The fascination with restricting where law-abiding citizens can carry to defend themselves has always intrigued me. When you are writing legislation saying that citizens have to go through a stringent background check, training and/or classes, who are the people thinking that the people that would go through this process are dangerous at all? The statistics bear out that you would most definitely rather have a person with a permit to carry around you than almost anyone else. Here are some numbers from Texas.
For all of the offenses listed, license holders represent 0.1541% of the population of criminal offenders (101 out of 65,561). That's pretty incredibly low, right? Except it is skewed by exactly what I'm talking about right now. There are places that lincense holders are not supposed to carry and do either by choice or accident. The Federal ones are pretty standard (post offices and secure areas in airports) and Texas has laws that restrict carry in bars and amusement parks and allow hospitals and churches to post signs that make carry a felony. The unlawful carry numbers amount to 15 of these convictions. If those were eliminated, the rate is 0.1312% (86 out of 65,546) of crimes in Texas that exclude lawful carry are committed by license holders. That's pretty incredible. So, with that bit of information...
Why would you need to carry in a hospital? That should be a safe place, but isn't.
Why would you need to carry in a restaurant/bar? I'm not even going to say that should be safe. We all know it isn't. If nothing else, walking to and from the establishment can make you feel like a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs.
Here is my favorite one: Why would you need to carry in church? It should be safe, but isn't.
This last one I hear pretty often. It is mostly the people that go to church that think this way. What is it about the doors of your place of worship that make you think it is a completely safe place? Is it the historical idea that a place of worship could be used as a place of shelter and safety? I understand wishing that were the case, but I've never been the kind of person to think that every nutjob will respect that ideal. In addition, there have always been, but especially now are people that are specifically targeting your religion with violence.
Criminals can strike everywhere. Don't think they don't know the law, too. It is their trade and they know they are breaking it. In turn, they know you will obey it. Gun-free zones are their playground. After all, they make a career of breaking the law. Don't let anyone convince you that a government regulated gun-free zone is ok. At least if a private property owner posts a sign, you can vote with your wallet.
Here in Missourithe law allows a business or place to post a no weapons allowed law and basically opt out of the concealed carry law. So you either go ahead and carry everywhere or you are constantly taking the gun off and putting it back on. Try a day full of errand and disarming for every stinking sign. So, everyone I know is a criminal as we do not disarm to enter a business that has "the sign".
ReplyDeleteI have carried in Missouri under the reciprocity agreement and did see some signs (though not too many). Texas has a different attitude about the sign. Here, the statute for the language is 30.06, so it is commonly referred to as the "thirty aught six sign". However, depending on where you do business, posting it can be financial suicide. I respect a property owner's right to post it, but I have the right to not do business with them and let them know why. It works well here because of the number of license holders.
DeleteGreat post. Part of carrying is carrying 100% of the times that you are legally able to do so.
ReplyDeleteIn TX, the pastor of a church can decide if people can carry in the church. If your pastor does not think that life is worth fighting for, find a new church.
That's how I would do it. I have yet to see "the sign" on a church now that we're talking about that.
DeleteI changed banks after my former bank went to no carry... If a place is posted no carry, then I don't enter.
ReplyDeleteI'm with you, NFO. The sign loses my business. No banks here have the sign posted. There is actually one in South Texas that has a sign welcoming CHL carriers and has a sign posted stating such.
DeleteAll "financial institutions" are automatically off limits in NE. I just use the ATM and avoid the lobby whenever and wherever possible.
ReplyDeleteMan, that kind of sucks. A lot of people I talk to are under the impression that banks are off limits just "because that makes sense." They are actually surprised when I tell them they can carry as long as there is no sign posted. I guess NE is trying to stop all of those bank robberies committed by license carriers. How many is that again? Oh, none? Ok. :)
Delete