TexasCHLforum.com

AndyC wrote:Here's how the antis took Washington with I-594:

http://www.thetruthaboutguns.com/2014/1 ... ton-state/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Lessons can be learned from this.

Now comes the real test. Will people obey the law? If people refuse to obey the law, that could be the biggest win possible for gun rights.

Billionaires and the media got the law passed. Let’s see how well billionaires and the media can enforce the law. That is where we find out how well the will of the people can stand up against money and lies.

Back to the original subject. There has been a lot of hoopla about “bypassing congress” on gun control and Obummer “governing by executive order”.

No matter what “Moms Demand”, “Everystate” and Obummer want, the states still cannot pass laws that violate the Constitution and make them stick.

Similar to Florida’s preemption laws, we need to have an amendment that would penalize politicians personally that knowingly and intentionally attempt to deny people’s rights this way.

The Annoyed Man wrote:

VoiceofReason wrote:How about someone like Charles or TAM writing a petition or letter expressing our disapproval of the tactics of OCT and set it up where you don’t have to even go to this board to read or sign it. If it flies then point it out to the media.

I am happy enough to write a letter like this, but I am just a nobody, and my signature at the bottom means nothing. For such a letter to have impact, it would have to be signed by prominent people whose names and/or positions as spokespersons for 2nd Amendment advocacy would be known to the media outlets where the letter would appear.

What would be REALLY helpful, although I don't know if it would be realistically feasible (Charles, if you have an opinion, I'd like to know what you think), would be if a majority of legislators who might otherwise be sympathetic to Open Carry would publicly threaten to vote against it if the knuckleheads don't back the heck off with their stupid tactics. A fairly simple statement like:

"I support open carry, but I will not vote in favor of unlicensed open carry if radical activists do not cease their open carry demonstrations—including but not limited to the harassment of police in the performance of their lawful duties by cop-watchers armed with openly carried long guns and openly carried black-powder handguns."

I am not politically astute enough to know if this is a good idea or not; but it seems like such a statement, signed by all legislators who are known to be normally pro-gun (including any pro-gun democrats) would have several results:

1. It would serve notice to the liberal media that these wackos do NOT have the support of the gun-community at large, and that they are NOT representative of the majority of us.
2. It would serve notice to the wackos that their insanity will not go unpunished, while at the same time serving notice that if they will just calm down and shut up, they just might get what they want.
3. It would serve notice to Law Enforcement that we have their backs, that we are concerned for their welfare, and that vocal support of the 2nd Amendment does not equate to being "anti-cop".

There may be other benefits I can't think of, and there may be downsides too.....which is why I am interested in Charles' opinion about this kind of tactic.

Charles, what do you think?

TAM my thinking was a few thousand gun owners whether they are members of NRA, this forum or not. Signatures of “prominent people” would be icing on the cake.

Whatever is decided should be done as soon as possible. These fools are really destroying all gun owners image with the public and could possibly change how some supporters think. Some of them might not want to be thought of as supporting these jerks.

chuck j wrote:You know after my last post soon as I quit foaming at the mouth about the open carry crowd I started thinking . You know what would be really impressive to voters / representatives / anyone you can name ? Get 500 to 2000 CHL holders to assemble in Huston , Austin or Dallas . Tell em in advance to wear regular clothes , no camo , no jack boots , nothing military like and have a peaceful march / gathering . Invite LEO's to join in . Have prayer asking the LORD to help our cause . Invite the public and their kids to see that CHL holders are just regular folks . Heck pass out balloons and free cokes , have signs praising local law enforcement . The biggest advantage we have is just being normal citizens .

After giving this more thought, I am convinced this is a fantastic idea. The anti’s are trying to paint an image of us that is as bad as possible and OCT obliges them every chance they get.

If we allow “Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America” and “Everytown for Gun Safety” to control our image that the public sees, we can expect a pitched battle for generations. A demonstration such as this would be a huge boost in the right direction for our cause.

Occasionally I see conversations on this forum as to whether to tell people we have a CHL and carry. Personally I tell family and friends especially if I think they probably will find out sooner or later. Concealed means concealed but I don’t think the law means you can’t tell.

That’s what “Moms Demand” and “Everytown” want. They want you to give others the impression you are ashamed of carrying a gun.

I want people to know that some Volunteer Firemen carry guns. I want people to know that the guy next door who has been a good neighbor for years carries a gun. The man or woman doing volunteer work for the nonprofit humanitarian group carries a gun.

Maybe eventually these rallies will catch on in other states.

chuck j wrote:You know after my last post soon as I quit foaming at the mouth about the open carry crowd I started thinking . You know what would be really impressive to voters / representatives / anyone you can name ? Get 500 to 2000 CHL holders to assemble in Huston , Austin or Dallas . Tell em in advance to wear regular clothes , no camo , no jack boots , nothing military like and have a peaceful march / gathering . Invite LEO's to join in . Have prayer asking the LORD to help our cause . Invite the public and their kids to see that CHL holders are just regular folks . Heck pass out balloons and free cokes , have signs praising local law enforcement . The biggest advantage we have is just being normal citizens .

Sounds like a great idea to me.

The Annoyed Man wrote:

VoiceofReason wrote:

The Annoyed Man wrote:

AndyC wrote:

Jumping Frog wrote:He also warns that so-called "universal background checks" is the only issue that we get totally crushed on in gun control-related public opinion polls.

Answering that issue so that it resonates with the general public is critical.

I'm not in favor of universal background checks, but with stunts like those pulled by OCT & OCT and their "cop watch" nonsense, it is harder and harder to argue against the universal background check. We need to clean our own house, or liberals will do it for us. The problem is, I don't see how we can do it.

Then we need to find a way to distance ourselves from them.

I agree.......but to an anti-gun media, that is hard to do. The only thing I can think of is perhaps to engage police in co-leading/co-teaching things like gun-safety seminars, or maybe getting local police to sponsor Johnny Appleseed events..... stuff like that, which will be A) news-worthy, and B) show the gun community as supportive of LEOs, rather than confrontational......and to do these things OFTEN.

How about someone like Charles or TAM writing a petition or letter expressing our disapproval of the tactics of OCT and set it up where you don’t have to even go to this board to read or sign it. If it flies then point it out to the media.

The Annoyed Man wrote:

AndyC wrote:

Jumping Frog wrote:He also warns that so-called "universal background checks" is the only issue that we get totally crushed on in gun control-related public opinion polls.

Answering that issue so that it resonates with the general public is critical.

I'm not in favor of universal background checks, but with stunts like those pulled by OCT & OCT and their "cop watch" nonsense, it is harder and harder to argue against the universal background check. We need to clean our own house, or liberals will do it for us. The problem is, I don't see how we can do it.

Then we need to find a way to distance ourselves from them.