Guns Gone Wild (in Texas)?
I was just reading some local news over on chron.com and one particular thing I read has got me wondering about something.
The article states that Tom Delay’s concealed handgun license has been suspended due to his indictment. (Please note: I am purposefully avoiding commenting one way or the other on Delay and my opinions on guns and gun control, as I prefer to keep this focused on the question that follows.)
The part of the article that stood out to me was this:
DeLay spokeswoman Shannon Flaherty declined to say why DeLay obtained the handgun permit…
Flaherty would not say if DeLay has been carrying a handgun.
“As for whether or not he carries it. That’s the point of having a CHL in Texas, potential
criminals should assume everyone is.”
Is the thought that any citizen (over the age of 21) is very likely carrying a handgun a common one? It has never once crossed my mind, and now I’m wondering if I’m in the minority. The only time that a person carrying a gun in public has ever been obvious to me is when I’ve seen someone who feels the need to strap on a holster and wear his gun in plain view.
Do I just ignore the fact that guns are all around me when I’m out somewhere? Or is it as uncommon as I assume it is?
Do YOU carry a gun?
I don’t think everyone thinks about the fact most people in Texas could be carrying a gun. And really only criminals intent on doing someone harm should think about it. And of course that’s the idea. When someone is getting ready to mug you you want them to wonder if you are an easy victim.
And yes, I carry a gun sometimes.
Holy *&^%%$.
I do not carry a gun and never will, but the thought that I *should* be thinking that everyone else (including Tom DeLay… great) is packing heat…. well that’s just freaking scary.
Katya – My thoughts exactly! I never realized I was supposed to prepare myself for a gun fight in regular day-to-day life against average citizens. I’ll have to find a way to do it without a gun though, because there’s no chance I’ll ever have one of my own.
A better question: since the CHL law, has crime in Texas dropped? How does it compare to crime in demographically similar places to don’t have it?
John — Excellent point! I think that information could prove to be very interesting. I wish I knew where I could find solid facts on that.
I sometimes have a wooden sword in my car (benefit of being a self-described samurai. Unfortunately there really is no benefit in being self-described).
My grandma used to keep a miniature bat under the seat in her car, but last time she got pulled over the cop saw it & took it away.
I still can’t figure out what her plan was…
Shawn, Yeah, I fence épée, but swords don’t work out well in the whole self defense thing now do they?
Hello.
I do have a CHL and carry a gun on a regular basis. I just want to address some of the comments I saw above.
(1) Sarah: most people do not realize that I am carrying a gun.
(2) Sarah: you are not preparing yourself against your “average citizen”; you are prepared for the “below average citizen”.
(3) Sarah: by law, no CHL holder can strap their weapon to their hip and keep it in plain view. We have no open-carry provisions in Texas. Many other states do, and it works just fine there.
(4) John & Sarah: Since CHL laws passed in 1995 crime has dropped. This is also true for the 46 other states that have CCW laws. Instead of me spouting statistics, I invite you to check FBI crime statistics.
Two other interesting facts: the most dangerous murder-by-gun city in the US is Washington DC which has the most strict gun control in the nation, and the CDC recently published info showing that gun control laws have had no effect on human well-being in this country.
CHL holders are generally quite upstanding citizens. Compared to other states, it’s not easy to get one in Texas (only about 1% of Texans have CHLs). For what it’s worth, if you saw me on the street, I would probably be the last person you thought would carry a gun. I am far from the stereotypical image of the gun-totin’ redneck.
I have a CHL and carry a weapon as a “back-up” plan. In my opinion, it’s better to have one and not need it than to need it and not have it. It’s somewhat akin to the reason people wear a seatbelt in a car or keep a fire extinguisher in their kitchen.
Under the Texas Tort Claims Act, a city government is liable for damages arising from its government functions, including police and fire protection. On the other hand, the law also states that there can be NO liability for emergency response or failure to provide police or fire protection (Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code Ann. §101.055). As such, relying on the police can only go so far. Besides, if you are in a situation that could warrant the defensive use of a handgun, chances are that you will not have time to wait on the police.
I recently stumbled across this article that you might be interested to read:
http://hobbes.ncsa.uiuc.edu/onsheepwolvesandsheepdogs.html
Just thought you’d like the point of view of a CHL holder.
Have a good day.
– Jacques
(ex-Houston Metblogger)
Oh… almost forgot.
If you’ve never shot a gun, and if you want to go shooting, just let me know, as I’d be happy to show you how it all works. I don’t shoot at crazy backwoods shooting ranges; I typically shoot at a nice indoor range near the Galleria.
What’s more, I’m always happy to pay for anyone’s first time shooting. (No cheating from shooters!)
Talk with you later.
-Jacques
There’s an indoor shooting range near the Galleria??? I’ve been looking for something that’s not “crazy backwoods” since moving here. If not a name, at least a hint?
Hi Harold,
Top Gun is located on Beverly Hill just east of Fountain View. Beverly Hill is one street south of and parallel to Richmond. Their website is: http://www.topgunrange.com/
If you like outdoor shooting, the best place in town is American Shooting Centers out near HWY6 and Westheimer (16500 Westheimer Parkway). Now with the Westpak Tollway in place it only takes a few minutes to get down there. Their website is: http://www.amshootcenters.com/
Have fun!
Jacques