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57Coastie wrote:I have to come to the defense of another Coastie, if I properly construe his avatar. Ross's post explicitly concerned "military LEOs," as I read it, not all military members in general. This would cover MPs, or their counterparts in other services, but Coast Guard men and women are the only military members who have law enforcement authority vis-a-vis civilians, and the CG is the only military service specifically excluded from the Posse Comitatus Act by the Congress.

Having said that, I recognize that although a Coastie may be an authorized LEO on paper, there are those who do not "practice that particular trade," so the element of someone having to make a difficult, if not impossible, distinction could well apply to Coasties as well. I, for example, served for more than 20 years, a congressionally-authorized LEO the whole time, but in only 6 of those years did I serve in a dedicated law enforcement position.

Welcome aboard, Ross. Nice to see another racing stripe here.

Jim

R_Comstock wrote:OK, the upsides of having an online course would be standardized training, and more flexibility for those of us who have crazy work schedules that make it very difficult to attend a 2-day course. The downside of course would be less retained knowledge.

As for what I would like to see changed, I would like to see an exception to a portion of the class for ALL LEOs, including us military guys. Perhaps allow the refresher course in lieu of the full certification course. Since a large portion of the class is spent on firearms safety and use of force, I don't see why we can't have a shorter class that just covers the state laws and requirements for those of us who have had safety and UOF stuffed down our throats for years.

Charles L. Cotton wrote:

Purplehood wrote:Honestly, I would like to see a web-based class content coupled with showing up at a range for certification/photos/automated prints.

I have mixed emotions about online classes and tests. As Exec. Director of TSRA and as an NRA Board Member, I'm all for anything that makes it easier and cheaper to obtain a CHL. For these reasons, I will support any bill that tends to achieve this goal, including online classes and tests.

However, as a CHL instructor, NRA instructor, general firearms instructor and seminar speaker, I am convinced that a canned online class is inferior to a live class given by a good instructor. Any experienced teacher will tell you that audience input in the form of questions, anecdotes, etc. can be a very valuable part of the overall learning experience. You don't get that with a online video. Another issue for me personally is the subject matter of the class. I can cover the required material in far less than 10 hrs, including not more than 15 minutes on the use of force/deadly force. However, my 10 classes include 3 hrs on the use of force/deadly force, because in my view, that is the most important subject students need to learn. An online video would not cover this critical subject in the depth I cover it. Granted, most other instructors don't either and I'm sure each of us has an opinion on what is the most important part of the class.

If the goal is to go through the motions and get it done as quickly as possible, like a defensive driving online course, then an online course with a test is the most expedient way to accomplish this goal. If the goal is quality education on the statutorily-mandated subject matter, then a live course is superior. As an attorney, I can and do get most if not all of my annually required continuing education hours using State Bar approved online courses, simply because it convenient with my busy schedule. However, none of those online courses come close to the quality of a live CLE seminar.

Again, I have mixed emotions, but my personal opinions don't matter when I wearing my TSRA or NRA hats.

Chas.

marksiwel wrote:So what is the Future of CHL?
Do we ask for more rights? do away with 30.06 signs? Open carry? Harder shooting tests? Do away with the whole Revolver vs Semi qualification thing? What do you want to see done.