Locksmith wrote:Charles L. Cotton wrote:
That's a great attitude. Alice Tripp explained why TSRA can't work on open-carry this session. The explanation was in the forum of an email that someone on OpenCarry.org decided to post.
Chas.
I don't think to support the idea means they have to physically do anything. They could support it (in my opinion) with a simple public statement, saying that they support the idea.
Of course it would be nice if they would take some steps to bring it to the attention of their membership & see if they also support the idea as well, but I would be perfectly happy with just a written statement as NRA appears to have done.
I support the idea of open carry, even if all I do is generally spread the word to people that I know. Well, I also signed the petition. On the same token, I wouldn't expect anyone to do anything more than what I have done. I do appreciate what many others have done to push the idea though. I just can't see supporting an organization that is not interested in doing at least what I have done, which I admit is very little. My impression of TSRA's unwillingness to state that they support the idea of open carry, leads me to believe that they are outright against it, and I'm sure many others perceive the same thing, including legislators. So not only are they not supporting it, they appear to be working against it.
I may be completely wrong in my thinking, and if so I do apologize. That is just the way I see it.
My point is that TSRA has done tremendous work in Texas for many years. Most of the favorable gun laws we have are the result of work of TSRA and the NRA. The two top priority bills this session are employer parking lots and campus-carry. We made commitments to our members who are being disarmed and left defenseless driving to and from work, sometimes over great distances, simply because of their employer's policies. This is a very big issue for many of our members and our bill died on the House floor last session when time ran out. (170 other bills also died that way.) We also made a commitment to the students and faculty in Texas colleges and universities, as well as Students for Concealed Carry on Campus, that we would do everything we can to help prevent a Virginia Tech massacre in a Texas school. The parking lot and campus-carry issues were put through the procedures I have set out below, including the all-important Candidate Questionnaire. Open-carry just became an issue in Texas recently and then only because the Virginia-based OpenCarry.org (founded by at least one "Executive Member" of VCDL) chose to make a push in Texas. The issue has not been put through our extensive preparation procedures and it certainly wasn't included in our Candidate Questionnaire.
You suggest that TSRA should just make a statement that we support open carry, as did the NRA. First, I'm not at all convinced that is NRA's position. I am trying to confirm that with HQ now. I just got back from a week of NRA committee and Board meetings and this is news to me. More importantly, everyone needs to understand that TSRA operates on a two year cycle. As soon as a session ends, we start working on the next session. We do this by research, participation in interim studies during the "off-year," getting candidates elected, meeting with staff, attending fundraisers, and we do other things I can't put on an open forum. We discuss our agenda at every opportunity to pave the way for the next session.
One very important procedure in promoting our legislative agenda is the submission of Candidate Questionnaires to every elected official. Those questionnaires inquire about every major issue we intend to address in the next session. This not only gives us input on a candidate's position on our legislation, a positive response also serves somewhat as a commitment from the candidate and we can and do occasionally remind them of this fact.
Through our hard thorough work, candor and honesty, TSRA has earned the respect of the Texas Legislature. We don't do anything on the spur of the moment or without extensive planning for two reasons. First, that's not the way to win. Secondly it would put our friends in Austin in a terrible position if we were to suddenly, without warning or briefing, make a public statement that we support a concept or legislation. Just saying we support open-carry would make it "our" bill and no amount of disclaimer would make any difference. That is precisely the type of surprise that our friends in Austin don't want. So a mere statement of support is not an option for us.
I understand that OpenCarry.org, it's members, and a large number of TexasCHLforum.com members support open-carry in Texas. TSRA does its best to respond to issues that are of importance to our members based upon their communications with us. Currently, employer parking lots, campus carry, and streamlining the processing of CHL applications to avoid current delays are the top priority items, based upon member input and complaints. Open-carry hasn't even been mentioned until very recently and quite candidly, its supporters don't seem to be TSRA members, at least not based upon the input we have received from members.
If you choose to not support TSRA because we cannot take on the open-carry issue without doing all of the preparation we do, then that's your decision. I think it ignores everything we've done and everything we are trying to do this session under very difficult political circumstances, but it is your choice and I respect it. What I don't appreciate is your attempt to get others not to support TSRA simply because we cannot support your pet legislation this session. Don't even bother saying you're not trying to influence others, not when your post is made in big red letters. I see other members of OpenCarry.org doing the same thing.
Another tactic I've seen on OpenCarry.org is incredibly short-sighted and dangerous. At least some members are sending out emails, and perhaps publicizing it by other methods, stating something to the effect of "50,000 Texans who signed the open-carry petition will remember who supported open-carry and who didn't, when the next election comes around." This is not an accurate quote, but it is certainly the message. What an absurd, arrogant and damaging position to take! They are threatening long-term pro-gun Representatives and Senators who have voted with us for years. That's not the way you get things done, at least not in Texas. That's vintage in-your-face VCDL/OpenCarry.org philosophy and it's going to blow up in their collective faces, if people are really taking that approach. In fact, they may do so much damage to the issue, that no other pro-gun organizations will be able to touch it for years. When emotion controls over reason and planning, the battle is lost. "[Darn] the torpedoes, full speed ahead" is a great movie quote (and an actual order during the Civil War), but those who adopt it as a political plan of action will find themselves speeding headlong into one of those torpedoes.
Open-carry supporters should support their bill and their goals, but by all means do so in a way that doesn't damage the ability to promote the interest of gun owners in the future.
Chas.
, about all I can say is that we respond to our members. If enough of them want to see open-carry pass, and if they feel it is of greater importance than other issues, then I suspect we'll take on the project. I think some people feel that Alice Tripp, James Dark and I put our personal opinions ahead of the organizational goals and that simply isn't true. If it were true, I would have pushed a number of different issues over the last two sessions. I have very strong reservations about the backlash I believe we will see, if open-carry passes. However, if the TSRA membership wants us to take on this issue, then I'll put my personal concerns aside and I'll work hard to get it passed. This assumes that others haven't done so much damage to our friends in Austin this session that we have to stay away from the issue.
That Texans were disarmed for so long and still labor under many unnecessary restrictions probably feeds the frustration you've seen in some posts.
