From News 8 Austin:
According to a press release Friday, San Marcos police do not anticipate filing charges against a resident who shot three Luling teenagers, killing two, after they broke into his home in Western San Marcos early Friday morning.
"At this time, we do not anticipate filing charges against the resident for firing the shots," San Marcos Police Chief, Howard Williams, said.
Instead, San Marcos police will be turning the case over to the Hays County District Attorney's office for review after San Marcos PD completes their investigation.
One of the teens involved in the home invasion was carrying a handgun as opposed to the pellet guns carried by two of his accomplices.
It is sad that two teenagers were killed, but at least the San Marcos resident had the means to defend himself against what was obviously deadly force in the hands of those with ill intent.
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Time to gear up for 2010
It's been a bit quiet lately, but it's time to start preparing for the 2010 elections as well as the state convention in Corpus Christi.
I'm currently serving as a precinct chair in Dallas County, and I know of at least one other precinct chair who's part of the Gun Owners Caucus, but we could use a lot more pro-RKBA Democrats in this role.
Precinct chairs are the backbone of every countywide Democratic Party organization in Texas. The primary job of a precinct chair is to identify Democrats living in their precinct and help get them out to vote in the Democratic Primary and General Election. Another thing to remember is that precinct chairs also have the option of serving as an election judge - the individual who runs the voting booths on Election Day. However, the primary goal of every precinct chair is to increase the number of people voting Democratic in their precinct.
Check with your county party headquarters to see if your precinct has an active chair - if not, please consider throwing your hat into the ring. Your county party HQ should have all the details.
I'll discuss a few more ideas for 2010 as time goes by. Feel free to share any thoughts you might have.
I'm currently serving as a precinct chair in Dallas County, and I know of at least one other precinct chair who's part of the Gun Owners Caucus, but we could use a lot more pro-RKBA Democrats in this role.
Precinct chairs are the backbone of every countywide Democratic Party organization in Texas. The primary job of a precinct chair is to identify Democrats living in their precinct and help get them out to vote in the Democratic Primary and General Election. Another thing to remember is that precinct chairs also have the option of serving as an election judge - the individual who runs the voting booths on Election Day. However, the primary goal of every precinct chair is to increase the number of people voting Democratic in their precinct.
Check with your county party headquarters to see if your precinct has an active chair - if not, please consider throwing your hat into the ring. Your county party HQ should have all the details.
I'll discuss a few more ideas for 2010 as time goes by. Feel free to share any thoughts you might have.
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Observations on August 15 gun buyback in Dallas
I dropped by Dallas City Hall for a while yesterday to see how their recent gun buyback was going. Those who surrendered a gun to the Dallas Police Department received a $50 grocery card in return. The DPD claims they received 175 guns from the Saturday buyback.
Most of the guns I saw, however, looked like they've seen better days. I saw a lot of old hunting rifles and shotguns with worn-off finishes and scuffed wooden stocks. I also saw a couple of pistols that looked like they still worked, but barely. I talked with another observer who told me he saw a lot of cheap .25-caliber "Saturday night special" pistols being turned in. He did inform me that he saw a TEC-9 being surrendered. I used to own one for a very brief period in the 90s, but never fired it - the sights don't adjust, the gun is prone to jamming, and unless your model has a ventilated barrel shroud (as mine did), a firm two-handed grip is almost impossible.
The two of us did see this one 12-gauge pump shotgun being turned in that still had a great finish and lovely woodwork. Had the owner tried to sell it at a pawn shop, I reckon he could have made a little more than $50 from the sale. It was a shame to realize this shotgun, instead of being put to good use during hunting season, now has a date with the smelter. My companion told me he'd love to install an optics rail and a laser on that particular shotgun. Me, I think I'd leave it exactly as it is. Some firearms are simply elegant in their simplicity.
This was the second gun buyback in Dallas this year. A similar event in February netted another 147 guns.
Most of the guns I saw, however, looked like they've seen better days. I saw a lot of old hunting rifles and shotguns with worn-off finishes and scuffed wooden stocks. I also saw a couple of pistols that looked like they still worked, but barely. I talked with another observer who told me he saw a lot of cheap .25-caliber "Saturday night special" pistols being turned in. He did inform me that he saw a TEC-9 being surrendered. I used to own one for a very brief period in the 90s, but never fired it - the sights don't adjust, the gun is prone to jamming, and unless your model has a ventilated barrel shroud (as mine did), a firm two-handed grip is almost impossible.
The two of us did see this one 12-gauge pump shotgun being turned in that still had a great finish and lovely woodwork. Had the owner tried to sell it at a pawn shop, I reckon he could have made a little more than $50 from the sale. It was a shame to realize this shotgun, instead of being put to good use during hunting season, now has a date with the smelter. My companion told me he'd love to install an optics rail and a laser on that particular shotgun. Me, I think I'd leave it exactly as it is. Some firearms are simply elegant in their simplicity.
This was the second gun buyback in Dallas this year. A similar event in February netted another 147 guns.
Friday, August 7, 2009
Obese inmate uses belly fat to sneak gun into Houston jail
It's hard to find any words to respond to this, so here's the link without further comment:
Obese Inmate Sneaks Gun Into Jail in Belly Fat
Obese Inmate Sneaks Gun Into Jail in Belly Fat
Monday, July 27, 2009
John Sharp to Bill White: Quit anti-gun group
Just received this news item from Texans for John Sharp:
SHARP CALLS ON WHITE TO QUIT NATIONAL ANTI-GUN GROUP
U.S. Senate Candidate says Houston Mayor's membership in New York City coalition is out of step with mainstream Texas
(AUSTIN) — United States Senate candidate John Sharp today called on opponent Bill White to immediately denounce his position in a national anti-gun coalition founded by New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, saying that the Houston Mayor's continued membership in the group is a threat to the rights of law-abiding Texans to own guns.
"Mr. White's war on guns is already making it impossible for him to be elected statewide in Texas," Sharp said. "He should immediately disassociate himself from this anti-gun group so he doesn't also hurt the chances of other Democrats running for public office."
Sharp said a measure in the U.S. Senate last week that would have allowed legal gun owners with valid permits to carry concealed weapons from one state to another failed by just two votes after fierce opposition from the group, known as Mayors Against Illegal Guns.
White is one of only two Texas mayors who are currently a part of the group, which was formed by Bloomberg and Boston Mayor Thomas Menino to champion legislation aimed at limiting gun ownership.
Among the top goals of the mayors' anti-gun coalition is to repeal the Tiarht Amendment, which was passed by Congress in 2003 to protect gun owners from the release of their confidential personal information to anyone but a federal law enforcement agency in connection to a specific criminal investigation.
Millions of legal gun owners in Texas could find their constitutional rights threatened by White’s support of the group's agenda, Sharp said. A life member of the National Rifle Association, Sharp has a perfect legislative record in support of the Second Amendment, owns dozens of guns, and is an avid hunter.
New York's Mayor Bloomberg founded the group to promote legislation that would limit gun ownership across the country. The group boasts a membership of more than 400 mayors, mainly from the Northeast and California. Houston Mayor White is a charter member and one of only two Texas mayors who belong to the group.
In addition to advocating the end of the federal Tiarht Amendment, the groups is pushing to create broad new authority for the federal government to register gun show customers and maintain a database of information on legal gun sales that take place at such public events.
Bloomberg's group is widely criticized for its "determination to punish all those who possess" firearms, and a number of high-profile mayors have quit the group, including U.S. Senator Mark Begich (D-Alaska), who joined the group when he was Anchorage mayor. According to news reports, he realized that "the coalition is working on issues that conflict with the beliefs we share in Alaska about legal gun ownership." (Anchorage Daily News, February 4, 2007.)
SHARP CALLS ON WHITE TO QUIT NATIONAL ANTI-GUN GROUP
U.S. Senate Candidate says Houston Mayor's membership in New York City coalition is out of step with mainstream Texas
(AUSTIN) — United States Senate candidate John Sharp today called on opponent Bill White to immediately denounce his position in a national anti-gun coalition founded by New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, saying that the Houston Mayor's continued membership in the group is a threat to the rights of law-abiding Texans to own guns.
"Mr. White's war on guns is already making it impossible for him to be elected statewide in Texas," Sharp said. "He should immediately disassociate himself from this anti-gun group so he doesn't also hurt the chances of other Democrats running for public office."
Sharp said a measure in the U.S. Senate last week that would have allowed legal gun owners with valid permits to carry concealed weapons from one state to another failed by just two votes after fierce opposition from the group, known as Mayors Against Illegal Guns.
White is one of only two Texas mayors who are currently a part of the group, which was formed by Bloomberg and Boston Mayor Thomas Menino to champion legislation aimed at limiting gun ownership.
Among the top goals of the mayors' anti-gun coalition is to repeal the Tiarht Amendment, which was passed by Congress in 2003 to protect gun owners from the release of their confidential personal information to anyone but a federal law enforcement agency in connection to a specific criminal investigation.
Millions of legal gun owners in Texas could find their constitutional rights threatened by White’s support of the group's agenda, Sharp said. A life member of the National Rifle Association, Sharp has a perfect legislative record in support of the Second Amendment, owns dozens of guns, and is an avid hunter.
New York's Mayor Bloomberg founded the group to promote legislation that would limit gun ownership across the country. The group boasts a membership of more than 400 mayors, mainly from the Northeast and California. Houston Mayor White is a charter member and one of only two Texas mayors who belong to the group.
In addition to advocating the end of the federal Tiarht Amendment, the groups is pushing to create broad new authority for the federal government to register gun show customers and maintain a database of information on legal gun sales that take place at such public events.
Bloomberg's group is widely criticized for its "determination to punish all those who possess" firearms, and a number of high-profile mayors have quit the group, including U.S. Senator Mark Begich (D-Alaska), who joined the group when he was Anchorage mayor. According to news reports, he realized that "the coalition is working on issues that conflict with the beliefs we share in Alaska about legal gun ownership." (Anchorage Daily News, February 4, 2007.)
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
The Well-Heeled Shooter
Vice-Chair Tracee Larson of the TX caucus has just unveiled her own blog dealing with women and gun ownership. Check it out:
http://thewell-heeledshooter.blogspot.com/
Good luck, Tracee!
http://thewell-heeledshooter.blogspot.com/
Good luck, Tracee!
Monday, July 13, 2009
Cooke County Democrats Meeting - Thursday, July 16 @ 7pm
I'll be visiting the Cooke County Democrats during their monthly meeting this coming Thursday at the Neu Ranch House in Gainesville on Highway 82, east of I-35. Looking forward to meeting some new friends and eating some good Texas barbecue.
I may be wrong, but Neil Durrance might stop by for a few minutes - he's the current chair of the Denton County Democratic Party, and he's challenging Republican Michael Burgess for the 26th Congressional District next year.
Hope to meet some of you at Gainesville this coming Thursday!
I may be wrong, but Neil Durrance might stop by for a few minutes - he's the current chair of the Denton County Democratic Party, and he's challenging Republican Michael Burgess for the 26th Congressional District next year.
Hope to meet some of you at Gainesville this coming Thursday!
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