For perspective, here are the educational requirements to attain a cosmetics-related license in Washington state.

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Education requirements

Minimum required school hours

• Cosmetologist—1,600 hours
• Barber—1,000 hours
• Manicurist—600 hours
• Esthetician—750 hours
• Master esthetician—1,200 hours
• Hair design—1,400 hours

Minimum required apprenticeship program hours

• Cosmetologist—2,000 hours
• Barber—1,200 hours
• Manicurist—800 hours
• Esthetician—800 hours
• Master esthetician—1,400 hours
• Hair design—1,750 hours

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Those who want to be instructors in these cosmetic fields must take an additional 500 hours of training and pass both written and practical tests.

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So what does cosmetology have to do with firearms instruction? What’s my point here?

Well, I’m certainly not suggesting “there ought to be a law!” Self defense is the most basic of all human rights, and that’s a right that belongs to all of us regardless of what we’ve learned or haven’t learned about how to do it effectively.

But I am saying what a shame it is that so many would-be instructors react with horror and disdain when someone suggests that perhaps, maybe, people should independently decide to get more than 17 hours of training before trying teach other people how to handle tools that can kill them.

This is just a little more important than avoiding a bad haircut.