TexasCHLforum.com

Charles L. Cotton wrote:
Unlicensed carry is a possibility, but not in 2017. The Legislature and the general public equates unlicensed carry with in-your-face people and organizations and only time will change opinions. How much time will depend largely on whether some people and organizations have learned anything from their failures.

Chas.

The biggest problem with this truthful statement is the part in bold and underlined. Those folks do not recognize they failed but think they are the ones that got open carried passed. A little honest self-relection would go a long way with those folks.

I can tell you, I met with my rep, his chief of staff and one of his legislative affairs staffers and they all three said they get the impression there is zero appetite to pursue MAJOR new legislation in the area of guns and 2nd Amendment, most especially unlicensed carry. They indicate some minor cleanup and clarifying legislation may have a shot but nothing major.

That's just one rep but it appears they've been testing the water on this issue.

This topic is being discussed in another "official" Constitutional Carry thread where all Constitutional Carry and HB 375 discussion is supposed to be carried on. http://www.texaschlforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=86870

For some reason this thread has come to a point Obama phones and healthcare come to mind. If someone can't afford it, it should be free or they should get subsidy. If the requirement for a license was removed, then are we obligated to help them get a gun or make it free for those that say they can't afford one? Hey, people do have a right to defend themselves. Where does the entitlement end?

Again, I believe we shouldn't have to have a license to carry but we do. I just don't think basing the argument on affordability will get us there.

I think it comes down to priorities. We all have to make decisions about our priorities and where we chose to invest our time and money. Many people that claim they can't afford the time or money just chose to prioritize other things over getting their LTC.

While I agree unlicensed carry is the ultimate goal, I disagree the barrier to obtaining an LTC is too high. Just as to those that claim they don't have the resources to get a state issued ID, I say malarkey. I've led Dave Ramsey Financial Peace University classes for several years. I found only A couple of situations where the person couldn't realign their priorities and better allocate their money. If one's life is genuinely at risk, getting an LTC is not insurmountable for the large majority.

Now, whether or not a license should be required is a whole different argument. So is whether or not we expend our political capital going for gold or be happy with the silver for now.

Charles L. Cotton wrote: With the increased threat of attacks by terrorists, the need to remove unnecessary off-limits areas is greater now than in the past. Even Harvard agrees that "gun free zones" are a magnet for violent criminals.


Chas.

I think think this right here is the key to getting the ball over the goal line. Well, this and the travk record LTC have established.