Proclamation Concerning Armed Residents
Whereas, shootings against the unarmed have increased throughout the last ten years.
Whereas, the safety of the residents of our great State of Texas is continually compromised by near constant pressure from criminals.
Whereas, the border with Mexico is as porous as it is vast and invites a nefarious element to plague our residents.
Whereas, the clamor for little to no restrictions on firearm possession has grown louder.
Whereas, the need to help equalize the playing field grows each day.
Therefore, I, Greg Abbott, Governor of Texas, do hereby proclaim that each resident, regardless of status, will be issued the sidearm of their choice and a license will no longer be required for either open carry or concealed carry effective 01JAN2016.
Now then, some may see the absurdity in this fabricated proclamation while others may see the legitimate concerns raised. Ideally, you see both. I support open and concealed carry for anyone and everyone who chooses to do so (which includes those that are restricted as I feel anything less is impinging on rights). If you feel that carrying a weapon is not for you then simply do not carry a weapon.
Part of my rationale for unrestricted carrying of firearms is to give more power to the common man. Our Founding Fathers decided in favor of the Second Amendment to protect against the threat of tyranny which will always apply. Another point is that there are already a number of firearms in the hands of people up to no good and I feel that they should be well aware that anyone they accost will most likely be armed and ideally educated in how to use their weapon. Some may ask about putting the Police in more danger and I respond with, "They're already putting themselves in danger because they know what they signed up for."
There are a number of counterpoints to be made and I welcome the opportunity for debate.
Ready . . . Go!
Therefore, I, Greg Abbott, Governor of Texas, do hereby proclaim that each resident, regardless of status, will be issued the sidearm of their choice and a license will no longer be required for either open carry or concealed carry effective 01JAN2016.
Now then, some may see the absurdity in this fabricated proclamation while others may see the legitimate concerns raised. Ideally, you see both. I support open and concealed carry for anyone and everyone who chooses to do so (which includes those that are restricted as I feel anything less is impinging on rights). If you feel that carrying a weapon is not for you then simply do not carry a weapon.
Part of my rationale for unrestricted carrying of firearms is to give more power to the common man. Our Founding Fathers decided in favor of the Second Amendment to protect against the threat of tyranny which will always apply. Another point is that there are already a number of firearms in the hands of people up to no good and I feel that they should be well aware that anyone they accost will most likely be armed and ideally educated in how to use their weapon. Some may ask about putting the Police in more danger and I respond with, "They're already putting themselves in danger because they know what they signed up for."
There are a number of counterpoints to be made and I welcome the opportunity for debate.
Ready . . . Go!
On Tuesday, July 28, 2015, Andrew M. Brooks posted Stage Five - Original Editorial 1 to his blog: Texas is as Texas Does.
ReplyDeleteI agreed with this article until I came across the argument that there should be no gun restrictions. I don't know about others, but I am thankful that there are restrictions put on who may or may not be eligible to obtain a gun license in Texas.
These restrictions include:
felony convictions (permanent) and Class A or B misdemeanors (5 years, permanent in cases of domestic violence), including charges that resulted in probation or deferred adjudication.
pending criminal charges (indefinite until resolved)
chemical or alcohol dependency (defined as 2 convictions for substance-related offenses in a 10-year period; 10-year ban from the date of the first conviction)
certain types of psychological diagnoses (indefinite until the condition is testified by a medical professional as being in remission)
protective or restraining orders (indefinite until rescinded)
defaults on taxes, student loans, child support and/or other governmental fees (indefinite until resolved).
Every single one of these restrictions improve the safety of our state, except for the 6th restriction that, in my opinion, is not necessary.
Some argue that felons and criminals are going to find a way to get guns regardless of laws. This may be true, but it doesn't mean we should just hand guns over to them. These rules are put in place, not only to protect us, but to grant us a sense of safety and security to Texas citizens. I do believe in the right to bare arms, but I am definitely opposed to unrestricted access.