Associated Press piece sensationalizes Online concealed carry course

The Associated Press continues its tradition of misleading and highly sensationalistic gun pieces.  The problem is that this is not new.  There are lots of states that let out of state residents get permits and many of them don't require training.  The news story should have made two points: 1) that other states without any training at all such as Pennsylvania (the biggest state with 820,000 permits issued) and New Hampshire allow out of state permit holders and 2) there is no history of problems regarding permits from these states (the revocation rates are the same across states with and without training requirements).  This article, with all its implications about threats to safety, really should have provided some context.  The Associated Press piece starts this way:

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Virginia is issuing a rising number of concealed-carry gun permits to people who live in other states in a trend that may be helped along by online gun classes. 

The commercial courses allow applicants to seek a permit from Virginia that is valid in their state, but without having to meet tougher requirements their home states may impose, such as firing a gun with an instructor. 

Virginia State Police issued 1,632 concealed-carry permits to nonresidents through the first half of 2012, topping the previous year’s total of 1,321 nonresident permits. There was no corresponding increase in demand for resident permits, with just under half the previous year’s number reached by mid-2012. . . .