I would like to see more proficiency required to get a CCL in FL. Florida requires a minimal demonstration of competency with your firearm. I put 4 shots almost touching each other in a silhouette at about 12 feet and the instructor stopped me and said that’s good enough. A driver’s licence is tougher to get.
In PA, getting a license is purely administrative. No written exam, no shooting demo. We haven't had any news stories about CCW holders shooting innocent bystanders left and right (and given the Philadelphia Inquirer, if there HAD been any significant number, we WOULD have heard about it. Every week as a permanent "rogues gallery").
This does not mean that I haven't gotten training and practice. In fact, I got more training the first year than the average police academy graduate gets.
Why should the government restrict your right to defend your life?
Suppose a nurse gets a job offer - at a hospital in a bad part of town. She will need to leave and walk to her car after dark. Should she need to sign up for a class, and then wait for the government’s approval before she starts carrying a gun?
I enjoy shooting, and most of my handgun shooting starts at 25 yards...but that has nothing to do with self-defense.
Suppose you have a looney ex who moves to your town 5 years later and starts harassing you, and blaming you for ruining his/her life. Should you have to wait for the government to approve before you start carrying?
A revolver doesn’t take a lot of practice to use effectively for self-defense. At self-defense ranges, all you need is to know how to pull it without snagging it on clothes, and how to pull the trigger.
The right to self-defense is given by God. It can’t be taken away by the state, although most states don’t understand that.
Oh - and the stuff about sweating, etc is bull pucky. A cop going into a dangerous situation will almost certainly feel that. But most self-defense situations don’t allow time for that until after the shooting. THEN you may sweat, feel sick, etc.