WE NEED TO TALK.

Are you paying attention, fellow Texas Democrats? Something very disturbing has happened in Houston during the TDP 2012 State Convention.

The newest incarnation of the Texas Democratic Party platform, which you can view and download in PDF format at this link, contains the most stridently anti-Second Amendment rhetoric I have ever seen included in any incarnation of the TDP platform. It's as though our party turned back the clock to the fateful year of 1994.

I direct your attention to pages 27-28 in particular, as well as page 31. The following passages appear:

(pp. 27-28)

To continue the fight against crime, and to make our streets and homes safer, Texas Democrats support just and smart policies, including:
...
∙ strengthen the national Brady background check system to incorporate all necessary records including criminal, domestic violence, mental health records, and terror watch lists;
∙ institute a universal background check system to ensure that all firearm sales are subject to a Brady background check;
...
∙ sensible gun control laws to curtail the availability of automatic weapons and extended magazines...

(p. 31)

We support:
∙ legislation to preserve the right to self-­‐defense while restoring the duty to retreat when outside of the home to discourage and prevent vigilantism

(All boldface emphasis mine)

There are other provisions in the 2012 TDP platform that you might consider equally offensive to your Second Amendment rights, but I wanted to bring these to your attention. As I am certain much discussion will result from this platform's contents, I see no need to elaborate on the problems with these policies at this time.

My sources have informed me that one member of the Platform Committee tried to serve as the voice of reason, only to be given dirty looks by other Committee members just because this particular individual professed to be "pro-gun."

Much in the 2012 TDP platform deserves to be lauded, including its expanded take on human and civil rights, but these stridently anti-Second Amendment stances threaten to derail the entire train and working against our Democratic candidates statewide. It broke my heart to cast a vote against adoption of this platform on the convention floor in Houston.

The next TDP State Convention is scheduled to take place in Dallas in 2014. That gives us two years to prepare for what needs to be done. Now is not the time to bolt from the party that is supposed to represent our shared values as Texans. Now is the time to start healing the breach and reaffirming that the Texas Democratic Party shall reflect the values of all Texas Democrats.

We all got caught with our guard down, myself included. We must never allow this to happen again.

More to come in the following days, including a report on the 2012 Gun Owners Caucus Election Meeting.