Bullies: I Told You So!

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.

Guns, Guns Everywhere

I’m watching these debates that have taken place over the last couple of days in the Senate Chamber (& over the last several years) and I still wonder when will the cooler heads prevail?

The Senate is supposed to be the “more mature” chamber, but it looks like this is no longer the case.

The Gun Legislation is a bad deal. I don’t know if this will make one iota of a difference in the landscape of the safety in Texas; it doesn’t seem to have so far with the CHL license.

From a practical point of view, I wonder what is going to happen when patrons of business establishments (of all kinds) will do when they start losing business because people start walking for the door when they notice gun totters enter a business.

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.

I have been a lifelong hunter and gun owner and have always known there are some out there that will stretch the beliefs as far as they can chunk them. Nobody in their right mind sees a problem here needing a solution—one should spend a little time considering why the Senate Members think this is the solution. If they are spending their day being threatened by their surroundings, they have not been doing the job we sent them to Austin to do.

Texas’ New Governor

Recently, we inaugurated a new Governor and started a new Legislature (the 84^th) in Texas and the Legislative Session so far has been one thing after another.

We are starting again with new hope. The Republicans have been (once again) given a majority, but as far as we have seen, there are just as many “off beats” as ever in both Houses of the Legislature. One has already requested extra protection for himself and his family. Another wants everybody but members of her own faith to recite the Pledge of Allegiance to be granted an audience within her office. It goes on and on.

My desire is for the Legislature to get down to solving the problems we have and quit creating problems we don’t have—now, is that too much to ask?

*****

Guns on Campus

“We believe what’s called for here is local control. If the Legislature opts to allow guns on college premises, all universities, public and private, should have final say over whether to allow them on their campuses.”

“At the larger campuses, where emergency response timing is more immediate, more guns on campuses would make the job of law enforcement officers more difficult. And the threat of having to identifying the “good guy” from the “bad” sets up the makings of potentially deadly errors.”

Austin Police Chief Art Acevedo “warned that introducing weapons into the emotionally charged social atmosphere that sometimes occurs at colleges could expand the potential for violence.”

“No one should be forced to surrender their God-given, constitutional right to self-defense just because they set foot on a college campus,” Sen. Charles Schwertner, R-Georgetown told the American-Statesman. “This bill is simply about ensuring that licensed, responsible and law-abiding adults have the right to protect themselves on the campuses of public colleges and universities.”

The foregoing is taken from: “Universities should control whether guns are allowed on campus,” the Editorial Board, Austin American-Statesman, 28 Jan 15

*****

In a letter that Chancellor Bill McRaven (Texas University System) sent to Gov. Greg Abbott, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and House Speaker Joe Straus:

“McRaven told the American-Statesman this month that he favors tightening, not loosening, the campus-carry law to bar concealed weapons altogether.”

McRaven made three points very clear:

(1)   “the sometimes-fragile emotions of college students could lead to an increase in accidental and self-inflicted wounds,”

(2)   “that campus police might not be able to distinguish between “the bad actor and persons seeking to defend themselves and others when both have guns drawn,” that securing weapons when they aren’t being carried”

(3)   (It) “could be difficult in high-density campus housing and that laboratory chemicals and equipment could create unexpected hazards in the event a firearm is present or is discharged.”

The above quotes come from: “UT chancellor Bill McRaven opposes guns on campuses,” Ralph K.M. Haurwitz, Austin American-Statesman, 29 Jan 15

*****

Would a new school based policy lead to students selecting their college of choice by the school’s “Carry Policy”?

Can’t you just see it? Some guy interviewing an incoming freshman: “I go to Bodacious U. cause I can carry my Gun to class.”

As I read the above comments, I have to ask myself, “Are there currently campuses NOW where there exists a need for the students to be armed? A change to “college option” would most likely lead to a series of back and forth decisions by the college leadership: one WOULD, next WOULD NOT, next WOULD! Where would it stop?

Another question I ask myself: “Where have the proponents of “open carry” (like Mr. Schwertnar of Georgetown) been conducting their business that they so drastically need a gun for protection?” I would think the Legislature’s directed task should be to discover this narley place and get that problem fixed instead of arming the populous to take on the problem. Isn’t that their function and Constitutional Assignment?

I am sorry to say that I searched and could not find anything from Chancellor of the Texas A&M University System John Sharp nor Temporary President of Texas A&M University Mark Hussey.

*****

Here’s where I think we should be headed:

Let’s cut some of the waste and corruption taking place over the past decade or so. Gov. Abbott has mentioned the Emerging Technology Fund as one possible place to start. The management of multiple agencies is another: no bid contracts run amok and appointments made without proper authority are another couple of places to look.

Funding our schools and the transportation infrastructure need to be priorities. Maybe the “war on women” deserves a look.

I don’t know enough of the particulars, but it seems to me that the border is a federal problem and funding should come from the feds to secure the problem. Spending a billion dollars to fortify the border when they can’t get the statistics proven doesn’t seem to be good fiscal policy. It sure will not eliminate the local, state and federal money (which we all contribute to) from being spent on education, health care, etc.

Mr. Abbott, I challenge you to fight the important battles and get the state on the straight and narrow and put aside the social engineering for a later time.