Houston is Packing (CHL) Heat

[alvins]

Illegals may have difficulty opening bank accounts but others should be able. I opened a "free checking" account with a $100 deposit within the past year.

While we're on the subject, poor people often cannot get bank accounts, so they carry every cent they own on their person. A while back, I saw a man who probably was a construction worker peel three Franklins off a roll that must have been thousands. They also own crummy cars that they don't insure for theft but also can't replace easily.

Poverty stinks.

- Jim

accually its very easy for illegals to get bank accounts.

A lot of the time minorties dont trust banks and have been brought up being taught to not trust them by their parents also. Of course i wonder how paying to get your pay check cashed and paying for money orders to pay bills adds up in fees over time.

[seamusTX]

i wonder how paying to get your pay check cashed and paying for money orders to pay bills adds up in fees over time.

It's horrendous, and it's one of the reasons that poor people remain poor.

- Jim

[Hoi Polloi]

I haven't pursued a CHL because of safety concerns with my ability to shoot and handle a gun and keep it out of children's hands.

You presumably have knives, a stove, range, or oven, electrical appliances, a chain saw, legal drugs like aspirin, and poisons like bleach, insecticides, and fertilizer. You manage these things safely.

Your stumbling block seems to be what has been accurately labeled "totemization" of firearms, namely, the belief that firearms are uniquely threatening or deadly. They are, of course, threatening and deadly. They were designed for those purposes. However, they are no more threatening or deadly than maxny other things that we use with confidence every day.

I'm an equal-opportunity person of common sense and safety. Children aren't allowed near my stove when it is on unless under direct supervision, I have fire extinguishers around the house, we practice fire escapes, my knives are on the top shelf of the pantry, all of my electrical outlets are covered, all of my medications are under lock and key including aspirin, all my bleaches and other chemicals are up high and many are also behind a locked or child-proofed door, I am CPR certified for infants, children, and adults, and I am water safety certified, among other things... It doesn't predominate my thoughts because once I learn how to have potentially deadly things around safely, I just use them safely. I didn't grow up being taught how to own or use firearms safely so I'm having to take the time to learn that, though.

[SecedeTX]

Pearland is on the list...77584. No suprise there at all

[rm9792]

I have seen guns on TGT for under a hundred so the poor could still carry under MPA. I agree with an earlier poster about they seem to have money for cigs, beer and lottery tickets. When I was doing home repair (phones) I went to a lot of poor homes and to a one they all had cable, multiple tvs, and scratched lottery tickets lying around. Always had cigarettes as well. Now when driving those same areas I see people that are obviously poor but sure to have a cell phone. The homeless and crackheads on the stretch of Telephone between 610 and 45 carry around cells.

[seamusTX]

I didn't grow up being taught how to own or use firearms safely so I'm having to take the time to learn that, though.

It's easier than learning to drive. I learned to shoot when I was 10 years old, and I have never shot anything but the target that I was aiming at. I cracked up several vehicles in my first few years of driving.

Have you considered retention holsters? They are not usually recommended for non-LEO concealed carry, but a retention holster would alleviate some of your concerns.

Have you tried carrying an unloaded handgun around the house just to see how it goes?

- Jim

[Hoi Polloi]

I didn't grow up being taught how to own or use firearms safely so I'm having to take the time to learn that, though.

It's easier than learning to drive. I learned to shoot when I was 10 years old, and I have never shot anything but the target that I was aiming at. I cracked up several vehicles in my first few years of driving.

Have you considered retention holsters? They are not usually recommended for non-LEO concealed carry, but a retention holster would alleviate some of your concerns.

Have you tried carrying an unloaded handgun around the house just to see how it goes?

- Jim

Jim,

Did you respond to my holster thread? If not, would you? Perrty please?

I'll go make a post to the thread to answer you to avoid taking this one off topic.

[seamusTX]

I'm sorry, but I can no more advise you on holsters than shoes. You just have to get out and try things and talk in person to women who have gone down this road.

I will only repeat that it is easier than you think.

- Jim

[phrogg]

So pulling this thread a little back to the topic . I wonder how they were able to put those stats together. I've been looking for the stats and the only thing I can think of is that they pulled all of the licenses issued by zip code and compiled them together into one spreadsheet by number in a particular zip. That's not completely accurate but its fairly close. I'm thinking about doing that project myself just to see where my zip (which is on the list) ranks.

Or has anyone found that actual data somewhere in the format they referenced?

[seamusTX]

Sure: http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/administra ... aphics.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

No private party can "pull licenses." Actually, AFAIK, no one outside DPS can. Even law enforcement agencies are required to make specific inquiries.

Also AFAIK, no one outside DPS really knows how many license are currently valid in a particular ZIP code or county. DPS publishes how many are issued in a given year. People relocate. They die. A very few licenses are revoked.

- Jim

[pdubyoo]

Sure: http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/administra ... aphics.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

No private party can "pull licenses." Actually, AFAIK, no one outside DPS can. Even law enforcement agencies are required to make specific inquiries.

Also AFAIK, no one outside DPS really knows how many license are currently valid in a particular ZIP code or county. DPS publishes how many are issued in a given year. People relocate. They die. A very few licenses are revoked.

- Jim

After reviewing the demographic reports, I calculated that only 1.63% of Texans had a current CHL license at the end of 2009. I sure would have guessed higher than that. Spring-Klein (77388) is doing our part to get the average up...375 applicants from 9/1/08 - 8/31/09.

[WildBill]

Sure: http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/administra ... aphics.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

No private party can "pull licenses." Actually, AFAIK, no one outside DPS can. Even law enforcement agencies are required to make specific inquiries.

Also AFAIK, no one outside DPS really knows how many license are currently valid in a particular ZIP code or county. DPS publishes how many are issued in a given year. People relocate. They die. A very few licenses are revoked.

- Jim

After reviewing the demographic reports, I calculated that only 1.63% of Texans had a current CHL license at the end of 2009. I sure would have guessed higher than that. Spring-Klein (77388) is doing our part to get the average up...375 applicants from 9/1/08 - 8/31/09.

Don't forget that you have to be 21 years old to get a CHL. A very large percentage of Texas are minors.

[seamusTX]

The number always seems to be about 2% of the adult population. There's a detailed analysis from a year or so ago on this forum if you search for it.

It's amusing that people who have never been to Texas think everyone is walking around in cowboy boots and hats and slinging a Colt .45. Most of the population has no interest or motivation to do any of those things. Many are ineligible for a variety of reasons, including the 5-year restriction after a class B misdemeanor conviction.

- Jim

[pdubyoo]

Sure: http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/administra ... aphics.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

No private party can "pull licenses." Actually, AFAIK, no one outside DPS can. Even law enforcement agencies are required to make specific inquiries.

Also AFAIK, no one outside DPS really knows how many license are currently valid in a particular ZIP code or county. DPS publishes how many are issued in a given year. People relocate. They die. A very few licenses are revoked.

- Jim

After reviewing the demographic reports, I calculated that only 1.63% of Texans had a current CHL license at the end of 2009. I sure would have guessed higher than that. Spring-Klein (77388) is doing our part to get the average up...375 applicants from 9/1/08 - 8/31/09.

Don't forget that you have to be 21 years old to get a CHL. A very large percentage of Texas are minors.

That makes it 2.4%, based on 21 and older, which is still somewhat lower than I expected.

[varko]

My house has two zip codes: 77573 & 77539

One of them made the list.