• We are now running on a new, and hopefully much-improved, server. In addition we are also on new forum software. Any move entails a lot of technical details and I suspect we will encounter a few issues as the new server goes live. Please be patient with us. It will be worth it! :) Please help by posting all issues here.
  • The forum will be down for about an hour this weekend for maintenance. I apologize for the inconvenience.
  • If you are having trouble seeing the forum then you may need to clear your browser's DNS cache. Click here for instructions on how to do that
  • Please review the Forum Rules frequently as we are constantly trying to improve the forum for our members and visitors.

Just a few more...

Liko81

Founder's Club Member
Joined
Dec 26, 2007
Messages
496
Location
Dallas, TX, ,
imported post

24851 Total Signatures

149 more and we'll have a nice round 25,000 supporters of open carry legislation. Of course, let's not stop there; 50,000 or 100,000 would be amazing and would really get the legislature's attention.
 

Gator5713

Lone Star Veteran
Joined
Sep 28, 2008
Messages
591
Location
Aggieland, Texas, USA
imported post

Just for reference purposes.... What is the total adult population of Texas? Or at least those registered to vote? I seriously doubt that we will get a majority percentage of those to actually sign the petition, but it might be kinda ne=ice to know what percentage we do have!
 

CrossFire

Regular Member
Joined
Nov 29, 2007
Messages
407
Location
Irving, Texas, USA
imported post

Just remember that that is the total number of responses to the petition, all the invalid responses will have to be removed.
 

Liko81

Founder's Club Member
Joined
Dec 26, 2007
Messages
496
Location
Dallas, TX, ,
imported post

Gator5713 wrote:
Just for reference purposes.... What is the total adult population of Texas? Or at least those registered to vote? I seriously doubt that we will get a majority percentage of those to actually sign the petition, but it might be kinda ne=ice to know what percentage we do have!

We have roughly one tenth of one percent. The projected population of the State of Texas as of 2008, according to the Department of State Health Services, is roughly 24.2 million. I do not know if that is legal full-time residents or if it includes part-time residents (6 months here, 6 in Virginia or wherever) and/or illegals.

In terms of adult population, we're doing slightly better; in 2006 (most recent year with hard data) there were 16 million adults (21+) out of 23.5 million total residents. Projecting the same mix of adults and children, there'd be 16.5 million, giving us .15% in favor of OC. Hey, I'll take those numbers any day; that's 15 OCers per 100,000, while the State of Texas on the whole has about the same number of sworn officers on the payroll. Divide thatby four and you have roughlythe number of beat cops on the street at any given time, so if everyone who's signed the petition would OC at all times if given the chance, you're quintupling the chances a crime can be stopped.

On the other hand, compare 25,000OC supporterswith roughly 10 times that number who are CHL holders. You can infer that only 10% of CHL holders, who are themselves only 1% of the Texas population, support OC. You could doublespeak and twist that very easily to say that even among the staunchest supporters of the right to carry, only 1 in 10 wants to open carry.
 

Gator5713

Lone Star Veteran
Joined
Sep 28, 2008
Messages
591
Location
Aggieland, Texas, USA
imported post

that's 15 OCers per 100,000, while the State of Texas on the whole has about the same number of sworn officers on the payroll. Divide that by four and you have roughly the number of beat cops on the street at any given time, so if everyone who's signed the petition would OC at all times if given the chance, you're quintupling the chances a crime can be stopped.
Arguments such as this should be bullet points on 'conversion to our cause' brochures!!!

#1 Reason to OPEN carry: Crime deterrent
>>>'Isn't that what the cops are for?'
>>'There isn't always a cop around. The expected number of honest upstanding citizens that will OC will effectively multiply the crime deterrence of LEOs 5 times!

And, yes, the other numbers could be used very effectively in our favor as well... Is there a list of addresses available publicly of all CCP holders? If so, should we possibly mail them an appeal to sign the petition? That could greatly increase our numbers! I simply stumbled across this site the other day and prior to that I had no idea that there was a petition in progress!

Just some more thoughts....
Gator >|--|~
 

rodbender

Regular Member
Joined
Jun 23, 2008
Messages
2,519
Location
Navasota, Texas, USA
imported post

One very important point to bring up is the fact that a CHL costs a lot of money. Even with indigent people it costs $70. If some law abiding citizen has a couple kids and is living below the poverty level, it is still going to be next to impossible to come up with $200 ($120 for a class+ $70 for the license)to get a CHL. Therefore it will have low income law abiding citizens having to go defenseless. They are probably the ones that need it the most, having to live in low income, crime ridden neighborhoods.
 

Gator5713

Lone Star Veteran
Joined
Sep 28, 2008
Messages
591
Location
Aggieland, Texas, USA
imported post

I'm #24857... When is it going to show up?
Unfortunately some of the comments are mis-construed versions of law... (#24831 for example... A rifle in the rack must have the bolt open/unchambered if I am not mistaken...)
 

Ian

Lone Star Veteran
Joined
Nov 11, 2007
Messages
710
Location
Austin, TX
imported post

Just PM me if you find any invalid signatures and I will remove them.
 
Top