Wellesley gets a new high profile gun permit owner

Boston Herald columnist, author of books about killers and radio rabble-rouser Howie Carr can now literally, not just figuratively, shoot his mouth off.

The Wellesley resident and Town Meeting member writes about applying for his gun permit at the Wellesley Police Station. Carr, who had already earned his firearms safety certificate, says he was prompted by last week’s San Bernardino massacre to take the next step and go for his permit.

(If you’re curious, there are currently 151 Firearm Identification Card (FID) and 751 License to Carry (LTC) holders in Wellesley. That latter number has jumped almost 40% in recent years, up from 542 LTCs reported in a Wellesley Townsman article three years ago. More on firearms licensing in Wellesley here, at the WPD website.)

While I generally avoid giving Carr any wider platform than he already has, I figured sharing this would probably be a good public service.  He ends his column this way:

Back at the police station, the 
officer was asking me the required list of questions: “Reason(s) for requesting the issuance of a card or license.”

I thought about replying, the 
Immigration Reform Act of 1965. But that was too obscure.

How about just saying Ted Kennedy? But this is not a moment to come across as … weird.

“How about personal protection?” I finally told the cop. 
“I think I can make that one stand up.”

Meanwhile, all I want for Christmas is a thousand hollow-point bullets.

Let’s hope he doesn’t come away from any Yankee Swaps too satisfied this holiday season.