A Texas state representative is introducing legislation which will permit Texans to carry a handgun openly or concealed without getting a license to carry
Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Idaho (residents only),Kansas, Maine, Mississippi, Missouri, New Hampshire, North Dakota (residents only; concealed carry only), Vermont, West Virginia and Wyoming (residents only) are ‘Constitutional Carry’ states which allow people to carry handguns without a permit.
Texas state representative Jonathan Stickland is introducing legislation which will permit those Texans who can legally own a firearm, to carry a handgun openly or concealed without getting a license to carry. The bill may or may not pass, and if it does pass, the legislation may o may not be signed into law by the governor. Similar bills failed to pass in previous legislative sessions.
The gun control nuts are screaming like stuck pigs in opposition to this legislation. They are being joined by the big city Texas police chiefs. The chiefs are concerned that if the bill becomes law, there will be numerous shootouts within their cities. Of course, they said the same thing when they opposed the concealed carry license legislation.
So, if Texas becomes a constitutional carry state, will we be safer or less safe? The answer is: Neither.
Dallas Police Chief U. Renee Hall, Houston Chief Art Acevedo, San Antonio Chief Bill McManus and the other Texas chiefs that are worried can all rest at ease. The state won’t become a shooting gallery if Strickland’s bill becomes law.
A constitutional carry law won’t make a dime’s worth of difference in my beloved city of Houston. You can bet that right now there are a lot of Houstonians already carrying handguns without the license to do so, and some of them are not allowed by law to own any firearms.
Then what will make us safer? It’s not gun control! We will be safer by locking up criminals. We will also be safer if gun owners left their guns at home whenever they are depressed or under more than normal stress.
And we will be safer if the cops make more bar checks and lock up the drunks and those who served them an alcoholic beverage when it appears like they’ve had enough to drink. Why? Because a substantial number of homicides are committed by drunks after they leave a bar.
While I’m not opposed, per se, to reasonable licensing requirements for handgun carry, I’m inclined to agree with Howie here. It’s not gonna make a dime’s worth of difference.
I suspect that most actual law enforcement people would agree. Big city chiefs like Acevedo, McManus, Hall, et. al., aren’t actual law enforcement officers, they are big government bureaucrats, and almost always ridiculously liberal. They have had to loyally adhere to and endorse the liberal party line for years in order to rise to their rank.
Fact is the cops already suspect you’re packing when they approach you, and they should. Anyone legal to own may carry in their vehicle. The results have been…nothing. Felons carry illegally now. They’re the danger.
Ask Texas when the NRA was in town. About 80,000 of us, most with guns. Any Problems?
I was in Arizona where many people had guns on their hips, people werent having shootouts then nor are they now. “legislation which will permit those Texans who can legally own a firearm, to carry a handgun openly or concealed without getting a license to carry.” Amen brother. Thats how we should roll and if arrested rely on the Constitution of the United States. As they say, freedom isnt free.
The only thing I regret with Constitutional Carry is the lack of any requirement that people, who now require a License to Carry, will not have the requisite briefing on gun safety or gun laws or the requirement to actually fire their weapons to demonstrate some minimum competence.
Notice that I said “briefing” and not “training.” With the relaxation in the standards for obtaining an LTC several years ago, what was a day long course split between safety and the law with a break to shoot has now collapsed into a half day “seminar” and practical session, with no requirement for any training related activity on renewal. I think this is a mistake, and while it probably hasn’t had an effect on the crime statistics, I think it is more a question of the safety of the law abiding citizen (assuming they know what the law is), when they carry.
I can remember when Police Administrators across the state were against allowing concealed carry permits. I remember when it was against the law in Texas to carry a knife with a blade longer than 5 1/2 inches. Now you can carry any length of blade. Concealed carry and open carry with a permit is legal and any size knife blade can legally be carried including a machete, switchblade or stiletto. Nothing happened. Police Administrators were wrong in their assessments that shootings would flourish. Knife assaults didn’t increase either. The weapons that are still illegal in Texas are Brass Knuckles or most knuckle enhancing weapons. I believe Representative Jonathan Strickland is right. Let Texans carry what they want. They probably already are.
Whats amazing is that we are actually debating a Constitutional right in hopes that our dear leaders gift us what is already an inalienable right, incredible.
Texas is trying to reverse it’s past and restore the Constitution, with this effort at “constitutional carry,” meanwhile Trump is banning bump stocks. No grandfather clause, either. Just hand
’em over to to the jackboots or be imprisoned.
To quote our liberal brethren, “I can’t even, right now.”
Why should “we” be concerned about if an individual decision about an individual right would make “us” more or less safe? It shouldn’t be a factor. Either we are moving towards constitutional government and laws no matter any possible ugly consequences of freedom are or we aren’t. I bet if you asked the young lady who just turned 21 and is concerned about a possible stalker but has to wait weeks for her government permission slip to show up before she can legally carry if SHE would feel safer being able to carry right away or not I bet I could guess what SHE would say.