When it comes to self-defense, guns are the best tools for the job. However, they’re not tools for everyone.

What I mean by that is not everyone is comfortable with a firearm. Some are just scared of guns. Others aren’t sure they can pull the trigger and take a human life. Still others may have any of a myriad of other reasons not to carry a gun.

For those people, less lethal options are kind of ideal.

The problem is that is, those options are illegal in many states for whatever reason.

Currently, Michigan is considering changing a bit of that, but now questions have arisen as to whether training should be required.

Michigan’s current law only allows law enforcement and those with a concealed pistol license to use a taser.

Self-defense experts said there is a lot that needs to be determined in this plan including the difference between a taser, and a stun gun.

“I think it’s a great stepping stone, as a trainer and security expert I train a lot of people in self-defense,” said Henry Reyna, security expert.

…

Reyna said that if the new bill passes, he hopes some form of training comes along with it.

“I know there’s a lot of interest and a lot of voters probably want to see this bill passed. It all comes down to the training, just so that they’re not going off half-cocked and not really truly understanding what’s reasonable and what’s not reasonable,” Reyna said.

I always roll my eyes a bit when someone who makes a living as a trainer says that training should be required. After all, this is someone who stands to benefit from the law…if there’s a training requirement in place he can cash in on.

Now, I’m not saying Reyna is like that. I don’t know the guy so I couldn’t say.

I am saying, though, that I’m skeptical of anyone’s motivations regarding a law–particular one that infringes on someone’s G0d-given right to defend themselves–when they stand to profit from it.

Frankly, no training requirement should be put in place. The right to keep and bear arms is a fundamental human right. No training should be required to exercise a fundamental human right. And make no mistake here, stun guns and tasers are arms. They’re not intended to be lethal, but they’re still weapons and still useful for self-defense, hence why training shouldn’t be required.

My hope is that Michigan passes the bill legalizing these for everyone and does so in such a way that both stun guns and tasers are legal and without any training requirement. While I’d still urge people to get training and to read up on self-defense laws to make sure they’re not misusing these tools, I don’t want to see more barriers to self-defense.

As it is, it’s expensive for poor individuals to exercise this right as it stands. The last thing we should do in any state is to put it completely out of reach.