Most people think of New Jersey as a densely populated, urbanized state. But in the southern part of it there is a vast tract of land (about a million acres) known as the Pine Barrens, or Pinelands. There are some fantastic hiking trails and I took my young son there to hike one of those trails. I won’t go into all the dramatic details but we were attacked by a pack of wild dogs. We barely made it to our car in the nick of time. Otherwise, we’d have been mauled to death. Before that the idea of getting a gun never crossed my mind. However, after that horrendous episode I swore I’d never be defenseless in such a situation again. Thus began my ordeal. I went to the local police station to apply for a permit. I was photographed, fingerprinted, and subjected to investigation by state and federal agencies. I was given three forms to be completed by non-relations. These forms involved very personal questions about employment, personal habits, and psychology. And I was told by the local police chief (who actually laughed as he was talking) to forget about a handgun. SO - after 13 months(!!!) - I was given a permit for a Ruger 22 rifle. Later, when I relocated to Florida, I went into one of the local retailers and decided to purchase a .38 Special. They did a complete computer background check in 15 minutes and I walked out with my revolver! I was so shocked at what had happened that I kept expecting a squad car to stop me and confiscate my gun! I should add that every day during those 13 months when I read the Newark Star Ledger or the Asbury Park Press, I saw endless accounts of criminals who used firearms to murder, rob, and rape. Meanwhile, there I sat as a law-abiding citizen waiting for permission to be able to defend myself. I discovered the hard way that the old cliche is true - that laws prohibiting Second Amendment rights only disarm the innocent, not the criminal.
Whoa! When was this? Without a previous firearms-related offense, and with a fairly clean legal background (including the mandatory permit training), you should have been able to get a concealed-carry permit without any hassle. I’m not too familiar with the laws in Jersey, however.
BTW, the Pinelands are historically known for Jersey Devil sightings, correct?
But it was a respectful laugh, right?