TexasCHLforum Member SA-TX

[Charles L. Cotton]

SA-TX is a strong supporter of open-carry. More importantly, he is quite a statesman in supporting that goal and in trying to forge a working relationship between TSRA/NRA and OpenCarry.org. His posts here on TexasCHLforum.com are clear evidence of these facts. Although I don't post there, I do keep up with what's going on on OpenCarry.org and SA-TX is working as hard or harder over there trying to build a coalition.

Sadly, few people are heeding his call for unity. Responses vary from being openly hostile to the NRA and TSRA by claiming neither organization has ever accomplished anything to Mike Stollenwerk stating that OpenCarry.org people merely have to stay the course to victory. (Sit back and watch how well that works out.) We have thoroughly discussed why neither TSRA nor the NRA can take on the open-carry project now and why we can't just make a statement in support of open-carry. SA-TX has done an excellent job of presenting this information at OpenCarry.org, but people just aren't listening, including their leadership. If the truth were to be told, I don't think the OpenCarry.org leadership wants help from TSRA or NRA. Sure, they'd like us to lend our credibility to the cause and publicly say "support open-carry" but they don't our hands-on involvement in the details of the effort. Both NRA and TSRA are accused of suffering from "not invented here syndrome" when it comes to a lack of support for open-carry. This is a false allegation for reasons already stated in other threads, but the truth of the matter is that if TSRA made the offer to take on this project if we could run it, I'd bet a dollar against a donut that our offer would be rejected by OpenCarry.org leadership. (We couldn't make that offer for the reasons stated; I'm just speaking hypothetically.) Everything I've been reading on OpenCarry.org for many weeks now has convinced me this is sadly the case. Why else would the OpenCarry.org leadership and their members not at least acknowledge SA-TX's efforts?

SA-TX we are lucky to have you as a member on TexasCHLforum.com. Even though you and I disagree on this issue, I truly appreciate everything you've done to promote your goals as a consummate statesman. I'll repeat what others have said on another thread -- it's a shame you don't have a leadership role in OpenCarry.org and the Texas open-carry movement.

Chas.

[Oldgringo]

Dale Carneghie said, "You get more bees with honey than you do with vinegar", or something like that.

Chas. will tell y'all who Dale Carneghie was and what he was about.

[Skiprr]

SA-TX we are lucky to have you as a member on TexasCHLforum.com. Even though you and I disagree on this issue, I truly appreciate everything you've done to promote your goals as a consummate statesman. I'll repeat what others have said on another thread -- it's a shame you don't have a leadership role in OpenCarry.org and the Texas open-carry movement.

I'll agree with that a second time. If not now, maybe 2011. Or SA-TX could run for the Texas House...

[SA-TX]

SA-TX we are lucky to have you as a member on TexasCHLforum.com. Even though you and I disagree on this issue, I truly appreciate everything you've done to promote your goals as a consummate statesman. I'll repeat what others have said on another thread -- it's a shame you don't have a leadership role in OpenCarry.org and the Texas open-carry movement.

I'll agree with that a second time. If not now, maybe 2011. Or SA-TX could run for the Texas House...

Thank you Charles and Skiprr. I've been out of town and only now have had a chance to catch up here. I truly appreciate your post. In some sense I do have a leadership role. I'm on the short list of people that receive email regarding activities in Texas and I've made financial contributions to the advertising campaign. I honestly believe that the role I'm playing is the best one for me. I really don't want to go on live radio or have my name in the newspaper. As for running for the Texas House, well, I better find a new home before doing that. I live in a solidly Democratic district. Even if I didn't, I'm not sure that elected office is the place for me.

As befits my reputation, I'll take this opportunity to ask everyone reading this to please think creatively about how we can accomplish all of our goals this session. I fully support campus carry and parking lot carry. I go to work every day disarmed as a result of employer policies, so I've got as many "chips in the pot" on this one as everyone else. With regard to open carry, so many have worked so hard to get the governor and others on the record supporting the concept of open carry that it would be a terrible shame if it didn't get the support needed to at least advance a bill. The concealed carry story in Texas shows us that sometimes it takes multiple sessions to get something done. I understand but I also worry about how many "good sessions" we have left. What's more difficult to understand is the, in my opinion, needless sibling rivalry. I recently read where the leader of Students for Campus Concealed Carry said he hoped that open carry died quickly and was frustrated that it was often mentioned in the same news stories as campus carry. Perhaps I'm just naive, but I believe that two or three gun bills aren't too many for the legislature to handle in one session and that one good idea doesn't have to cannibalize another.

I look forward to partnering with many of you as the session continues. I'm hoping and working hard for but I know if we don't support one another, we'll end up

SA-TX

[SA-TX]

One more thing, Charles. If we can't get proper open carry in Texas, the only option I'm left with is pre-1899 open carry. Undoubtedly, that would mean I'd also need your services as an attorney because I'm sure to find myself in the grey bar hotel even though it is legal. You don't want that to happen, do you?

SA-TX