Now that this process of instructor certification is working out, and apparently without the concerns that were expressed by some, including myself, I was considering some of the ramifications of the new law. I have discussed the following with a few others, and it always brings a little smile to our faces.

One of the initial fears, and it may have come to pass if some very active people did not get involved, was that the effect of the new process would be to establish the entrenched for-profit firms even deeper.

Not only did that not happen (at least by any contrived political means), it is arguable that the exact opposite is occuring.

In the 2003+ version of the law, there were many individuals certified, but the two main gatekeepers to the fraternity were the NRA and AACFI; most, if not all, of the approved instructors had to first have the NRA or AACFI cachet. Although that may still be the case (i.e., most instructors will have one or both of those certifications), the new rules are permitting (as of today) some 22 gatekeepers for anyone desiring to be an instructor by bypassing the NRA and/or AACFI. I think that having options and other avenues is great and a benefit for all "consumers" of instructor or permit-to-carry applicants.

It just makes me smile a bit