Gun Control Texas Style

I can`t wait for the "Knife control, Texas style" thread. The the "Rock control, Texas style" thread. And finally the "Harsh language, Texas style" thread.
 

Nimnim

The Nim
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Alright, watch the attacks people. We can stay friendly here. We don't need anyone beaten up.
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brett636

Well-Known Member
Oh, I don't care if it was a joke or not. I'm starting to wonder what happens if some get their way and everybody is armed. A "What if,..." scenario. What are the legal ramifications and what becomes "justifiable" and not. Free your mind a little bit.

An armed society is a polite society.
 

bbsam

Moderator
Staff member
An armed society is a polite society.

Thi is an armed society relatively speaking. If you think it to be a polite society, then so be it. But I am not polite to people on the street because I think they may be packing. Thought never enters my mind. And my guess is that the gang bangers aren't too concerned with it either because they already know that their counterparts are armed. Not gonna stop the violence. Do you think drug lords give a crap if grandpa's got a shotgun? Nope Think drug king-pins care if everyone in Arizona is packing heat. Nope. Violence is their turf. They aren't going to be swayed to politeness. So if arming oneself makes one feel more safe, then I have no problem with that. But remember the responsibility that comes with it. Remember that when a mistake is made, consequences follow.
 

Jones

fILE A GRIEVE!
Staff member
I like Robert Heinlein and read a lot of his books when I was younger, but I've never thought that phrase was very accurate. He had a penchant for that, he came up with a lot of pithy phrases that sound good in casual conversation but don't really hold up in the real world.
 

wkmac

Well-Known Member
I like Robert Heinlein and read a lot of his books when I was younger, but I've never thought that phrase was very accurate. He had a penchant for that, he came up with a lot of pithy phrases that sound good in casual conversation but don't really hold up in the real world.

I've always found it odd that in the so-called christian west, the perfect ideal looked for was a world where swords are beatin' into plowshares yet we seem to always chase the society where plowshares are beatin' into swords!

Who benefits in such an arrangement?
 

soberups

Pees in the brown Koolaid
Thi is an armed society relatively speaking. If you think it to be a polite society, then so be it. But I am not polite to people on the street because I think they may be packing. Thought never enters my mind. And my guess is that the gang bangers aren't too concerned with it either because they already know that their counterparts are armed. Not gonna stop the violence. Do you think drug lords give a crap if grandpa's got a shotgun? Nope Think drug king-pins care if everyone in Arizona is packing heat. Nope. Violence is their turf. They aren't going to be swayed to politeness. So if arming oneself makes one feel more safe, then I have no problem with that. But remember the responsibility that comes with it. Remember that when a mistake is made, consequences follow.

I have had a concealed handgun permit for almost 14 years, and except for when I am on duty for UPS I am almost always carrying anytime I am in public.

What I discovered when I started carrying...and what virtually all other permit-holders have also discovered...was that having a gun makes you go out of your way to be extra polite and avoid potential conflicts with people you encounter.

When someone bumps into me, I apologize even if it is their fault. When someone tries to cut in front of me in the grocery store, I keep my mouth shut and let them. When someone is rude or obnoxious to me, I ignore them and go about my business. The other guy will always be right and he will always get the last word and he will never know that by giving these things to him I may very well be saving his life.

By choosing to carry a gun, I have forfeited my "right" to participate in any sort of encounter that might turn violent....because the consequences of that encounter are potentially life threatening. I am forced to swallow my pride and walk away no matter how badly I may wish to respond to any provocation. I have a gun; I also have an ego; but I must make a choice every day which one I choose to carry because I cannot use both of them at the same time.

True story; My wife and I were driving home from the coast one night and we came upon a man by the side of the road whose car had broken down. It was after midnight; the area was 20 miles from the nearest town with no cell phone reception; It was pouring rain; and to make matters worse the man was black.
I point this out not because his color had any affect on my decision making, but because we were in a rural, conservative area with virtually no minority population at all and his chances of getting anyone to stop and help him under the circumstances were virtually nil.

Because I was armed, I felt OK with the idea of stopping and helping the guy out. His water pump had siezed so there was no chance of any sort of quick fix; the guy had been there for 2 hours and no one would stop to help him and all he wanted at that point was a ride to the nearest motel so that he could get some sleep and make arrangements to have his car towed to a shop the next day.

Under normal circumstances there is no way I would ever stop at 1:00 AM and let a stranger into my car. But these werent normal circumstances. Because I was armed, I went ahead and let the guy sit in the front passenger seat while my wife drove and I sat directly behind him. I never indicated to him that I might be armed, although I'm sure he probably suspected it. I dont think he would have cared either way, he was just glad somebody had finally stopped to help him.

We got the guy safely to a motel, and he was able to get ahold of his wife and call for a towtruck and not have to spend a cold miserable night sleeping in his car with his wife worried sick about him. And all of that happened because I was armed.
 

Catatonic

Nine Lives
True story; My wife and I were driving home from the coast one night and we came upon a man by the side of the road whose car had broken down. It was after midnight; the area was 20 miles from the nearest town with no cell phone reception; It was pouring rain; and to make matters worse the man was black.
I point this out not because his color had any affect on my decision making, but because we were in a rural, conservative area with virtually no minority population at all and his chances of getting anyone to stop and help him under the circumstances were virtually nil.

Because I was armed, I felt OK with the idea of stopping and helping the guy out. His water pump had siezed so there was no chance of any sort of quick fix; the guy had been there for 2 hours and no one would stop to help him and all he wanted at that point was a ride to the nearest motel so that he could get some sleep and make arrangements to have his car towed to a shop the next day.

Under normal circumstances there is no way I would ever stop at 1:00 AM and let a stranger into my car. But these werent normal circumstances. Because I was armed, I went ahead and let the guy sit in the front passenger seat while my wife drove and I sat directly behind him. I never indicated to him that I might be armed, although I'm sure he probably suspected it. I dont think he would have cared either way, he was just glad somebody had finally stopped to help him.

We got the guy safely to a motel, and he was able to get ahold of his wife and call for a towtruck and not have to spend a cold miserable night sleeping in his car with his wife worried sick about him. And all of that happened because I was armed.

Similar thing happened to me back in the 80's except I was the one who was broken down (rental car with no idiot light for gas)
He was an off duty policeman who showed me his badge and the gun and he explained that he would use it but he was willing to help me out. He took me to a gas station where I bought a gas can and then took me back to my car and stayed there until he saw it cranked. Would not take payment.
He was a bit gruffy like you too! Just coincidence? :wink2:
 
Thi is an armed society relatively speaking. If you think it to be a polite society, then so be it. But I am not polite to people on the street because I think they may be packing. Thought never enters my mind. And my guess is that the gang bangers aren't too concerned with it either because they already know that their counterparts are armed. Not gonna stop the violence. Do you think drug lords give a crap if grandpa's got a shotgun? Nope Think drug king-pins care if everyone in Arizona is packing heat. Nope. Violence is their turf. They aren't going to be swayed to politeness. So if arming oneself makes one feel more safe, then I have no problem with that. But remember the responsibility that comes with it. Remember that when a mistake is made, consequences follow.
Relatively speak, I do think this is a polite society. Th vast majority of the people I come into contact with are polite and courteous , everyday. Sure there are some that are just plain rude, crude and vulgar but they are in the minority. Even on this forum, most posters are pretty polite unless they feel they have been pushed to far.
Now, I'm not saying it's because we are a relatively armed society. It's just the way it is.
 

bbsam

Moderator
Staff member
Here's the question that comes to my mind. Let's say the situation comes up where you believe you have to fire the weapon and potentially kill someone. Are you 100% sure you can do it and face whatever consequences follow? I ask this because I know that police officers in the line of duty have problems with this scenario. How much more excruciating is it for a civilian?
 

Jones

fILE A GRIEVE!
Staff member
Relatively speak, I do think this is a polite society. Th vast majority of the people I come into contact with are polite and courteous , everyday. Sure there are some that are just plain rude, crude and vulgar but they are in the minority. Even on this forum, most posters are pretty polite unless they feel they have been pushed to far.
Now, I'm not saying it's because we are a relatively armed society. It's just the way it is.
I would agree with that, I think the degree of politeness in any given community results more from social and maybe economic factors than anything else.
 
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