TexasCHLforum.com

Charles L. Cotton wrote:

CleverNickname wrote:I disagree. The CHL class boils down to "Don't be a jerk. You're not a junior policeman now. Here's where you can carry and where you can't. Please stay awake for long enough to regurgitate this info in a multiple choice test. Shoot this 50-round test that a blind spastic monkey could complete." Passing the CHL class doesn't make someone "elite" in any sense of the word.

If you want to make the case for a required class, then you need to look at stats for other states which have no required class and show they have higher rates of licensee misconduct and/or shooting at things in self-defense and missing them than we have in Texas (or other states with required classes).

If that's all you got from your CHL class, then I'm sorry you missed so much. I wish statistics like those published in Texas were available for other states so I could track them like I do for Texas. If the numbers are as good as we see in Texas, then that would be valuable information to use when promoting unlicensed carry.

Chas.

With all due respect to the courses, I think the legal requirements do more to weed out folks for Texas CHL than the difficulty of the classroom requirements. I learned some interesting information from my CHL class, but I've learned far more in other places (including this forum you provide for us).

I'm about 95% sure I could have passed the written test requirement (that's not to say I didn't get anything out of the lecture portion beyond passing the test); and I know for sure I could have passed the "proficiency" testing on the range. That was my first time ever to shoot a handgun, and I outshot the deputy sheriff that shared my lane.

RoyGBiv wrote:As much as #5 is an annoyance, I'm surprised it's getting so many votes.
If I know a sign is unenforceable, I ignore it.

Would I like to see a penalty? Certainly.
Do I give it that much priority? No. I'd put it near the bottom of my list.

Getting 3218 passed obviates this problem.

5. Create a substantial civil penalty for governmental agencies and political subdivisions that post unenforceable 30.06 signs [HB508 in 2013];

I'll do my best to explain WHY it's important (to some of us - BTW, I've been asking my my reps for such a law for years now).

Let's play with a different scenario. Let's say your next door neighbor is a policeman, and you've decided to paint your house pink (we'll also pretend you're not in an HOA - another subject entirely - so you're free to paint it any color you want).

Your police officer neighbor gets wind of it, and tells you he's afraid an ugly pink house will bring his property values down, and if you do it, he's going to find some reason to haul you off to jail. You KNOW you're not really breaking any laws, but you know he's a jerk and just might keep his word and haul you off to jail, an you don't want to go to jail. Do you simply start talking up the advantages of blue paint to your wife??

I hope you see my point. I've seen a number of 30.06 signs that I knew were improperly posted. However, I have neither the desire to take a ride in a police car, not the money and time to fight the offending city or county in court. So, I sheepishly go back to my vehicle and either put my gun away, or go somewhere else.

I should not have to do that. When a city official makes a threat under color of law that they know is illegal, that's called official oppression (that's my non-legal opinion, though I would think that Texas Penal Code 39.03 would support that view). #5 would codify that, and enable me to make a simple call to the offending agency, and let them know they're subject to fine.