thursday:

Dion and I submitted our permits, and because I wanted to be honest, I stated that in addition to wanting to use a pistol for target practice, I also wanted one for personal protection. I submitted a letter with my reasons, which included the fact that Dion drives for his job now and quite often gets home late, plus we live close to the Five Points Correctional Facility. My biggest reason was because of the stalker that I had and although I had hoped he wouldn't bother me again, I always wondered about it in the back of my mind and I wanted to be safe rather than sorry.

Had I opted to request the permit for target practice only, which would have meant that I would have had to have been less than honest, I would never have had any of the problems that I am going to describe to you and that is why I think this whole episode was ridiculous and uncalled for.

Almost as soon as I entered the courtroom, the judge, after saying a polite "Good Afternoon, Mrs. Hammond," put me on the defensive. He treated me as if I were a defendant in a criminal case. He wanted to know what medications I was taking, what dosages, and how often, and I wasn't able to list all of them precisely, but I also told him that I wasn't sure what he was getting at. He also wanted to know what my disability was, so I told him that I had osteoarthritis in both knees and both hips and also RSD. Then he wanted to know why I wanted the permit now, when I could have asked for it anytime. I told him there were all the factors in the letter, but he didn't seem to think those reasons were good enough because: Five Points had been there for five years, so why now? And the stalker hadn't been around for eight or nine years, so why now? I told him that for one thing, we had just now saved up enough money to buy a gun. Then Dion also explained, also, that our 17-year-old son had just become interested in target practice, so that was another reason, plus the fact that he had just started the new driving job. He wanted to know why I had to have a 357-magnum. I explained to him that the gunshop owner had specifically picked that gun own for me because it was a "ladies gun" and that I would be able to cock it, because of my hand problems. I told him he could call and check with him if he didn't believe me. I also told him that it was a little tiny thing, but he said the bullets were a large caliber. The judge said he would take it under advisement and that he needed to send my file to the sheriff so he could do some checking.

Maybe you're wondering why this whole thing has bothered me? Well, first of all, the judge treated me as if I had done something wrong by asking for a permit. I hadn't. It's my Constitutional right to keep and bear arms, and that right is not to be infringed upon. And secondly, he wielded his "power" like a sledge hammer and hammered away at me, disrespecting me for no reason at all. I, who have never even had a traffic infraction, was made to feel like a common criminal, for merely asking for something that was my "right" to obtain in the first place.

So, needless to say, I'm not at all sure that either of us will be getting our permits. He may have just wanted to give us a hard time, but it's hard to tell. The court stenographer at least had the decency to act as if his show of bravada embarrassed and disgusted her, which made me feel better at the time.

The only good thing about the whole day was the fact that we got to see the kids. First we went to see Josh and Noah while Chrissy was at work. I wish Chrissy could have been there, too, but it couldn't be helped. I hadn't seen Noah in about a month and he has grown so much. He was all smiles for his grandpa and me.

He is the most adorable little guy, and he's so good-natured, too. Josh took him for his shots on Wednesday, and I guess he cried a little, but was really quite good until later. He probably started hurting later in the evening and didn't know how to tell anyone because, gosh, he's only two months old!

Noah stood up on Dion's lap, all by himself, and just looked around, without any trouble at all. He's so strong, and he's so smart, too! I held him for a while and the moment that Dion looked away, Noah was trying to get his attention. He started crying and waving his arms, and I said, "Look honey, he's trying to get your attention!" so Dion turned around to look at him again and then Noah smiled a great big smile and started cooing. It was absolutely adorable.

Then we stopped in to see Jon for a minute, the went on home. It was a great finish to a lousy day, but after seeing the boys, everything seemed right with the world again.

Until next time...stay safe, stay well, and may God bless you all.

Cynde

Please visit my other blogs:
Cynde's Got The Write Stuff ~and~ Usurper Exposed. Thank you!