ELB wrote:I understand the realities of changing things incrementally -- as far as I am concerned, the whole CHL business is a big increment (not a final stop) on putting some muscle on the 2A.
But what that legislator is proposing ain't an incremental step, it is an "I'm more important" ego bill, and no amount of incremental lipstick is going to make it any less of a pig.
Talk about tone-deaf. This is a perfect way to alienate Texas 2A supporters. The comments above are correct -- this is the kind of nonsense I would expect to see in California or New York, not Texas.
Every step we take away from traditional law enforcement in terms of allowing concealed carry in new locations, the better the chance of getting what Rick Perry wants -- all CHL's to be exempt as are law enforcement.
Sorry, but this dog don't hunt. He is not filing the bill because threats can happen to people anywhere -- he is filing it because of all those people there, legislators are the only ones important enough to be able to protect themselves with a gun in certain venues. Eveyone else is just too immature or unimportant.
Look, Judges and prosectors got special exemptions for themselves too, and it hasn't done squat for citizens.
If he feels "unsafe" because of the Arizona thing, he should consider this: 19 people were hit and six were killed, and only one of them was a legislative rep. One staffer was killed, and a judge. The other four killed were joe citizens. Of the thirteen wounded, only three were associated with the legislature -- Gifford and two staffers. And the first one shot was Gifford, the legislator, who under Kleinschmidt's scheme would have been the only one armed at a bar, sporting event, etc etc.
So since legislators are clearly so dangerous to have around, here is a better law: restrict legislators as to where they can go. No sporting events, no hospitals, no schools, no bars, nada -- in fact, just lock them up in the State Capitol until the end of their term. It's for the children.
Look, the Republicans got elected in droves last December because the Democrats got waaaaaaaayy too big for their britches and disregarded the people. The big fear and warning of Tea Partiers and everyone else is that the Republicans would do what they did the last time they got control --- forget who brought them to the dance and turn into a bunch of power-mad, self-centered elitests. We are watching the national and local legislators like hawks, and a stunt like this, a special carve out for legislators but not citizens, is EXACTLY the kind of "power corrupts," hey-I'm-special-privileges-for-me-but-not-the-little-people foolishness that will get them booted.
Kleinschmidt might usually be an OK guy, but this is a clueless move. If he doesn't realize that, then he is already corrupted. And if he think being a legislator is too dangerous -- there's plenty of people in his district that would be happy to take his place.
NO. NO. NO!
Now I am going to get on the phone to the Capitol.
