[Jeff Higgins]

Pat, I believe in the California and New York confiscations, the gun owners were located off of firearms registration lists, not CCW lists. An important difference.

I share your reluctance in being on any list identifying me as a gun owner. However, my desire to be able to defend myself outweighed that over 20 years ago, and I have been a CCW holder ever since. I have never had any trouble associated with it. Even in routine traffic stops, where presumably the officer runs my plates before approaching my car, it has never even come up. That leads me to believe I'm not in some database that is readily accessible, or at least not routinely accessed, under those circumstances. I'm sure they could find me if they wanted to, but it doesn't seem to be abused at least here in Washington. Yet.

I realize all states are different with regards to their CCW laws. Washington is a "shall issue" state, with no requirements other than a background check. No required classes, no specific gun listed with your CCW, and a state pre-emption law to keep the local jurisdictions from passing their own laws and ordinances. There are no requirements piggy-backed onto it either, such as rendering aid to law enforcement, etc. It's really pretty wide-open here. If we can just get past the fact that we are now on some one's list...