Austin "humor" columnist on concealed carry
Posted: Sun Jan 24, 2010 1:45 pm
Interesting column in today's Opinion page of the Austin Statesman. This guy Herman is their resident "humor" news columnist, like a version of Dave Berry without the funny. I find most of his attempts at humor quite lame.
But is interesting that he appears to have got his facts straight in this column. And possibly enlightened a few of Austin's head-in-the-sand liberals about Texas gun laws.
Curious that - so far - no one has posted any response to this column on Statesman.com . Was expecting some liberals - especially the recent Kalifornia imports - to be aghast at the revelation that it was actually legal to carry a concealed handgun in your car without a license.
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http://www.statesman.com/opinion/carrie ... 91692.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Carried away by the ramifications of carrying a gun
Ken Herman, AUSTIN AMERICAN-STATESMAN
Published: 6:08 p.m. Friday, Jan. 22, 2010
Welcome to our refresher course on Texans' favorite topic. Our lecture is entitled "Guns: The proper carriage thereof and whether a pearl-handled revolver is appropriate when the invitation says dressy casual."
We shall also dabble in the combination of Texans' two favorite topics: guns and alcohol. If you enjoy both, stick around; you're going to like what we find out about combining those two fine pastimes.
The impetus for today's lesson is GOP gubernatorial candidate Debra Medina's recent debate comments reminding us that she carries a gun in her vehicle but does not take it into grocery stores. As we all know, packing a pistol in a grocery store potentially makes you the second most-disruptive force in the store, second only to that lady (Hold the e-mails. It's always a female.) in front of you packing a portfolio loaded with carefully catalogued coupons. There oughtta be a law.
Anyway, many (OK, two) of you contacted me with concerns about Medina's armed driving, something she discussed with the Statesman's W. Gardner Selby. (See the video at tinyurl.com/y9gulrm.)
"I carry a gun recognizing there is no amount of military or police presence that is going to keep me safe," she told W.
Reader One: "(Medina) says she is a strong advocate of gun rights and she does not have a concealed carry license, but she does carry a handgun in her car. ... That's against the law."
Reader Two: "Debra Medina scares the devil out of me. She carries that handgun in her vehicle illegally."
I'd like to thank Readers One and Two (and we're all glad that Two has been freed of demonic possession) for their input. Both, however, are wrong, I think. Says so right there in the Texas Department of Public Safety's "Frequently Asked Questions about Texas Concealed Handguns."
Q. Can I carry a handgun without a license while driving or traveling in a motor vehicle?
A. Yes, please do.
Sorry. Couldn't resist that one. Please ignore that.
What it really says is "a person who can legally possess a firearm may possess or carry a handgun in a motor vehicle (including a recreational vehicle with living quarters) that is owned by or under the lawful control of the person."
FYI, I didn't make up the RV part. It's nice to see there are state officials who also enjoy putting funny stuff in parentheses.
The rest of the answer: "However, the firearm must be concealed, the person may not be engaged in criminal activity and may not be a member of a 'criminal street gang.' "
To date, no court of law has declared the Texas GOP a "criminal street gang." There have been differing decisions about the Texas Democratic Party.
DPS also says an unlicensed person is permitted to carry the handgun to and from vehicles. Makes sense.
"However, DPS recommends that you seek the advice of an attorney with any questions regarding the unlicensed carrying of weapons," DPS concludes in language some lawyer jammed in to drum up business for his ex-law school buds.
Texans got authority to get licenses to carry concealed weapons outside their vehicles (a right many thought was in the Eleven Commandments until a computer glitch deleted it from the tablets) late last century. Gov. Ann Richards vetoed a 1993 bill calling for a statewide referendum on concealed carry. Her action helped guarantee she'd be a one-term governor and enabled me to write a newspaper story that began with "Annie got her gun bill, and vetoed it."
Again, my apologies.
In 1995, Gov. George W. Bush signed concealed carry into law. The measure horrified gun-control folks, though it was a compromise from the original version that required Texans to be born with guns. That remains optional, but DPS recommends that you seek the advice of an attorney with any questions you have prior to being born with a handgun.
Other Q's and A's from DPS. No embellishment here, really. Just the FAQs:
Q. If licensed, can I carry more than one handgun at a time?
A. If you can conceal them. The law does not specify or limit the number of guns you can carry.
Q. Can I carry a handgun if I am drinking alcohol?
A. Carrying while drinking is not prohibited, but it is a criminal offense to carry while intoxicated.
It's probably wise to seek the advice of an attorney prior to drinking while carrying.
Sadly, DPS offers no insight on what weapon is best when the invitation says dressy casual. And, for women, this is where this column ends.
(Men, now that we're alone, you ever notice how your definition of casual is much casualer than your wife's definition of casual?)
kherman@statesman.com; 445-3907
But is interesting that he appears to have got his facts straight in this column. And possibly enlightened a few of Austin's head-in-the-sand liberals about Texas gun laws.
Curious that - so far - no one has posted any response to this column on Statesman.com . Was expecting some liberals - especially the recent Kalifornia imports - to be aghast at the revelation that it was actually legal to carry a concealed handgun in your car without a license.
***********************
http://www.statesman.com/opinion/carrie ... 91692.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Carried away by the ramifications of carrying a gun
Ken Herman, AUSTIN AMERICAN-STATESMAN
Published: 6:08 p.m. Friday, Jan. 22, 2010
Welcome to our refresher course on Texans' favorite topic. Our lecture is entitled "Guns: The proper carriage thereof and whether a pearl-handled revolver is appropriate when the invitation says dressy casual."
We shall also dabble in the combination of Texans' two favorite topics: guns and alcohol. If you enjoy both, stick around; you're going to like what we find out about combining those two fine pastimes.
The impetus for today's lesson is GOP gubernatorial candidate Debra Medina's recent debate comments reminding us that she carries a gun in her vehicle but does not take it into grocery stores. As we all know, packing a pistol in a grocery store potentially makes you the second most-disruptive force in the store, second only to that lady (Hold the e-mails. It's always a female.) in front of you packing a portfolio loaded with carefully catalogued coupons. There oughtta be a law.
Anyway, many (OK, two) of you contacted me with concerns about Medina's armed driving, something she discussed with the Statesman's W. Gardner Selby. (See the video at tinyurl.com/y9gulrm.)
"I carry a gun recognizing there is no amount of military or police presence that is going to keep me safe," she told W.
Reader One: "(Medina) says she is a strong advocate of gun rights and she does not have a concealed carry license, but she does carry a handgun in her car. ... That's against the law."
Reader Two: "Debra Medina scares the devil out of me. She carries that handgun in her vehicle illegally."
I'd like to thank Readers One and Two (and we're all glad that Two has been freed of demonic possession) for their input. Both, however, are wrong, I think. Says so right there in the Texas Department of Public Safety's "Frequently Asked Questions about Texas Concealed Handguns."
Q. Can I carry a handgun without a license while driving or traveling in a motor vehicle?
A. Yes, please do.
Sorry. Couldn't resist that one. Please ignore that.
What it really says is "a person who can legally possess a firearm may possess or carry a handgun in a motor vehicle (including a recreational vehicle with living quarters) that is owned by or under the lawful control of the person."
FYI, I didn't make up the RV part. It's nice to see there are state officials who also enjoy putting funny stuff in parentheses.
The rest of the answer: "However, the firearm must be concealed, the person may not be engaged in criminal activity and may not be a member of a 'criminal street gang.' "
To date, no court of law has declared the Texas GOP a "criminal street gang." There have been differing decisions about the Texas Democratic Party.
DPS also says an unlicensed person is permitted to carry the handgun to and from vehicles. Makes sense.
"However, DPS recommends that you seek the advice of an attorney with any questions regarding the unlicensed carrying of weapons," DPS concludes in language some lawyer jammed in to drum up business for his ex-law school buds.
Texans got authority to get licenses to carry concealed weapons outside their vehicles (a right many thought was in the Eleven Commandments until a computer glitch deleted it from the tablets) late last century. Gov. Ann Richards vetoed a 1993 bill calling for a statewide referendum on concealed carry. Her action helped guarantee she'd be a one-term governor and enabled me to write a newspaper story that began with "Annie got her gun bill, and vetoed it."
Again, my apologies.
In 1995, Gov. George W. Bush signed concealed carry into law. The measure horrified gun-control folks, though it was a compromise from the original version that required Texans to be born with guns. That remains optional, but DPS recommends that you seek the advice of an attorney with any questions you have prior to being born with a handgun.
Other Q's and A's from DPS. No embellishment here, really. Just the FAQs:
Q. If licensed, can I carry more than one handgun at a time?
A. If you can conceal them. The law does not specify or limit the number of guns you can carry.
Q. Can I carry a handgun if I am drinking alcohol?
A. Carrying while drinking is not prohibited, but it is a criminal offense to carry while intoxicated.
It's probably wise to seek the advice of an attorney prior to drinking while carrying.
Sadly, DPS offers no insight on what weapon is best when the invitation says dressy casual. And, for women, this is where this column ends.
(Men, now that we're alone, you ever notice how your definition of casual is much casualer than your wife's definition of casual?)
kherman@statesman.com; 445-3907
