I disagree with Brandon Hausenfluck's column entitled "'Right to carry' law opens door to criminals." The problem with firearms is who owns them illegally, not who carries them legally! Criminals who choose to illegally carry firearms will do so regardless of any law. Conversely, a person who has been issued a Concealed Handgun License (CHL) is as far from being a criminal as one might be.
To qualify for a CHL in Texas you must have a clean background; attend a 15 hour training class; pass a federal, state, and local background check; pass a written test; and demonstrate safe handling and use of a firearm. These guidelines are in place to insure only those who are qualified receive a permit.
A CHL holder cannot carry a firearm in certain prohibited places such as schools, sporting events, bars, airports, etc. Hausenfluck's illustration of a TAMU football game where an angry Aggie draws a concealed firearm is simply ridiculous. Law abiding citizens, CHL holders included, do not carry firearms on TAMU property.
Why do people want a CHL? We call upon the police whenever possible to take care of the trouble of dealing with any criminals we encounter in our daily life. Unfortunately, the police can not be everywhere all of the time. A CHL allows the law-abiding citizen to carry a concealed firearm for lawful purposes such as self-defense.
Since the Texas CHL law went into effect in January 1996, the Texas Department of Public Safety has issued 114,665 CHLs, yet we have seen none of the gunfights predicted by Hausenfluck.
I believe that a state that issues CHL's to qualified individuals is a safer place to live. CHL holders help reduce crime by acting as a deterrent to potential violent criminals who prey on law-abiding citizens.
Michael Grimaila
Ph.D. Graduate Student in Electrical Engineering
Class of 1999