I've put this off for long enough. Here in Washington, open carry is the law of the land, and obtaining a Concealed Pistol License is a matter of $50.75, a one page application form & a set of fingerprints to the local Sheriff, who has 30 days to conduct a background check, and will then issue a 5 year renewable permit.
I got home just a bit ago from completing the process and I'll have my permit sometime next month.
My car has been prowled 5 times in the last five years in my driveway, under a streetlight. My wife's car window was smashed & her purse grabbed last September. By the time she got home to make a police report that Sunday morning, the thieves had already cleaned our our checking and her credit card. We made the police report and heard nothing more about it.
Last January on the first Monday of the New Year, someone broke through our front door and raided our bedroom for everything shiny they could find, including all of my Navy medals and collar devices. They got my Great Grandfather's pocket watch, and my wife's good pearls. The police gave us fingerprint dust stains on our bedroom carpet and a case number to hand to our Insurance company. The value was just a squeak over $22,000.
I've upgraded our home security since then with a very good surveillance camera system that we've already tapped twice for our neighbor. The burglar did not steal my .45 Glock, but he did handle it. I was out in my shop when the bastard was in there (we figure he took 10 minutes, tops) and if I had come in the house he was between me and my handgun. That's why I bought a 9mm and 1000 rounds to support it with some of the insurance proceeds.
What tipped me over the edge is this latest terrorist attack. How in hell this guy could be under any kind of terrorist investigation and still hold an advanced firearms license, work for a security company, and purchase multiple firearms at will is beyond me. What do we have a background check program for?? What the hell is the money we pay in fees going for??
It is clear that the system we have is not being used now, and adding any more layers of regulation on top will do absolutely nothing.
I figure I better get my CPL now rather than wait until I need it and it becomes impossible to do so. We're on the brink of God only knows what else; Orlando was just a taste of what's coming. Thank God there were 9 SWAT Officers who had the guts to make the life & death decision to storm that gunman or he would have continued slaughtering people like sheep.
Better to have a CPL and not need it, than to need it and not have it. When seconds count, the police are only minutes away...