Growing up in Texas

Growing up in Texas your first purchase as an Adult is either a truck or a firearm because its the Texan thing to do. Buying a gun in Texas is very a simple process. All you need is a valid State ID or Driver's License with your current address and no criminal history.

The Federal Government requires a person to be eighteen and older to purchase a rifle or shotgun and twenty one to purchase a handgun. The Government does not have complete say over the states and let's them decide what requirements to enforce to purchase a firearm while using the age limits as a based guideline. For example, in the State of Illinois you are required to take a three week gun safety class in order to receive a license and be able to purchase. Once the gun is purchase you are then obligated to register with the State of Illinois.

In Texas, you only require a valid ID or Driver's License and pass the National Instant Criminal Background Check. The background check can take anywhere from five minutes to up to seven days. Speeding up the background check is possible by inputting your social security number in as it is optional but it helps the system find you more quickly. Personally, it takes me ten minutes to do the background check and walk out with my firearm.

I am sure you remember this most recent Senatorial election since you were involved. You voiced your thoughts and plans for more control in Texas. I believe that lead to loss in the election. Since Texan men and women love their guns as much as they love there moms. While some people believe that it is relatively easy to buy a gun in Texas, it really is not that way. Companies are now requiring that you take a special training class in order for you to sell.

This training includes learning the parts of a firearm, how to break down a firearm, how to identify a straw purchase, and most importantly how to fill out the form 4473 which completes the firearm purchase. This training could be as short as a couple of days but as long has a couple of weeks. Companies train their employees this way so that they ensure that a firearm does not end up in the hands of someone who is prohibited from owning a firearm. Even though a training class to prevent this is mandatory. I do feel as if there should be an extra precaution in the re-sale aspect of firearms.

Attempted straw purchases happen a majority if the time. A straw purchase is when someone purchases a gun for someone else who is not allowed to purchase or own firearms. A straw purchase is Third Degree Felony and is punishable crime of two-ten years in prison and a fine up to $10,000. Most people believe that this is the way criminals buy their guns but this is not completely true.

Stricter gun laws in Texas isn't going to stop a criminal from getting his hands on a firearm. If a criminal wants a gun he's going to get in one way or another. Stricter gun laws is only punishing the responsible gun owners who solely have firearms for hunting and protection. I feel as if we should focus more on the illegal gun trades and illegal reselling of guns instead of upsetting the NRA.

If we had the same gun laws as Illinois, it would only put a first time gun buyer at risk. For example, a mother of three kids trying to escape an abusive husband for the safety of her children and herself. She tries to buy a gun and takes a three week class just to get a permit to purchase and in the middle of the course her abusive ex husband finds her new house breaks in and kills her. Most people would say she should have called the police. She should have gotten the police involved, but knowing someone in that exact situation, I know the police only act if you have solid evidence and proof. The national average response time for a police call is eighteen minutes.

Imagine the mother of three didn't have to take a three week course only to get a permit in order to purchase. She would have that firearm by her bedside with a round in the chamber and instead of having to wait eighteen minutes for the police to show up. She does what she has to do to protect her family and gets to spend the holidays with her three kids and her kids don't have to grow up with the memory of there mother being murdered by there father who sadly, might get off and have custody of them. Imagine how there lives would end up.

People think that some don't need an AR-15 which stands for Armalite Rifle for home defense but here in the State of Texas you have the right to own for home defense. Which most Texans take advantage of and they sleep more at peace and feel more safe because of it. Unlike California, we have no restrictions on magazine capacity. We have no restrictions on how I can load and unload my rifle. If someone has the money and wants to buy a Barret M107 chambered in .50 Cal for home defense then by all means do so. The government should not be able to tell the people what they can and can't defend themselves, there family and property with.

Gun confiscation is out the window as well. When the government attempts to try and pass a law to take away its citizens guns, that is when we should arm ourselves. Back in the days of the colonies the crown attempted to take our guns away in order to have complete control over us. In Germany in the mid 1930's Hitler also took his people's guns away and look how well that turned out. The Founding Fathers knew that the citizens of this great Nation needed to be protected from a government that was trying to overstep its boundaries.

In conclusion, if Texas had the same gun laws as California or Illinois it wouldn't be protecting people, it would be putting lives at risk. We as citizens have a right to defend ourselves and we have a right to bear arms. The second amendment to the Constitution was put in for a reason. If you believe that there needs to be stricter gun laws or no guns at all, have someone break into your house in the middle of the night while your family is sleeping and the only thing you have to defend yourself with is a bat. You lose your sense of security. I pray that doesn't happen to you, but until it does, keep thinking it is okay to try and limit our guns.

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