This Just In: The State of California Is Insane

I haven't seen any other blogs pick this up (and the topic merits a full-on Kim du Toit or Bill Quick rant) so here's the HFP take:

Sean Penn’s Downtown Lunch Marred by Car, Gun Theft

The gist of it: while Sean Penn was lunching in lovely Berkeley, somebody stole his car, and along with it two handguns, including a loaded Glock (9mm pistol). However, the article from the Daily Californian assures us it's cool that the Glock was loaded because Sean has a California concealed carry permit.

Let me say that again using slightly different word ordering for emphasis: Sean Penn has a permit to carry a concealed weapon in the State of California.

Yes, that Sean Penn. The Sean Penn with the history of sudden and unpredictable violence, has a permit to carry a concealed (and loaded) handgun in this state.

Now, my understand is that it's damned near impossible to get a concealed carry permit in this state, unless you're Dianne Feinstein, or (apparently) played a surfer in "Fast Times at Ridgemont High". The California Department of Justice's Handgun Safety Certificate study guide has this to say on the matter of concealed weapons licenses:

Such licenses are issued only after a finding that the applicant is of good moral character, that good cause exists for such a license, and the applicant is not prohibited from possessing firearms.

Further, such a license should not be issued to anyone who has been married to Madonna or who travels to countries hostile to his own to find out "what's really going on, dude", thereby scoring a propaganda victory for an evil dictator.

OK, I made up that second part. But nonetheless... it makes the head swim to think that Sean Penn has "good cause" and "good moral character", but the great majority of Californians do not. Un-freakin' believable.

"Unless we get concealed weapons of our own, we'll just be bogus too!"

UPDATE: Tim at Political Lomcevak has started digging into the question of how Spicoli got strapped.

EVEN MORE UP-TO-DATE UPDATE: OK, the post should've actually been titled "This Just In: Marin County Is Insane", but I couldn't bear the chorus of "Well, DUH, Steve!"s sure to follow.

Posted by Steve at April 11, 2003 05:08 PM