The Texas Concealed Handgun License Law passed in 1995
and became effective January 1996. It seems to me that we are working now with
almost 10 years of experience and data from the Concealed Handgun Law and yet
we have not seen any real use of the legislation where a concealed carrier has
throttled a threat of any major nature. We also have seen very little abuse of
the system—proof
that by enlarge most licensed concealed carriers are law abiding citizens—a compliment to the
license screening conducted by the State.
I felt very against the provision when it was initially
debated and still feel the same way. Those that pushed through the legislation
in the 90s were one contingent, but those pushing the further extension of the
provisions are of another nature entirely—bullies! They have divided both the Texas Senate and
the House of Representatives right along party lines—the votes dramatize this phenomenon very well. How else
does one explain this?
These Republicans cannot be that much smarter than their
Democrat colleagues—if
they were, they would be in business making real money instead of living in
Austin for 140 days every other year.
The Bullies have taken over the Texas Senate and quite
possibly the House of Representatives. What bills pass routinely do so on a
party split vote 20 to 11 (Republicans over Democrats). I don’t think ether
groups have their finger on the pulse of their constituents at all. It’s always
the same few “fringers” who demonstrate and show up when the need arises. We
saw that earlier this year with the questionable actions of those guys up in
the Ft. Worth area—their
stories quickly changed when the microscope was applied.
Here’s the two questions I ask myself when the original
legislation was proposed:
(1)
What if something does happen and some CHL
holder helps stop the threat? Those pushing the legislation will proudly step
forward and say: “I told you so!”
(2)
What if the legislation is not passed and down
the road something does happen and nobody is there to help stop the threat?
Those pushing the legislation will proudly step forward and say: “I told you
so!”
After almost ten years, the “fringers” haven’t been able to
point to a single Texas situation that really proves the need for their cause—a solution still in
search of a problem. Oh, there have been the here and there problems around the
country, in general, that have taken place and there remains doubts that a single
hand gun in the area would have made anything but a marginal difference.
My original questions remain the same today as back in
1995. The question needs to be put in front of the everyday Texan. Of course
there is no hope of that happening because the Repubs draw the voter boundaries
and remain elected in spite of their records and value to Texas.
I wrote earlier about putting this in the hands of the
people conducting business and their life in the public sector:
“I am not going to sit in a crowded restaurant with some
yahoo who has a gun strapped to his belt (or shoulder) with my family. I am
going to calmly get up and exit the establishment and never return until the
owner recognizes that he has a business problem and does something about it.
I call on every right thinking Texan to let the
businesses where they conduct their lives to know how they feel about guns in
their surroundings.”
(See Guns, Guns Everywhere – 20 March 15 below)
Additionally, I would propose that we start proliferating
our message using the HashTags: #OpenCarryDoNotGoThere and
#OpenCarryDoNotGoHere
The message needs to get out.
