imported post
This isn't directed at you, Dave, it's just that your last post made me think of this.
I'm as guilty as the next guy of being too anally retentive, but I think we often go too far in sticking our noses in the air and saying, in effect, "It's a Concealed Handgun Permit, not a CWP or CCW or anything else...dumbass."
It seems to me that when folks are speaking generically of permits which allow the permittee to carry a concealed firearm, it's not unreasonable to use these alternate terms. Sure, if your speaking specifically about the Virginia permit, especially the process to get one, or if it's important to the conversation to emphasize that our permit doesn't cover long guns or any other weapon, then it's reasonable to emphasize the "CHP" aspect of things.
But generally speaking, too many of us get hung up unnecessarily over the terminology here. I daresay that most of the time that we're speaking about the CHP, it really applies to all similar permits, regardless of what they're called. A Virginia CHP falls into the generic category of "concealed weapons permits," even though it's not inclusive of all weapons and has a different name.
And further, someone legally carrying a concealed handgun in Virginia may not have a CHP, but a CWP or whatever from another state. In many cases, it doesn't matter, and it's pointless to get all snooty about "we don't have CWPs or CCWs or any of that crap in Virginia. We have CHPs!"
So I just think we ought to stop getting all caught up in the hype of the Virginia CHP. Sometimes, it's not only correct to call them "concealed weapons permits," but it's actually more correct to use the generic term than the Virginia-specific CHP.
Sorry for the rant, and sorry if it seems like I'm picking on you, Dave. You just happened to be the guy standing around when I started firing, and, well, you
do make a big target.
~ Boyd