Constitutionalists UNITE

Sarah Palin has caught all kinds of flak about being a pro-gun politician as well as a hunter. I don’t hunt. Its too early to get up and too cold, so I don’t do it. Also, I don’t like deer meat and I refuse to kill anything I won’t eat. However, the right to do so is ingrained in our Constitution. Argue all you want, but the fourth amendment is powerful.

The Supreme Court has now ruled, in the case of Washington, DC, that the framers of the Constitution were not limiting the right to bear arms to the military, but rather extending the right to the people. If you read The Federalist Papers, nothing was done without great debate and we have no reason to believe this was an accident. The vagueness of the fourth amendment of the bill of rights was likely a negotiated statement. Regardless, the dynamics of our society have now changed. It doesn't matter what a politician wants, you have a right to bear arms.

In Texas, that right has been extended to when you are in a car. As of last year you may carry a gun in your automobile without the police tossing you in the hoosegow for illegal weaponry. The new law clarified a long standing law regarding traveling with a gun. You do not need a Concealed Handgun License in order to carry a gun in your car. Of course, outside your car you still need it. Other states are more restrictive in this issue, including Washington, DC (not really a state, but it fits here), which said that you could not own a gun at all. New York does not like the idea of anyone carrying a gun anywhere, but apparently allows owners to keep one in their home.

There is a difference between a hunter and a self-defense weapon, even though I suppose that I could go on about how a rifle will kill just as dead. Handguns are an emotional issue for some. Their only purpose, according to the liberals, is to kill someone. In my house, their only purpose is to kill someone who is trying to do harm to my wife or daughter. I believe in the right of self defense and expect to be able to defend myself with something other than a rolling pin if some hood decides to enter my home uninvited. Certainly, responsible gun ownership is mandatory. You need to keep it clean so that it will work if you need it. And you don’t kill someone that didn’t need killing. In Texas, the definition of that is “shoot to stop”. We aren’t allowed to shoot to kill. However, if it is still wiggling, you may not have stopped it completely. It is next to impossible to get a conviction against someone you shot who entered your home illegally.

As far as the right to carry a concealed weapon, hurray! Texas passed the CHL law in the 90’s after the Luby’s incident, where George Hennard drove through the wall of a Luby’s and killed numerous people before shooting himself. A colleague of mine, Dr. Susanna Hupp, was at that café with her parents and watched them both die. She became so enraged that she could not carry her gun that she ran for and won a seat in the Texas House of Representatives. She led the charge for CHL and was successful. In Texas, with appropriate training, you can now carry a firearm if it is concealed. Police generally like this law. They know when you hand them the CHL that you have been vetted. Little known fact: In Texas, the standards are higher for the CHL than for a police officer. You cannot get a CHL with a class B misdemeanor but you CAN be a police officer with the same offense. It is in the best interest of the citizenry to be well armed. The bad guys have guns and it is only right that the good guys are afforded the same opportunity.

Dr. Suzanna Hupp

George Hennard

Jeff Cunningham