Downwiz, I have lived in seven different states including Texas, states both liberal and conservative, and drive daily through Washington, DC. DC probably has the strictest gun control laws and is by far the most violent place I frequent. I have lived in Texas, which probably has the most lenient gun control laws and it was one of the safer places I have ever lived. Guns don't commit crime, people commit crime.
Don't you see how this works? When you outlaw guns, all the law-abiding citizens comply and disarm, which emboldens the criminals. The law doesn't mean anything to them. They are criminals, remember? So they keep their guns while all the law-abiding citizens disarm, and gun crime rises. This is exactly what happens in DC, and why many of us law-abiding citizens choose NOT to live in DC. We choose NOT to live there in part because gun control makes it less safe. We can't have guns and the criminals still have theirs. And since we don't want to be the victims, we move to another state surrounding DC.
Now take Texas by contrast. Are Texans armed? Oh yeah, and then some, plus a little bit more. This is a good thing though. They aren't armed because the place is unsafe; in fact, Texas is SAFER because the citizens are armed. And I don't mean just safer than it might be otherwise. I mean really, really safe, like the safest place you can think of in Canada. Texans love guns, as guaranteed in the U.S. Constitution. It is not a love of violence. It is a love of liberty. Their love of guns makes Texas safe. The criminals in Texas pause a minute before breaking into that house, because chances are much better than even that the homeowner is armed. The homeowner will almost certainly fire if he can get off a shot And he will drop you like a rock without thinking twice about it. He's grew up with guns, and is completely comfortable with them. Just the realization that the homeowner is almost certainly armed makes most criminals look for another line of work. This situation sort of creates what is known in the U.S. Marines as "peace through superior firepower". 99.99 percent of the time the Texan is gonna EASILY outgun the criminal, because he is a Texan, and any Texan worth his salt wouldn't have some lightweight Saturday Night Special. They go for the serious firepower, like .44 magnums, 30-06 rifles, and heavier.
Texas really is like a whole 'nother country, in a certain way. This is a good thing. Texas is HUGE. The scale of the place is immense, which bleeds into other aspects of their lives. They like big dually pickups, for example. It isn't a conceit; it is just their surroundings. There are probably many, many people there who have never been outside of Texas. What for? If you wanna see the ocean, just drive down to Corpus! So it makes them kind of Texas-centric. It isn't a conceit, they just don't know any other way. Texas is very safe on the whole (yes, there is still crime in Texas, but again, it is the people, not the guns, who commit the crimes) and the people are exceedingly patriotic, law-abiding, and friendly for the most part.
You are serious with the question about being issued a gun crossing the state line, aren't you? You seem to have the notion that Texas is like a fenced off version of the old wild west, and you better have a gun if you go there! Nothing could be further from the truth. Texas is a very safe and friendly place. Who have you been talking to? A John Kerry supporter? Somebody has been filling your head with some pretty tall tales. Canada is wiser about the guns than the United States. If guns were outlawed in Canada gun crime would RISE.
Virginia, where I work, has pretty lenient gun laws. Occasionally a group of gun enthusiasts will have an "awareness event" and go packing their sidearms to a local public place in one of the more urban or suburban areas. Someone usually calls the police, who dutifully go out and check it out, then let them go on their way. It is legal to carry a handgun in Virginia, just most of the urbanites and suburbanites seem to think it isn't. The country people don't give it a second thought; they have always been armed.
A guy I work with is a serious gun enthusiast. I wouldn't wanna accidentally break into his house. He probably prays every night for God to send him a burglar. Great guy, though. He is the one you would want leading your squad in Iraq, because he knows what he is doing.
I grew up in North Carolina, which is very similar in many ways to Texas. I was allowed to carry a shotgun when I was ten. I was not allowed, however, to have a BB gun at any age. I might have put someone's eye out! If I had a son I would follow the same policy. My family wisely understood that a BB gun is a toy and a shotgun is, well, a shotgun. (I swear am not making this up.)
You know what you should do? You should take your next vacation in Texas. Why take my word for it? Go see it for yourself.
Don't Mess With Texas...
