The old guy here is about to finish four days in one of my favorite states, Texas. The first was spent in Fort Worth with friends, and the second at the Texas State Bar Association’s Firearms Law Seminar in the same city. The third was in Houston at the 28th Annual Gun Rights Policy Conference, as will be the fourth.
Some 180 attorneys, with a few firearms instructors, attended the TBA event. I learned from every speaker I heard. Many of those lawyers were gun-owners and pistol-packers, and enough of the speakers were into competitive shooting on their own time to form a kick-ass gun team at the range. We learned that, thanks largely to the Texas State Rifle Association, the Lone Star state has made some great strides in legislation that’s friendly to firearms owners’ civil rights.
330 or so stalwarts attended the GRPC. We heard from top lawyers like Alan Gura about what’s going on at the point of the spear on the Federal level, and from Julianne Versnel and others on the state of the UN small arms treaty. (Short report: the heavy hitters on the inside are concerned about the UN treaty, but not terribly worried about it.) From the state level, we learned of the travails of the states which have had losses recently in this respect, such as California, Colorado, and New York, and from the states where our side is winning. We got the inside scoop on the Colorado Recall, where our side was outspent five to one by the prohibitionists and still kicked out two powerful state legislators who had ignored the mandate of their constituents. And much more…and more to come tomorrow, when the conference closes.
I was leaving tonight when I chatted with an attendee from British Columbia. (Canadians don’t suffer under the Obama administration, and we were told they can buy imported American M-1 Garands for $350. Almost made me want to shoot a maple leaf just out of jealousy.) The brother from BC told me how good it felt to be in the presence of like-minded people, and to be authoritatively reminded that we are winning on many fronts. We persecuted minorities need to hear that, especially when it’s true. I have tried over the years to get to the GRPC whenever possible. It’s a recharging of the batteries of the spirit for us “gun people.”
Ace trial lawyer (and skilled pistolero) John LeVick lectures on how insurance ties in with shooting cases at TBA seminar.
Sean Healy supervises the Firearms Law Seminar in Fort Worth.
Emily Miller talks about the travails of armed citizens in DC. Check out her new book, “Emily GetsHer Gun” at GRPC.
Valinda and Mike Rowe of IllinoisCarry.com received kudos at GRPC for their work in getting concealed carry in their state.
Alan Gura, the master lawyer who won the landmark Heller and McDonald decisions, tells the GRPC audience what’s next in pro-gun litigation.
Some old guy talks to attorneys about trial tactics in self defense cases for continuing legal education class…
…and to gun owners’ civil rights activists about Stand Your Ground laws at Gun Rights Policy Conference.
Mas
I enjoyed your presentation at the Texas Bar CLE conference – you covered cases with which I was unfamiliar and that offered some stark teaching points. I found your “suggestions” for defense counsel to be worthwhile to reiterate to my CHL and Defensive handgun students as well. You also settled an argument I have had for several years with a hard head – clearly DAO is the way to go for a defensive revolver.
Thanks for taking the time in your schedule to be there.
Our discussion on the street corner was of benefit to me as well- I hope I did not disturb your pre-speech reverie too much.
One last – when can you bring MAG-20 / 40 to Texas?
Thanks again
Regards
GKT
Heck, Mas, sounds like the only thing missing was another match. Gotta love Emily Miller for going thru what she did to get her gun. Our side could use a whole lot more with that drive and desire to be gun owners.
True dat, Marc.
Good to meet you too, Greg. Will be doing a MAG-20 Rules of Engagement course next Marcj in the Dallas area and possibly also a class in Victoria. Check my website in about a month, http://massadayoobgroup.com .
Music to my ears!
Mas, I sent a note to Emily, forwarding her the link to one of your blogs, and recommending she contact you. I hope you were able to link up. Come up to Northern VA and we can go shooting at her home range…I’ll even give you a place to stay!
Gun rights are being attacked by the same people who are attacking our freedom of religion.
Great place, great story. Thanks. Although Mas is still the King Of The Hill, I am also quite impressed with Emily Miller and her resoluteness in reporting the truth surrounding the never-ending gun ownership controversy. If only I could adopt her.
Mas, you mentioned one of the speakers talked about what is coming next at the Federal level. I would love to hear what case is and what it will cover. I heard from Dick Heller a few months back that Heller 2 was working its way through the courts. He also said apparently Heller 2 included everything the original Heller didn’t have, such as dealing with outright bans of certain style guns, i.e. “assault” rifles and magazine limit bans as well as some other stuff.
Personally I am hoping such a case can get to the Supreme Court before Obama has a chance to alter the make up of the court in his favor and put the whole gun ban and magazine ban to bed forever.
Reading the Heller Foundation web site I had the impression the Heller 2 case has stalled out. So what did they say about Federal lawsuits coming?
Mic, too much to cover here. Audio of the entire conference should be posted soon, and I’ll link to it here as soon as I find where it’s up.
Thank you for coming to Houston! Wish there had been more time for a Q&A!
Mas,
As a Brit (and a firearms owner) I find your writings very thoughtful and measured, such as your recent articles on the Zimmerman trial.
I do however have to question the “persecuted minorities” line. Gun owners may only make up around 35% of Americans nowadays but it is a stretch to describe yourselves a persecuted.
Called to account, questioned about the need for your ownership of a lethal weapon, yes, but that is what we expect in a democracy, but it is hardly persecution.
You have many effective speakers, right up to the national level, there are no mass round ups or confescations and, of course, you have the 2nd Ammendment, which is not going to be overturned any time soon.
Welcome, Charles. I get a sense you may not have been keeping up with the mainstream media, and some of the politicians, in the USA lately.
Mas,
Thank you for signing my book, it means a lot.
I didn’t stay long, I was feeling under the weather, but I look forward to watching the speakers on youtube in the near future. Hope you enjoyed your stay in Houston!
Thanks, Charles. I always enjoy Houston. Hope you’re feeling better!
Charles, while many states enjoy quite a bit of freedom in regards to firearms, that freedom is not universal. In my home state of New York, rifles and magazines that have been safely and legally owned for decades were suddenly made illegal without public discussion or debate. In some parts of the state, the confiscations have already begun.
Likewise, while the state begrudging “allows” law-abiding citizens to own arms, the actual bearing of those arms is another matter. Despite a squeaky clean record, it took me nearly a year to obtain a permit to own a handgun and it will take much more to actually be able to carry it beyond my home or the range.
We aren’t the most persecuted minority, but we are certainly persecuted in many parts of the country.
“Gun owners may only make up around 35% of Americans nowadays but it is a stretch to describe yourselves a persecuted.”
Yep, if you think this is true, Charles, you must be a Brit! Come visit D.C. “on holiday” some time or simply read Ms. Miller’s book mentioned here and you’ll realize just how much persecution goes on this side of the pond.
TXCOMT
You clean up pretty good Mas! 😉 Sounds like one heck of a fine group to engage with!
Was great to see you there Mas.
Mas and Friends:
Charles offers a number of 35% for gunowners in the US.
I am currently doing research for a professional public policy paper, and I have not encountered that number before.
What source does it come from? Government, private market research, academia, census?
The progressive anti-gun folks continually throw out small numbers when referring to legal gun ownership – this in an attempt to marginalize and peculiarize individual firearms ownership.
The usual claim is that all those NICS transfers are the same old set of people merely buying more guns. I can anecdotally contest that, but sadly, there is no statistical data set.
My sense is that that number is WAY low, regardless of numbers which are reported in polls. It is an axiom of political science analysis that Americans lie to pollsters who start asking them about guns and gun ownership.
My own experience and circle of friends , although not data and merely anecdote, bears that out. Fourteen guys – two lawyers, an urban planner, two professional engineers, a retired school teacher, a cattle rancher, a university professor, a real estate manager, a physician , a dentist, a salesman and a church pastor. and some gals – a law student, a homemaker, a high school teacher : If we were all sitting at IHOP drinking coffee, the question would be not who was carrying a concealed sidearm, but who was carrying two. Most of these folks would not tell Gallup or Zogby that they owned a gun. NOYDB.
Of course, I live in Texas. I am truly surprised when I meet someone ( other than an urban female under 30 or an SMU professor) who claims specifically, to not own a firearm of some type.
Legal gun ownership rates typically are indirect or double indirect measurements, and therefore pretty sloppy, except in states which license individual firearms owners. I am not willing to pay the Liberty costs to get the much better data provided by Illinois and NYC.
So – where did the 35% number come from?
Regards
GKT
35% sounds way low to me too, bro, but I don’t have a solid answer to your question as to where that figure came from.