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Hello forum.

I recently took a CHL class at a local gunstore and had a, shall we say, interesting experience. It has to do with the random political interjections peppered throughout the presentation. They were of a predictably right wing nature, probably stuff that most of the people on this forum would agree with, but I just found it to be distasteful in the context. Here's a couple of examples of the claims that were made:

1. Obama's out to get your guns (I'm paraphrasing, but that conveys the general drift).
2. Obama is planning to raise everyone's taxes by $1700 next year.
3. The government controls you and everything you do.
4. The class was right before the nationwide test of the emergency response signal that took place a couple of months back. The instructor mentioned this test in very ominous tones, gave the class a serious, deep look, and said: "Be careful, be prepared, it's coming..." With the obvious implication that Big Government/Obama were out to take over something and/or assert control over the population or some such thing. (BTW the test happened and was a failure, to my recollection. No takeovers of anything occurred.)
5. Several mentions of the "current administration" in negative tones.

Now, here's the thing. Where I stand on this type of thinking and these claims is irrelevant; that's not the point of this post. I just think that this behavior was distasteful in light of the fact that I was there to obtain my CHL, not listen to somebody's political opinions/rants. The examples I outlined above have nothing to do with the purpose of the class: making sure that I am competent to carry a firearm lawfully. Is this type of thing a common occurrence in CHL classes? And what is the opinion of the esteemed forum members about this activity?

I didn't get any political, conspiracy, or end-of-time warnings in my class. Sorry to hear yours was like that.

EDIT: I'm beginning to wonder how accurate the above post really is. - Not wondering anymore.

Me too. Not appropriate in class.

My class was "classy" and no political stuff whatsoever.
Sorry you had a possible bad experience.

Welcome.

Strange first post but to each his own. I agree that the political statements were uncalled for in your class but I'm sure as you already know most people actively involved in the gun community are not supportive of the current president because of his stance on guns, his attorney generals stance on guns etc.. As far as taxes go it's an election year. Raising won't happen in 2012. Maybe if he win's. The government has to much control. No doubt about that but the people control it. We just keep letting them have it.

/tosses troll card....

I'm wondering what topic that falls under on the new CHL100

matrix wrote:Hello forum.

I recently took a CHL class at a local gunstore and had a, shall we say, interesting experience. It has to do with the random political interjections peppered throughout the presentation. They were of a predictably right wing nature, probably stuff that most of the people on this forum would agree with, but I just found it to be distasteful in the context. Here's a couple of examples of the claims that were made:

1. Obama's out to get your guns (I'm paraphrasing, but that conveys the general drift).
2. Obama is planning to raise everyone's taxes by $1700 next year.
3. The government controls you and everything you do.
4. The class was right before the nationwide test of the emergency response signal that took place a couple of months back. The instructor mentioned this test in very ominous tones, gave the class a serious, deep look, and said: "Be careful, be prepared, it's coming..." With the obvious implication that Big Government/Obama were out to take over something and/or assert control over the population or some such thing. (BTW the test happened and was a failure, to my recollection. No takeovers of anything occurred.)
5. Several mentions of the "current administration" in negative tones.

Now, here's the thing. Where I stand on this type of thinking and these claims is irrelevant; that's not the point of this post. I just think that this behavior was distasteful in light of the fact that I was there to obtain my CHL, not listen to somebody's political opinions/rants. The examples I outlined above have nothing to do with the purpose of the class: making sure that I am competent to carry a firearm lawfully. Is this type of thing a common occurrence in CHL classes? And what is the opinion of the esteemed forum members about this activity?

I'm not sure where you took your CHL class. It seems odd that there was enough time to get so much political material in...my CHL instructor pretty much stayed on topic, minus answering a couple of questions that people in the class asked that were perhaps marginally relevant. And it still took the full allotted amount of time. You may wish to review the CHL handbook (which you should have been given) since it seems a lot of the instruction you paid for was used otherwise. My best advice to you is to simply let your family, friends, etc. know that you didn't have a productive and worthwhile experience and tell them to go elsewhere if they decide to take the class themselves.

...I am one of them there "esteemed" you spoke of...lowly esteemed, but still esteemed...I don't think you had to sit through the class if it bothered you that the instructor(s) comments didn't line up with the way you believe...no more than you have to go to the barbershop where the barber is outspoken...the beauty of the Free Speech we enjoy is that we're exposed to all kinds of opinions...and if the conversation's no to our liking, we can leave...you may not have appreciated his expression of views, but there's nothing legally or morally wrong with him expressing them as he teaches a class...if he were to misuse his "assumed authority" to squelch the response or opinion or belittle a question that arose as a result of his comments, I would have a big problem with that...
...he wasn't very politically correct or overly sensitive(read afraid to offend someone with opposing views), but I respect that he spoke his mind in an open forum, same as is done here...a lot is posted here that others would rather wasn't...and they usually just ignore it and read something else...

Heartland Patriot wrote:I'm not sure where you took your CHL class. It seems odd that there was enough time to get so much political material in...my CHL instructor pretty much stayed on topic, minus answering a couple of questions that people in the class asked that were perhaps marginally relevant. And it still took the full allotted amount of time. You may wish to review the CHL handbook (which you should have been given) since it seems a lot of the instruction you paid for was used otherwise. My best advice to you is to simply let your family, friends, etc. know that you didn't have a productive and worthwhile experience and tell them to go elsewhere if they decide to take the class themselves.

HP, most of the time was indeed devoted to going over the laws. In my initial post I used the word "interjections" to describe the occurrence of the political statements. They did not eat up too much time (except for the emergency response signal thing, the instructor was hung up on that like the apocalypse was coming).

speedsix wrote:I don't think you had to sit through the class if it bothered you that the instructor(s) comments didn't line up with the way you believe...no more than you have to go to the barbershop where the barber is outspoken...the beauty of the Free Speech we enjoy is that we're exposed to all kinds of opinions...and if the conversation's no to our liking, we can leave...you may not have appreciated his expression of views, but there's nothing legally or morally wrong with him expressing them as he teaches a class...if he were to misuse his "assumed authority" to squelch the response or opinion or belittle a question that arose as a result of his comments, I would have a big problem with that...
...he wasn't very politically correct or overly sensitive(read afraid to offend someone with opposing views), but I respect that he spoke his mind in an open forum, same as is done here...a lot is posted here that others would rather wasn't...and they usually just ignore it and read something else...

Ok, several things there:

1. Whether I agreed with him or not is irrelevant (BTW, I don't). If he was sitting there praising Obama and the Democrats, I would have felt the same way. Not appropriate for the context/setting.
2. This isn't about free speech. I'm not saying the instructor is morally or legally culpable.
3. This isn't about being offended. There are many things I find inappropriate that don't offend me. I'm sure the same is true for you and most other people.
4. I'm not touchy enough to walk out of a class over something like this. It wasn't an earth-shattering disaster, just an unaware old guy making inappropriate statements every now and then.

Well, I'm definitely glad to hear that not everyone has to sit through things like that for the sin of wanting to obtain a CHL. Popular opinion in this forum notwithstanding, not everybody who voted for Obama is a gun-grabbing, "guns-are-evil" person. I, for example, am very much in favor of the 2nd amendment and reserve my right to protect myself and my family from would-be assailants.

pcgizzmo wrote:Welcome.

Strange first post but to each his own. I agree that the political statements were uncalled for in your class but I'm sure as you already know most people actively involved in the gun community are not supportive of the current president because of his stance on guns, his attorney generals stance on guns etc..

Gizzmo, I'm glad you agree with me about the inappropriate context to be making those statements, and yes, I am totally aware of how people in the "gun community" perceive the president. I just happen to disagree with most of the "gun community." (BTW, am I in the gun community? I have a CHL, own a gun, carry as often circumstances permit, etc etc.) And why you find my 1st post "strange" is a mystery to me. It's more than tangentially gun-related (right out of forum rules), and I believe posted in the appropriate folder (political issues). What's strange about that?

matrix wrote:

speedsix wrote:I don't think you had to sit through the class if it bothered you that the instructor(s) comments didn't line up with the way you believe...no more than you have to go to the barbershop where the barber is outspoken...the beauty of the Free Speech we enjoy is that we're exposed to all kinds of opinions...and if the conversation's no to our liking, we can leave...you may not have appreciated his expression of views, but there's nothing legally or morally wrong with him expressing them as he teaches a class...if he were to misuse his "assumed authority" to squelch the response or opinion or belittle a question that arose as a result of his comments, I would have a big problem with that...
...he wasn't very politically correct or overly sensitive(read afraid to offend someone with opposing views), but I respect that he spoke his mind in an open forum, same as is done here...a lot is posted here that others would rather wasn't...and they usually just ignore it and read something else...

Ok, several things there:

1. Whether I agreed with him or not is irrelevant (BTW, I don't). If he was sitting there praising Obama and the Democrats, I would have felt the same way. Not appropriate for the context/setting.
2. This isn't about free speech. I'm not saying the instructor is morally or legally culpable.
3. This isn't about being offended. There are many things I find inappropriate that don't offend me. I'm sure the same is true for you and most other people.
4. I'm not touchy enough to walk out of a class over something like this. It wasn't an earth-shattering disaster, just an unaware old guy making inappropriate statements every now and then.

...I hear a lot of things not appropriate for the context/setting...at church...safe driving school...insurance licensing classes...faced with keeping a class awake and somewhat listening, you get a lot of this: "...old guy making inappropriate statements every now and then."
...that you consider him "unaware" just tells us that you disagreed with him...that's why we have both salt and pepper on the table...you've come to the right place...you won't fall asleep 'round here...

matrix wrote:What's strange about that?

Yes, I know, I am not Gizmo, however, I can understand his/her comment about it being a strange first post.

Most 1st (2nd, 3rd, 4th posts - and maybe more) are "I sent my packet", or "What do I do about this on my application", or "what holster", etc, etc, etc.

Its very rare to see a first post as you have posted, and normally when many of us see posts like yours, from a very new member, its normally a 1 time poster, just spewing something out, trying to pick a fight or start controversy.

I will give you credit however, as most of the trolls (see prior statement) only post that initial post and never respond back.

...I don't think we have a troll...just someone who thought this a receptive group to air his displeasure...as we are...though we're not going to all agree...one question of our OP: did you copy your instructor this post, so that he might consider whether or not he wanted to change his style???