Texas CHL Blog

posted by Charles L. Cotton on Feb 9

Texas passed its Concealed Handgun License statute in 1995 and the program has been a tremendous success. Texas Concealed Handgun License holders (“CHLs”) have a twelve year history of being the most law-abiding segment of Texans, as reported by the Texas Department of Public Safety (“DPS”).

According to the DPS’ data for 2007, women comprise 18.31% of current CHLs. This percentage is up slightly from 2006 (approximately 0.6%), but far below the level that most men would expect. So why do a relatively small percentage of women choose to obtain a CHL and with it the ability to defend themselves against a violent attack? The answer seems to be a combination of a lack of knowledge, an erroneous belief that armed self-defense is beyond their physical and/or emotion capability, and a misunderstanding of Texas laws on self-defense.  To address these concerns, a self-defense information seminar with a special emphasis on issues facing women was presented at PSC Shooting Club in Friendswood, Texas on Friday, February 8, 2008. It was scheduled from 7:00 pm until 9:00 pm, but the audience was really participating in the discussion and we did not leave until after 10:30 pm!

The purpose of this seminar was to provide an overview of issues related to self-defense including Texas law, training opportunities, selecting a firearm and method of carrying it, secure storage and carry methods when children are present, and a multitude of other questions ladies typically have when it comes to making such an important decision. As noted, this was an overview of these subjects, not an in-depth study. In short, the seminar was designed to show people what they need to learn and how to do it.

We had about twenty-two women and six men present and we had a great time. I love speaking to groups about these subjects, which is not really surprising since I am a trial lawyer. But this was a special group of ladies who really were interested in the subject matter and I suspect most of them will make the decision to get training and to get their Concealed Handgun License (CHL). In addition to covering the material, we also had a lot of laughs and just had a great time overall.

If you have a group of ladies you think could benefit from such a seminar, send me an email and I would be happy to try to schedule it.

Regards,
Chas.
Charles@TexasShooting.com

posted by Charles L. Cotton on Feb 9

I have created the TexasCHL Blog as a component of an information and discussion network called the TexasCHLforum.com (a/k/a “the Forum”). The first component of the forum was a discussion bulletin board launched in December of 2004 with the intent that it would top out around 200 members. Well, that estimate was a bit low; we are now over 2,700 members and the rate of growth is increasing. In January, 2008, TexasCHLforum had 5.2 million hits on the website.

The TexasCHLforum has become an excellent and well-respected source for information on Texas gun laws and many other subjects related to guns and shooting. It also enjoys a reputation of being a friendly place on the web where people can post questions, comments and opinions without fear of being flamed or the target of personal attacks. Parents can be comfortable recommending TexasCHLforum to the kids knowing that they will not be subject to vulgar, suggestive or inappropriate language in their search for information. The TexasCHLforum’s excellent reputation is the result of the dedication of its members. While the site does have moderators, their workload is not has heavy as one might expect, based upon other Internet discussion forums. I and all of the Moderators have often commented on and thanked the members for the respect they show others, even when opinions differ significantly. I do not claim there are never any posts that have to be edited or deleted, but they are very few in number and they are handled quickly.

What that background, you may wonder why the TexasCHL Blog was created. The mission of the Blog will likely change as time passes, just as the mission of TexasCHLforum.com expanded with the passage of time and with its unexpected growth. For now, I intend to use the Blog as another information source for the subject matter listed in the Categories. However, as we get into the 2008 Presidential Election campaign in full force, I plan to use it to provide information on the campaigns, as well as the efforts of the Brady Campaign and their ilk. Of course, during that time we will also be keenly interested in our elections in Texas and I’ll be providing information on that issue as well. Finally, the Blog will be used to update readers on the status of various bills during the 2009 Texas Legislative Session that begins in January.

No, the Blog will not replace my posts on the TexasCHLforum.com, nor will I forgo posting and updating my Bill Status reports on the forum. The Blog is just one more way to keep interested parties informed. I’m sure there will be many cross-posts on the Blog and on the Forum.

You will soon see more additions to the TexasCHLforum.com. The discussion forum will always remain the backbone of that information system, but I have a number of features to add in the near future that will make the combined components even more useful.

Thanks for stopping by,
Chas.

posted by Charles L. Cotton on Jan 31

The 2008 Presidential Election will not be a watershed event for gun owners. The contest is rapidly shaping up to be a battle between Republican Arizona Senator John McCain and New York Senator Hillary Clinton. True, neither of these candidates have yet clinched their Party’s nomination, but it is certainly their’s to loose.

While President George W. Bush didn’t go out of his way to help gun owners, at least he didn’t take affirmative steps to support new gun laws. In January, 2009, eight (8) years of relative peace at the federal level will come to an end. While both Senator McCain and Senator Clinton are trying to convince the public that they have changed their mind about guns, Sen. Clinton is making only a token effort. She knows that such a conversion is not going to sell well, so why waste much time on a transparent sham.

Sen. McCain is somewhat more of a question mark. He’s actively trying to convince people his diatribe against the NRA during Senate floor debate on the McCain/Feingold Campaign Finance Reform Act was merely a moment’s loss of perspective. Now, he claims, he has seen the light and no longer supports any further federal gun laws. One must wonder if this includes renunciation of his long-standing call to close the gun show “loophole” and require background checks at gun shows.

Combine a dearth of choices in the Presidential elections with the very real likelihood Democrats will widen their majority in both the U.S. House and Senate and gun owners clearly have a reason to worry. So if eight (8) years of peace are coming to an end, does this mean full blown war is just around the corner? Perhaps it is, but it’s not a foregone conclusion. The Democrats still remember the colossal mistake they made in 1994 with the passage of the so-called assault weapons ban (a/k/a Clinton Gun Ban). Is this enough to keep them from resurrecting gun control in 2009? Perhaps for the short term, but it’s likely that some ultra anti-gunners like Sen. Schumer and Sen. Feinstein or Rep. McCarthy will test the waters. If our opposition to these trial runs is anything other than overwhelming, then yes, we will see a prolonged war over guns.

Chas.

posted by Charles L. Cotton on Dec 29

I had the opportunity to participate in the Holiday Single Stack Match hosted by the folks at Thunder Tactical Shooters. It seems our friends in the Conroe, Texas area have established a tradition for special holiday matches and the turnout shows their efforts are appreciated. The match had 43 shooters, 42 of whom no doubt shot better than I did!

The match had six stages and was billed as a hybrid as it combined aspects of both IDPA and IPSC rules. Targets and scoring were IDPA, while the match was shot IPSC style; i.e. run-and-gun! I commented that this was the first time I dropped a partially loaded mag. on the run in over 1 years!. In spite of the run-and-gun format, I had a very hard time simply stepping out from behind a barricade and hosing threat targets. Oh well, it was fun and I can get back to my IDPA roots tomorrow at practice.

Thanks for a great match folks. It was really nice to simply be able to shoot a match, instead of having to run it.

Thanks also to all of the shooters who made this match fun; it was nice to see some old friends I haven’t seen in quite a while.

Chas.

posted by Charles L. Cotton on Dec 23

For the first time in decades, people wrongfully placed on the national “no-buy” list used by the National Instant Check System (NICS) will have the ability to get their names removed. H.R. 2640 was filed in response to the tragic shooting at Virginia Tech. For more information, check the NRA website at www.nra.org.