Tuesday, December 18, 2018

WILL A ‘CONSTITUTIONAL CARRY’ LAW MAKE US SAFER OR LESS SAFE?

A Texas state representative is introducing legislation which will permit Texans to carry a handgun openly or concealed without getting a license to carry

By Howie Katz

Big Jolly Times
December 17, 2018

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.

2 comments:

Trey Rusk said...

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.

bob walsh said...

Might not be safer, but it shouldn't be any less safe either.