I am blessed and privileged to live in the great state of Texas. Texas is the only place I know where you can see cowboys driving cattle down the street in a large city. (It actually happens in Fort Worth and Dallas and maybe some others as well). The downtown cattle drives are great, but one of the things that I love most about Texas is the way we love our guns. Not only do we love our guns on the personal level, but we love our guns on the state level as well.

The gun laws in the state of Texas are extremely relaxed compared to most other states. Being that I have not always lived in the state of Texas, (I came back as soon as I could) I was not aware of all of the laws pertaining to gun ownership. Upon my return to Texas I had to look into any laws that might affect my ownership of firearms. I was fortunate enough to make friends quickly with a local law enforcement officer who informed me of the laws. I did not have to register my firearms when I moved back because Texas does not require its citizens to register their firearms.  This was one less hassle I would have to deal with and one less set of fees we would have to come up with the money for.

This year with the passage of The Motorist Protection Act, citizens have full rights to carry a loaded weapon with them in their vehicle. There is also the “Castle Law”, which gives Texas citizens full right to defend their home from any threat to their home or its inhabitants.

Concealed Handgun License is still required to carry your handgun on your person, but there is a big push on state legislators to pass an open carry law.

To purchase a firearm or obtain your CHL you must pass a quick background check and show a state issued picture ID. In the case of my last firearm purchase, it only took a short time while browsing around the gun shop for more items to put on my wish list.

Many states limit what kind of firearms can be owned by the citizens of said state. “Assault weapons”, suppressors and machine guns are legal to own in Texas. Texas follows the gun laws set forth by the federal government and figures that is plenty enough restrictions for anyone. If you can legally own it by federal law, then you can own it in Texas.

Side note: I never have understood why they label certain firearms “assault weapons”;  one can assault someone with a pencil, so wouldn’t that make pencils an “assault weapon”?

Another nice thing about Texas is that we don’t have to drive very far to find a gun range. I can be at either an indoor range or an outdoor range within 20 minutes (it takes that long because I live out in the country) from my home or even less time from where I work.  The outdoor range I frequent offers ranges from 30 yards to 100 yards along with multiple skeet and trap fields; they even offer an archery field to hone your bow and arrow skills.

When you hear the word treaty you would normally assume that two or more countries in conflict with each other had reached an accord to end the conflict. Take the proposed “small arms treaty” from the U.N. There is no doubt that the rights and freedoms that our forefathers secured for us, scare many of the world “leaders”(for lack of better word).

Most of the “civilized” nations in this world have banned private ownership- or have at least passed stringent laws strongly restricting the private ownership of firearms. Americans have had their rights paid for with over 200 years of freedom loving patriots giving life and limbs for our freedoms and rights. We have fought tooth and nail and paid that same high price to give that same gift to many others around the globe.

“Concentrated power has always been the enemy of liberty.”-Ronald Reagan

With many of the world’s citizens allowing their politicians to pass laws prohibiting or restricting the private ownership of firearms they have given up their last line of defense against tyranny. The proposed “treaty “, if passed would most likely impose harsh restriction on the buying and selling of firearms and create a national firearm registry. The first steps leading to the confiscation of privately owned guns, leaving the citizen at the mercy of the criminal and the government.

It has been proven time and again that when the citizen is disarmed, the crime rate skyrockets. The criminals already reject following the law, so the government just makes it easier for them. When a politician starts out at the state or local level most all will state that they want to lower the crime rate. This cannot be accomplished by disarming the law abiding citizen, from any government level.

Now is the time to raise our voices and be heard. Let our senators and representatives know that we will not tolerate them signing away our freedoms and rights under the guise of a “treaty”.

_______________________________

For those of you that own firearms, train hard and well and teach those that do not know how. Be good stewards of the right to bear arms, for we are the last line of defense against tyranny.
-Benjamin Wallace

Keep an eye on where this goes through the NRA-ILA.

____________________________

Information Source:

Forbes.com

“As our enemies have found we can reason like men, so now let us show them we can fight like men also.”-Thomas Jefferson

We the American people were lucky enough to be blessed by God Almighty to be born in the greatest country ever formed. With guidance from Godly men this country was birthed on the principles that all men are created equal and that no man should be allowed to be a tyrant. We have been given a charge to protect and defend these rights even if it means bloodshed. Our forefathers made sure to write in our constitution the means of defending the founding principles. The Second Amendment gives us this RIGHT AND OBLIGATION.

“A well-regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.”- 2^nd Amendment of the UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION

Many have tried to take the word “Militia” and interpret that to mean that the government controlled military group are the ones that have the right to bear arms, not the common citizen. “The right of the people to keep and bear Arms” is the phrase they make sure not to talk about, for it is we the people that make up the militia that our founding fathers speak of.  The first line of the oath our military personnel take is, “I, _____, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic”. This puts the primary objective for the great men and women who serve our country to be the protection of the country and her people. “That I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same” reaffirms that the protection of the principles this country was founded on is their primary objective.  “And that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God.”  For those of you that have served, and some that have not, we know that there are provisions that entitle the removal of officers that do not uphold the oath.

I believe that every citizen should take the first two points of the Military Oath and actually act on it, first in the ballot box and physically if absolutely necessary. The reason the left wants to disarm us is so that we cannot fight the tyranny they want to impose on us. If we give up our right to bear arms we will become defenseless against tyranny.

“An army of principles can penetrate where an army of soldiers cannot.” -Thomas Paine

Thomas Paine was a true Patriot and wise man. He understood that the principles we live by is what will make us or break us. The principle of defending oneself and their beliefs and virtues is what built this great nation. Let us not destroy the great work that they achieved with our laziness and fear of being politically incorrect.

___________________________________________

For those of you that own firearms, train hard and well and teach those that do not know how. Be good stewards of the right to bear arms, for we are the last line of defense against tyranny.

-Benjamin Wallace