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Ivan244 wrote:

JSThane wrote:

Ivan244 wrote: Are the Rs this incompetent or do we really need to look at wolfs in sheep clothing aka Straus.

Consider, the legislature's perspective, though. Gun-rights advocates are deeply divided on priorities in Texas. The side whose ideals I, and I imagine many others, agree with, is "represented" in the media, and thus in the legislature's eyes, by OCT/OCTC, and their reprehensible tactics. There is a small side who doesn't want open carry, fearing the loss of business. There's a lot of people scared of the "what-ifs," those who envision every storefront bearing a 30.06/07 sign and barring legal passage. There is a side that is agitating for a simple reduction of penalty for violation of those signs. There is a side agitating for the complete neutering of those signs, and a side fearing the signs will be replaced by something worse. There is a groundswell of support for -something-, but that groundswell has NOT expressed itself as a movement in support of human and Constitutional rights; rather, I have perceived it, and I think many in the legislature perceive it, as fractious and self-contradicting, demanding that "something" be done, but never agreeing on what that thing to be done IS.

The only coherent, cohesive message I have perceived is the anti-rights' side, the side of "no." Is it any wonder the legislature seems to be "doing something" for the sheer hope of placating everyone, only to shuffle that something off to die in committee in order to placate the only consistent message they have heard?

Now there is an interesting thought. Just because we have a lot of gun owners does not necessarily mean we have a concise, consistent message. Maybe the answer is that everyone from all the splinter groups band together for a political/super group. We vote on message, method of messaging etc... That way we can start putting forth a concentrated message rather than a mosh pit of every group speaking for themselves.