This letter was sent by me this afternoon (Baghdad time)
Quote:
Sent five minutes ago.
won't do a bit of good, but I feel a little better and this is all about ME dammit.
Director Bright,
My name is Chad Dixon. I’m the chief armorer and firearms instructor for the security force tasked with guarding the United States Embassy in Baghdad, Iraq. I also possess a concealed weapons carry permit issued by my home state of South Dakota.
I have always enjoyed traveling through Wyoming’s Thunder Basin National Grasslands while on my way to participate in competitive shooting events hosted in CO and NM. Especially during the spring as it’s an opportunity to witness thunderstorms the likes I’ve never seen anywhere else. These events have always fascinated me.
Transporting several thousands of dollars worth of precision target rifles carries its own set of inherent risks and I take them seriously, so I’ve always carried my 1911 pistol with me on every one of these trips. Never once has it ever created a problem. Not even when I was once cited for driving a bit too fast just south of Newcastle a few years back by a Wyoming State Highway Patrolman.
I’ve always felt very fortunate and very good about being able to carry a sidearm. Not only because of the level of protection it offers, but because I live in a country where it’s possible to even do so. It’s a small tangible reminder of why I dedicated six years of my life to the US Marine Corps. In my travels I have worked and operated in a number of industrialized and third world countries where the very idea of carrying a firearm hidden inside a shirt would be considered an insanity and beyond comprehension.
Imagine then my disappointment when I learned that you have used the power of your office to change the law. It’s disheartening to learn that if I’m ever caught doing this again I’ll be a criminal. Since I am a law abiding citizen I’m left with essentially two options. Use an alternate route or transport the pistol in a status that is compliant with Wyoming law. Never mind the mixed message you are sending with the recent changes to laws governing National Parks and firearms.
Director Bright the gun culture of America is a powerful one and since the internet it has become even more of a viable entity. The word is out regarding your decision and people are not receiving it well. I question if legislation that compels law abiding nonresidents to avoid Wyoming is an exercise in good judgment in the midst of the greatest economic yeast infection since the great depression.
I just thought you should know how your decisions affect others.
Respectfully,
Chad Dixon
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Here is the response:
Chad:
Upon further consideration, the Wyoming Attorney General’s Office is undertaking a thorough review of the concealed carry statutes of the 49 other states to determine which states have laws similar to Wyoming’s. Once that review is complete, the Division’s web site will feature a list of the states from which Wyoming will honor concealed carry permits. Until then, the Division of Criminal Investigation will honor permits from those states with which Wyoming had reciprocity as of January 1, 2009.
Accordingly, Wyoming will continue to recognize concealed firearm permits from the following states. The listing also encompasses those states that have indicated they honor Wyoming permits.
Alaska Louisiana Oklahoma
Alabama Michigan Pennsylvania
Colorado Mississippi South Carolina
Florida Montana South Dakota
Georgia New Hampshire Tennessee
Idaho New Mexico Texas
Indiana Ohio Utah
Kentucky
You will find the states listed above have also been revised on our website shown in paragraph 9 at
http://attorneygeneral.state.wy.us/dci/CWPFAQ.html
Forrest C. Bright
Director
Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigations
316 W. 22nd Street
Cheyenne, WY 82002-0150
Office: 307-777-7181
Fax: 307-777-7252