[jdraupp]

Originally Posted by Jamesp

Giller,
I'm sure you're a nice person, and meeting you in person would be a pleasure as it would be with most of the forum because we all share an enthusiasm for the Boxster. I wasn't going to post on this thread except to offer a solution to the original question, but there goes that idea. I hope you will read your post and see the irony that though you talk about facts, even yelling it in full caps, your post hasn't any. I was going to ask you to post some facts, but trolling for them would be a burden, and as the links you posted previously clearly had a hard core anti gun bias I figured I'd go find some unbiased facts and post them, here goes.

Now I'm in Texas, the most rootinist tootinist red neck hey "y'all watch this!" uneducated cow poke state in existence. Not a day goes by that some west Texas inbred imbecile goes by in his pickup truck clinging to his bible whooping and hollering while carelessly emptying his six shooter into the air.

All that that having been said to prove the "street cred" I have from living in a gun infested environment.

Texas gun laws are some of the most forgiving in the nation. Not only can you carry your gun in your car without a permit (provided you are allowed to carry at all - no felonies, class a misdomeanors, or unpaid child support, etc.), but you can pack on a golf cart or a boat! Provided it's concealed. As of January 1st if you have a CHL you can strap a couple to your hips and do your best Yosemite Sam impersonation - Yee Haw!!!

You claim to rely on facts. You imply your opinions are formed on them so let's look at the facts of Texas CHL crime rates versus the general population. This comes from the Texas Department of Public Safety Regulatory Services Division. I'm thinking they are an unbiased database. These are for the most part violent crimes. I'll give you the punch line (or facts if you prefer). CHL holders, for the most part, commit less than one percent of violent crimes compared to the general population without a CHL, in many cases zero percent. Surprised? You should be based on your previous posts.

Here are some juicy ones that seem to be worth focusing on for 2014: Assault with a deadly weapon 0.19%, Kidnapping 0.0%, Assault on a family member 0.13%, Deadly conduct discharging a firearm 0.57%, Murder 1.3%, Manslaughter 2.7%

And the list goes on for other crimes and years with similar noise levels - this is a far cry from the facts you've been shouting.

Here is a link to go educate yourself if you dare. Be careful with this information - you might actually start using factual information instead of biased websites and the truth will fly in the face of you and your friends. This could make you very unpopular so it may be best to refute it, dismiss it, disregard it or better yet just ignore it as it is a very inconvenient truth.

Texas DPS - CHL Conviction Rates Reports

Wishing you the best,

Jim

Excellent post. The only facts that matter are that it is in fact, as many have pointed out, a personal choice to carry and own a gun. The other fact I see is that the two extreme opposite voices in this thread are set in their ways and won't hear what the other side has to say.

Giller, you keep crying for facts, yet I'm willing to bet that no amount of pro gun facts would change your mind. Similarly ChrisP, a huge study showing negative gun facts wouldn't change a thing in your mind either. I think that's ok...our difference can make us great.

I'm pro gun myself and for many of the reasons that Jim just highlighted. But I at least can see Giller from his point of view. He lives in a Canadian culture that does not promote or glamorize the use of guns. Being from America (maybe with the exception of states like Illinois California or new york) guns are a major part of our culture; heck it's right in our Constitution.

My only point here, is that if you can't at all see the other sides point of view, then there's no reason to even waste your breath arguing about it. You're only going to zoom around in circles.