TexasCHLforum.com

RoyGBiv wrote:I just don't buy that there's any racial MOTIVATION, today, behind the cost for a TX CHL.
But to call a high cost "racist", per-se, I don't agree.

Well, I agree with you that no-one sitting down to work on the legislation in this modern era had racist motivation. It simply had the unintended consequence of adversely affecting minorities.

Does a policy need to be deliberate to be "racist", or if it simply adversely affects a race is it thus "racist"? I don't know, and it is basically semantics I guess.

Griz44 wrote:Do we need a Texas restriction on this kind of license being offered here?

No. Not unless we also revoke reciprocity for Virginians with the same license.

Not that I can see it has been mentioned in this discussion, but my understanding is that if you take this class, pass, send in your paperwork to the Virginia State Patrol and get your non-resident license, you are then qualified to concealed carry in Ohio, which TX doesn't have a reciprocal agreement with. So a plus, if you ever plan to travel to and wanted to conceal carry in Ohio it might be worth considering taking this online test!

Experience taught me, and I usually figure something so cheap and easy won't do me much good; A Virginia online license is totally worthless compared to my Valid TX CHL when I'm picking up my niece at school here in TX. and I rarely find reason to go out of the Republic of Texas any more, Louisiana and Vegas have my money I used to have so ... it's better to stay close to home (civilization and rational thinking people) anyway

Might be good if you travel to Ohio or another state that honors VA but not Texas for business.

Other than that, I'd stick with the Texas CHL.

I think New Yorkers carrying in Texas with any license (including LEOSA) is a much bigger problem than Texans carrying in Texas on a Virginia license.

speedsix wrote:...the race card in 2012 is a lame excuse...no matter who pulls it...

As a native Texan (born there, lived there as a child, still have family there, have TX flags all over our house) and a resident of VA. I want to chime in. Most people in VA that get their license do not do so through an online course but rather through an instructor. Really I don't think anyone should have to pay anything to exercise a right granted to us by our creator and codified by our highest law. However to keep peace I have obtain the permit here for VA. There has not been blood in the streets in VA since we started offering this course. Perhaps it is not the VA law is too lax but TX law is too restrictive. I am all for training, but we don't get free speech licenses. We don't get training on how to open our mouths and talk beyond what our parents give us and most of us get through life just fine.

I finally decided to read through this thread and I thought Jumping Frog was referring to the fact that many states', specifically Texas', gun control laws began to take shape after the Civil War as a way to keep the freed slaves from being able to possess or carry around firearms.

C-dub wrote:I finally decided to read through this thread and I thought Jumping Frog was referring to the fact that many states', specifically Texas', gun control laws began to take shape after the Civil War as a way to keep the freed slaves from being able to possess or carry around firearms.

Yes, that is historically accurate.

Up until 1950 or so, you had to look long and hard to find a middle-class white person who was charged under the various weapons laws in numerous states.

Most of society is really dumb. There are examples of dumb people around you everyday. Carrying a weapon is not a ego thing or lend itself to being dumb. Whether you take a 1 hour class, sign a form on the internet or a ten hour class, you should know the ramifications of the law. Carrying is a serious decsion that might influence your wealth and freedom for the rest of your life.
Know what you are doing and the risks of doing it.

Even with a 1 hour online class, it takes more time and money to get a Virginia gun license than a Texas ID card. If requiring ID to vote is racist, the Virginia carry requirements are even more racist, and the Texas CHL requirement are a thousand times more racist than the Texas voter ID law.

Back to OP, we need to ALL stress our anger and frustration with our current carry situation in Texas. The state should look at other states that are significantly cheaper and more accessible and fundamentally change our program to model after those.

The gun advocacy groups and our state politicians should understand that SIGNIFICANT (not incremental) change is a priority.

Here is my perhaps dumb question.

After an incident in which a fumble fingers DPS Trooper took my friends Lawfully concealed Hand Gun back to the Patrol Car and unloaded it and dropped the weapon on the concrete and marked it up. I personally would rather that Johnny Law not know I had a concealed Handgun Permit.

I understand the need under some circumstances for a LEO to remove your weapon from you, but not for going 6 miles over the Speed Limit and being polite and truthfull when pulled over.

If I held a permit from Virginia would Trooper Fumble Fingers know that I had a CHL ?

Until this particular incident - I really didn't have a problem with LEOs knowing I had a CHL - afterwards I certainly do - DPS Troopers ain't what they used to be, and Barney Fife's have always been with us, sadly.