Giving CHL a bad name

[pmcdn]

I have a good friend who is a state/federal criminal defense attorney who is also a CHL. While talking to him, he gets CHL clients who were arrested because they get into road rage or other public issues and begin waving their gun around. Another buddy of mine told me about a friend of his who has his CHL and has actually chased down a car who cut him off and gave him the bird. He felt that since he can legally carry, he has the right to do so.

I believe that the majority of CHL's are cool-headed, safe people who wouldn't draw their weapon unless they truly believed it was necessary, but it really bothers me that there are some who actually believe that it is a license to play "cop" and draw/wave their gun around, which we all know you just can't do.

It bothers me not only because it isn't safe, but also because I'm afraid it can/will give CHL a bad name. You know that the media will embellish and sensationalize a story about a CHL committing a crime.

Just my 2 cents!

[OldCannon]

The CHL doesn't turn a jerk into a nice person. It has no magical properties at all, in fact.

The media will do what they do -- sensationalize whatever they can to increase their share of readers/viewers.

[RPB]

Some, as in most people on this forum, take it seriously to actually learn more susch as

friend of his who has his CHL and has actually chased down a car who cut him off and gave him the bird. He felt that since he can legally carry, he has the right to do so.

http://www.statutes.legis.state.tx.us/d ... /PE.42.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
PENAL CODE

TITLE 9. OFFENSES AGAINST PUBLIC ORDER AND DECENCY

CHAPTER 42. DISORDERLY CONDUCT AND RELATED OFFENSES

Sec. 42.01. DISORDERLY CONDUCT. (a) A person commits an offense if he intentionally or knowingly:

(1) uses abusive, indecent, profane, or vulgar language in a public place, and the language by its very utterance tends to incite an immediate breach of the peace;

(2) makes an offensive gesture or display in a public place, and the gesture or display tends to incite an immediate breach of the peace;

from another thread: (color added by me)

Unfortunately a Disorderly Conduct charge is the one Class C that will get your CHL revoked. See GC §411.172 (8)

(8) has not, in the five years preceding the date of application, been convicted of a Class A or Class B misdemeanor or an offense under Section 42.01, Penal Code;

So, he thought because he had a CHL, he has the right to lose his CHL for 5 to 7 years by doing that ... sounds like he needed continuing education, or a logic course

[The Annoyed Man]

So, he thought because he had a CHL, he has the right to lose his CHL for 5 to 7 years by doing that ... sounds like he needed continuing education, or a logic course

Sounds to me like needed to actually lose his CHL. You can't educate the terminally stupid, and they are lacking the logic lobe in their brains.

[RPB]

A barrel of apples may occasionally contain a bad one, but Statistics prove the bad ones are the exception, not the rule.
http://www.texasshooting.com/blog/?p=259" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

viewtopic.php?f=94&t=38264" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Texas alone has over half a million CHLs now, and nationwide who knows how many, and there are very very very few "bad apples" ... but I'm sure every school/church/movie theater might have a bad apple and statistics prove the CHL population is better behaved than the general population

[E.Marquez]

While talking to him, he gets CHL clients who were arrested because they get into road rage or other public issues and begin waving their gun around. Another buddy of mine told me about a friend of his who has his CHL and has actually chased down a car who cut him off and gave him the bird. He felt that since he can legally carry, he has the right to do so.

Really? That’s very strange.. when any of those things happen, the media tends to make a a state wide, if not nation story.

Hard to understand how your "friend" could have so many like that as criminal defendants and nether the media or every anti gunner and anti gun organization has not made it public knowledge..

Can you provide ANY details as to these events? What city or area they happened in? Names if possible? Court adjudicated in.

So very strange those stories never made it to the public’s eye., or they did, and if so, would love to read about them and see the outcome, assuming it was made public.

Personally, I don’t feel they need as some here do to be an ambassador or whatever to concealed hand gun community. . I don’t think I owe anyone anything for my right to carry. The whole “You MUST be on your best behavior to not give “us” a bad name” is community bull to the extreme.. We are all responsible for our self’s, good and bad. You are not held to task for my behavior and I could care less and in no way does an others behavior reflect on me. If a CHL holder drinks and drives.. That’s on them, no reflection on me at all.

No more than if a 46 year old male rapes a young girl.. That reflects on me in no way.. Motorcycle rider on a sport bike wheelies down the road at 140 mph and causes a wreck. No reflection on me as a rider of sport bikes at all. Same with other CHL holders bad behavior.

[gigag04]

It will be a sad day when an idiot w/ a CHL tries a stunt on a non-idiot CHL/LEO

[E.Marquez]

It will be a sad day when an idiot w/ a CHL tries a stunt on a non-idiot CHL/LEO

Yup, someone will survive, but no one will win that engagement.


Just hard to understand how it could be happing all that much, and LEO's here, LEO's I know, Media, and Anti types are not very aware and public about it

[pmcdn]

It will be a sad day when an idiot w/ a CHL tries a stunt on a non-idiot CHL/LEO

I agree.

[Keith B]

While talking to him, he gets CHL clients who were arrested because they get into road rage or other public issues and begin waving their gun around. Another buddy of mine told me about a friend of his who has his CHL and has actually chased down a car who cut him off and gave him the bird. He felt that since he can legally carry, he has the right to do so.

Really? That’s very strange.. as if when any of those things hap[p[en, the media tends to make a a state wide, if not nation story. Hard to understand how your "friend" could have so many like that as criminal defendants and nether the media or every anti gunner and anti gun organization has not made it public knowledge..


Can you provide ANY details as to these events? What city or area they happened in? Names if possible? Court adjudicated in.

So very strange those stories never made it to the public’s eye., or they did, and if so, would love to read about them and see the outcome, assuming it was made public.

Personally, I don’t feel they need as some here do to be an ambassador or whatever to concealed hand gun community. . I don’t think I owe anyone anything for my right to carry. The whole “You MUST be on your best behavior to not give “us” a bad name” is community bull to the extreme.. We are all responsible for our self’s, good and bad. You are not held to task for my behavior and I could care less and in no way does an others behavior reflect on me. If a CHL holder drinks and drives.. That’s on them, no reflection on me at all.

No more than if a 46 year old male rapes a young girl.. That reflects on me in no way.. Motorcycle rider on a sport bike wheelies down the road at 140 mph and causes a wreck. No reflection on me as a rider of sport bikes at all. Same with other CHL holders bad behavior.

Incidents of this level will very rarely make the media. A road rage incident where a person calls on another and the police respond, take the information and find out the bozo with the CHL was the instigator is NOT gonna make the news. The police will end up possibly citing the CHL with a disorderly conduct ticket only, but the CHL will end up loosing his license.

I disagree with this and agree with the OP. We as CHL's need to do things better as when the media DOES pick up a story, they love to put out there that 'the bonehead had a CHL' and it gives us a black eye as a group. In turn, the Brady Bunch will jump on these like ducks on June Bugs and use it to twist every angle they can on the bad press. A good example is the story on the CHL out of Alabama that killed the LEO. I mentioned something to a gun friendly, but non-CHL friend about having a CHL and they said, 'Oh, I read about some guy in Alabama that had a CHL and shot a cop and was sentenced to death. You would think people who can carry guns would be smarter than that.' So, it DOES get people's attention and they DO associate us a group. Works the same for those in the military that do stupid stuff. Not all of it makes the media, but when it does, they exploit the issue about him being a soldier and it sheds a poor light on the military in general.

[tommyg]

It is stupid to chase down someone in a road rage. Do not go after
anyone remember road ragers might be carrying too.
Get away or call the police on a cell phone and tell them that a road
rager is behind you and acting in a strange manner.I had a rager pull up behind me in
a pick up I was on a motorcycle I don't know what his issues were, I rode my motorcycle
between a line of cars stopped on a red light then ran the red light and left the raging idiot
stuck in traffic. I was not caught running the light. If I had been caught
running the light all it would have been was a fine and a driving course.
This is nothing compared with a shoot out. For the sake of everyone
do not provoke a shoot out that nobody is going to win.

[AEA]

Successful tactic for road rage = de-escalate/remove yourself.

Drawing a gun in a non life threatening situation = possibly being shot/killed.

[jmra]

I find myself much more relaxed and much less agitated by other's actions when I CC. Granted, I don't chase people down or sling 4 letter words their way at any time. But I think having a gun on me reminds me that I need to be more conscious of my actions. Kinda like riding around with the preacher in your car.

[CC Italian]

It is a general assumption that always gets thrown around. Bottom line is for every person with a CHL in Texas there is probably at least double who carry in their car without a CHL. I know a ton of women who carry in their cars but don't have a CHL! Anyways, if we as a society could control stupid we would have tried! CHL and road rage is just another way for someone who is anti gun to try and justify their views. This is Texas you don't need a CHL to get into road rage gun fight! So many people have a gun in the glove box!

[Oldgringo]

Texas CH licensees should set the example of responsible, mature gun ownership and concealed carry whether in Texas or elsewhere.

I, too, must disagree with the premise of my warrior buddy, Bronco78, that the embecilic actions of other CH licensees do not reflect on us all. Actions have consequences and one consequence is bad press for our 2A RKBA. Bad and/or sensational news stories are read by everyone and are fodder for the foe.