Gov. Perry wants total gun freedom story at 10

[AG-EE]

I will write a letter to him, as well as my reps.

Charles,

Does your bill include making it unlawful for a university to circumvent the law by threatening expulsion if a CHL is caught carrying while on the premises? Even though the legislature might make it OK, we all know the schools would still try to keep them out by that type of threat. I think adding that would be extremely important.

[Liberty]

I've already drafted the bill . . . for 2009 of course.

Chas.

Thanks ...
Thank you very much!

[NuBee]

I saw on the evening news that now WOAI-TV(NBC) has a poll as well. Looks like the governor's words have made an impact.

How lasting an impact only time will tell?????

Both poll results will be announced on the 10pm news tonight.

The link to the site and poll are below. Vote is on the right side of the page.

http://www.woai.com/news/local/story.as ... A2FB3DC342


Thanks!

NuBee

[jim314]

If you like to express your thanks to the Governor and show your support, here is the link to do so, if someone hasn't already posted it:
http://www.governor.state.tx.us/contact

[FrEaK_aCcIdEnT]

Its about time!!!!!!!!!!!!111!1!1!1121

[lrb111]

If you like to express your thanks to the Governor and show your support, here is the link to do so, if someone hasn't already posted it:
http://www.governor.state.tx.us/contact

Thanks. and done..

Governor Perry.
Sir,
I would like to thank you for taking a public stand on, and for, concealed handgun licensees this week. In that, you feel they should be allowed to carry in almost all areas of the state.

In light, of the recent events at Virginia Tech, some would say you are courageous. Some would say you are nuts. But Virginia Tech highlighted once again, that those that cannot defend themselves due to impairment by atrocious laws will become pawns of the crazed, insane or terrorist.

For many of us the truth is self-evident in the second amendment. Thank you for seeing, and speaking that truth.

God bless you sir, and Texas.

Larry R. Bruns
CHL holder, and instructor

[frankie_the_yankee]

This is generating lots of water cooler discussions today, obviously. Lots of "Oh, no -- they'll shoot everyone!"

Anybody have any newer direct comparison than this?

An Analysis Of The Arrest Rate Of Texas Concealed Handgun License Holders As Compared To The Arrest Rate Of The Entire Texas Population 1996 - 1998, Revised to include 1999 and 2000 data

Here's a link to the DPS page where you can access stats on conviction rates of CHL holders.

http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/administra ... vrates.htm

If you pull up the page for 2005, you will see that CHL's are convicted at rates that are a small fraction of the overall population. There are 267,000 CHL holders in TX. This is about 2% of the total number of adults. This means that for any crime where the % of TOTAL convictions of CHL's was less than 2% is a crime that CHL's commit LESS OFTEN than the general population.

This includes almost all crimes, and certainly all the most violent ones.

TX CHL holders are peaceable law-abiding citizens. These stats PROVE IT. Any THINKING person who honestly considers the facts should have no problem with the idea of CHL's carrying guns in any public place (including "public accommodations such as most businesses).

People who talk about drunken hotheads shooting it out are just ignorant of the fact that people like that can't get CHL's, and that many of them carry illegally already. And they are also don't grasp the fact that if a CHL holder wanted to go into a day care center and shoot it up, THEY COULD DO IT RIGHT NOW IF THEY WANTED TO because there is nothing to stop them.

The next time you're talking with one of these unthinking fools, ask them this. Would they feel safe getting on an airplane if there were no metal detector, no x-ray machine, and no baggage screeening of any kind - just a sign posted at the jetway entrance saying, "It is a federal felony to carry a firearm aboard this aircraft"?

I've tried this a few times today, and the typical response is nervous laughter.

Then I ask them why someone should feel safe on a college campus, workplace, or wherever, that has no security, just because the premesis is posted with a sign banning guns?

Try it and see what happens.

[MTICop]

I have voted on both the polls here.

The thing I don't understand, and have to deal with to some extent any time I talk to someone about CHL, is this:

How is it that "everyone is a law abiding citizen unless they have a gun". It just doesn't make sense to me. How exactly does legally carrying a firearm make you a "criminal" or a "menace to society"?

I just don't get the argument.

[frankie_the_yankee]

I will write a letter to him, as well as my reps.

When you write your letter, make sure to urge Gov. Perry to speak to Rep. Woolley (Chair of the House Calendars Committee) and get her to schedule SB534 for a vote on the House floor.

This is the bill allowing employees with CHL's to keep handguns in their locked vehicles in company parking lots without being subject to being fired.

Passed the Senate, passed the House LE Committee, now sitting in Calendars dying a slow death, unless Rep. Woolley allows it out.

[Charles L. Cotton]

Charles,

Does your bill include making it unlawful for a university to circumvent the law by threatening expulsion if a CHL is caught carrying while on the premises? Even though the legislature might make it OK, we all know the schools would still try to keep them out by that type of threat. I think adding that would be extremely important.

Not at this point. It's too late to introduce new bills and I know of no bills that these provisions could be added to, because of the germane requirement. Any bills not out of House committees by next Wednesday are dead anyway.

My proposal is for other purposes and uses during 2008. I certainly would anticipate adding a provision that deals with state-supported colleges and universities, but private schools would be much more difficult, if not impossible. Perhaps we could add something dealing with private schools that get state money, but that will take some research.

Chas.

[Venus Pax]

Thanks for getting things moving on this, Charles. Those of us that spend most of our waking hours in a "gun-free" (rather, "victim rich") zone appreciate this.

[KD5NRH]

[Edited to put in the parts that somehow got lost when I posted earlier]

Email sent to the governor's office to thank him for speaking up.

I thought about mentioning that, since dead people are only allowed to vote for Democrats, it would benefit him to do anything he could to keep RKBA folks alive, but since I don't vote for Republicans either if there's a Libertarian candidate, (I'll make an exception if Ron Paul can get the Republican nomination) I figured that might be a bit misleading coming from me.

Whilw we're on the subject, the following strikes me as odd.

Here's a link to the DPS page where you can access stats on conviction rates of CHL holders.

http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/administra ... vrates.htm

UNL CARRY HANDGUN LIC HOLDER 16 14 87.5000%
UNL CARRY HANDGUN LIC HOLDER ALCH PREM/CORR 1 0 0.0000%

Considering that these two *only* apply to CHL holders, how can the "Total Convicitons" and "CHL Convictions" numbers be different?

[GlockenHammer]

New KTRH poll: http://www.ktrh.com/main.html

Also, I've created a sticky in this forum will all active polls that I know of. Feel free to post any polls you find there as well. We need to keep public opinion positive on this one!

[KBCraig]

Here's a link to the DPS page where you can access stats on conviction rates of CHL holders.

http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/administra ... vrates.htm

If you pull up the page for 2005, you will see that CHL's are convicted at rates that are a small fraction of the overall population. There are 267,000 CHL holders in TX. This is about 2% of the total number of adults. This means that for any crime where the % of TOTAL convictions of CHL's was less than 2% is a crime that CHL's commit LESS OFTEN than the general population.

This includes almost all crimes, and certainly all the most violent ones.

TX CHL holders are peaceable law-abiding citizens. These stats PROVE IT.

To be slightly more precise, you'd have to restrict the non-CHL conviction rate sample to those age 21 and over. I don't know how much it would affect the overall rate, but the ages 15-20 are in the peak years for violent crime (I think the worst overall group is 15-24).

Kevin

[Velocity]

New KTRH poll: http://www.ktrh.com/main.html

Also, I've created a sticky in this forum will all active polls that I know of. Feel free to post any polls you find there as well. We need to keep public opinion positive on this one!

I find it interesting that this poll's question is :

"Would you feel safer at work if you knew more people had easy access to a handgun?"

No mention of CHL, no mention of qualifications, etc.....