Fingerprinted Again

It's been along time since I've been fingerprinted. Not since I was 16, in fact. At that time I was applying for a job as a waitress at the soda bar in a Walgreens. I needed to pass an FBI check to be bonded. Not sure what they were worried about. Too much syrup in the sodas with the sparkling water? My parents weren't pleased about the fingerprinting, not that anybody had a reason to think I wouldn't qualify to get the job. After all the fuss, it was one of my least liked jobs, lots of hard work, very low tips, no redeeming value except being able to say for my next job that I'd already held one and not gotten fired.

It seems I was unknowingly short-sighted.That miniscule history with the FBI came into play less than a decade later, in another work situation. This time I was self-employed, so I really wasn't expecting it. I had no clue when it happened either, and when finally was told, was also sworn to secrecy, which I pretty much followed. It's been so many years now that I can't believe it matters any more.

I was doing licensed family day care, and one of my day care kids was at risk. Her mom filled me in just in case I noticed we were being followed while out on a field trip or something. This child had an uncle who held some kind of prominent position in the  CIA. In an attempt to bring pressure on the uncle, the child had already been abducted once. Now, when he was in town or in particularly sensitive situations, protection was provided for the child. In the interest of having as normal of a life as possible, I was never to be informed when it might be happening, and was assured that it should be low key enough that none of us would be aware of it happening. None of us should be in danger, but in case I noticed we were being followed, I shouldn't freak out.

You mean, like I was right then in hearing this information? Anyway, the mom was letting me know now because I'd just been investigated deeply by the FBI in order to be sure I wasn't a danger to the child, maybe tempted to make a quick buck on a betrayal or something. And by the way, I'd passed the check.

Whew! In a minor bout of paranoia, I racked my brain for any kind of activity I might have engaged in which may have disqualified me from passing, but life was pretty boring in that area. I wasn't political, and had just become old enough to vote in the next election since they hadn't lowered the age to18 yet. I'd finally passed my driver's test and was now fully legal behind the wheel.  I hadn't even gotten a ticket yet.

Of course if I hadn't passed the FBI check, the child would be in a different setting, not still in my care, and I never would have heard about any of it. I mostly succeeded in forgetting any of this information had ever come my way. This child had enough challenges in the "real world" to deal with, and was just one of 5 at the time to keep me thoroughly busy, including my own.

Fast forward fifty-some years. It's fingerprinting time again, this time by my choice. My life in crime in the meantime has still been boring. I have accumulated a very minor history of parking and speeding tickets, though nothing that would disqualify me for a career in driving for a very profile-conscious company. I have no concerns about passing, especially since this is based on fingerprints. I do after all know of at least two other people with my name, though different middle initials, but have no idea of their history, not having bothered to ever find out. It's just one of the reasons I use my initial any time I sign something.

This time the fingerprinting is the second step - first is paying money of course - towards getting my concealed carry permit. No, I'm not turning into a gun nut. Perhaps my using that term should give you a clue to that. It's part of my response to an ongoing credible threat. He has to enter our "castle" - house or yard - and actually threaten us in person before I'm legal to use a gun on him, but having learned even more about what he does and how he's still stalking, this seems sensible, and I want to deter him in a manner both justified and legal. It's his 1st move. The actual fingerprinting is simple, and there is a huge jug of some orange cleaner with grit in it, plus paper towels on the counter so there's no ink left on my hands.

The third step, the actual 4-hour class, is quite interesting. I learn as much about not using a gun as I do about using one, what is justified or not, even what is technically legal but which I better be sure I can live with before using a gun. The difference in legal versus civil consequences for anything that happens involving your gun were starkly laid out. You're likely to be sued for any and every thing, even if it's somebody else using your gun - or even just showing (brandishing) it. You startle somebody, they trip while backing away, fall and break a bone, there's a suit for loss of work time/income, medical, pain and suffering, nightmares and bedwetting, whatever their attorney can dream up.

One example used as an illustration of not using your gun was the Gabby Giffords shooting in Tucson a few years back. Several people in the crowd were carrying, but nobody took a shot except the nutjob who shot Gabby and others. When police asked those with guns why they hadn't drawn, their reasons were their bullet would have gone through the grocery store where they couldn't see what's on the other side of flyer-covered windows, too many people running around there in a state of total chaos, what appeared to be a day care center next door with the possibility of kids coming outside to play. That particular moral was about knowing your surroundings before you shoot.

Something else that got drilled into us is that if you are involved in a shooting incident, shut your mouth. Be polite but give no statement to the police. Let them know you will only talk to them with your court appointed attorney present. Sure, you're likely to be taken to jail and go through all their processing, get "interesting" cell mates who get to watch you pee and vice versa, but just like on TV, the cops are allowed to lie to you. Our instructor used to be one of them, and he gave us an example of the tactics he used. Only talk to the attorney they provide you, and then let that person talk to the court for you. Anything you say while you are in the emotions of the moment or while being interrogated can be twisted and misused. What the attorney presents in your defense will go with the police report to the county prosecutor. Since they are elected, they will generally only charge cases they think they can win. If your attorney can present a good case of why what happened was justified, you are not likely to be charged.

There are forms and more forms. Two fingerprinting cards get filled out, and only in all caps. The machine that reads the information needs all caps, and other things only exactly just so. For example, country of origin is US, not USA, United States or even America. Height might be 510 rather than 5 ' 10." A human would understand all equally, but somebody programmed the machine to be stupid. Plenty of extra cards were handed out for those mistakes. I asked why we needed two fingerprint cards but nobody knew. There's a questionnaire about your criminal history. The company giving the class wants your evaluation. You're given a certificate that you've taken the class, and advised that because their copier isn't working today we are on our own in getting a copy, but it's a very good idea. Stuff happens, forms get lost. Maybe use your smart phone for a photo, just like you'll do of your CCW card, drivers license, fishing/hunting license in case any of those get lost. (We do? Good to know.) 

Once our envelope is filled with everything to be sent in, we have to go get a certified bank check or a money order to pay for it. Using a credit card requires an in-person visit in downtown Phoenix, something discontinued with covid. So I guess it's the post office on Monday for a money order plus whatever proper postage is for the whole package.

At the end of class they pass out a "cheat sheet," a concise summary of what you've just been taught, in case you later don't quite recall. Another sheet informs us of every state's status with regard to accepting Arizona's concealed carry permit or not. Turns out if I want to take it to Minnesota, I'm good all the way until their border. May as well leave it home. But since home's the only place where I think there might be a reason to use it....

It can typically take 45 days right now to get the permit card back in the mail. It's to go right in back of my drivers license for easy access when needed. After that photo gets taken of course.