Texas Governor Shows Support For Open Carry

Texas Governor Greg Abbott reaffirmed his support for efforts to legalize the open carry of handguns in Texas. Texas is one of only six states in the United States where open carry remains illegal.

“If open carry is good enough for Massachusetts, it’s good enough for the state of Texas, Abbott said following his election on November 4th. “If an open carry bill is passed by the House and Senate and arrives at my desk, I will sign it into law.”

Open carry bills have failed in each of the last two legislative sessions. Supporters are hoping this will change with the election of Gov. Abbott.

“I am pretty confident, almost to the point of guaranteeing that we’re going to have open carry next year,” said CJ Grisham, president and CEO of Open Carry Texas. “I think the Texas voter spoke loud and clear in this election, and [the] voices of opposition are in the minority.”

Several open carry bills have already been filed in advance of the 2015 legislative session. Ultimately, the legislators will consider two main versions of the bill, reports KVUE.

HB 195 would install constitutional carry throughout the state, allowing all citizens to open carry without a license. HB 106 would allow open carry only for those with a concealed handgun license.

Gov. Abbott has said that he prefers licensed open carry, which would require all open carriers to undergo a criminal background check.

Israel Eases Gun Restrictions Following Attack

After a horrific attack at a synagogue yesterday, Israeli Public Security Minister Yitzhak Aharonovitch said that he would ease gun control restrictions in order to help Israeli citizens defend themselves against terrorism. He added that the Israeli government is “doing everything we can to prevent [another attack].”

Aharonovitch did not say exactly what the changes would be, but it is thought that he will allow soldiers and security personnel to continue carrying their weapons even when they are not on duty. Hundreds of thousands of Israelis own firearms, although gun ownership there is lower than the United States due to strict gun control laws.

Yesterday’s attacks took place at a synagogue, where two terrorists from East Jerusalem attacked worshippers using a meat cleaver and a gun. They killed four and wounded eight before being shot dead by police. Three of the victims were American citizens.

There have been several attacks in Jerusalem in recent months, including one where a terrorist drove his car through a crowd of people, killing an Israeli-American infant.

President Obama responded to yesterday’s attack with the usual victim blaming, declaring that “too many Palestinians have died” as well as Israelis in the conflict between the two groups.

Knife Wielding Burglar Stopped By Two Different Gun Owners On The Same Day

Last month, a knife wielding Ohio man tried to break into two different homes over the course of four hours. Both times a gun owner stopped him. The man, Michael Roberts, is now in jail facing several charges.

On October 23rd, homeowner Brian Hiner heard a commotion in his basement and confronted Roberts as he was coming up the stairs. Hiner called 911 and used a gun to keep Roberts cornered while waiting for police to arrive.

Police arrived and arrested Roberts, but he escaped from the back of the cruiser and fled into a cornfield.

“This other cruiser pulled up and saw that he got out and started running towards the cornfield and that's when they panicked. They didn't even know how he got out of the cop car, they just knew he got out and the chase was on,” said Hiner.

Following a four-hour chase, Roberts ended up at the home of 15-year-old Justin Kugler, who had stayed home from school with an illness.

“I was home sending an email to my teachers about homework when my dogs started barking and I looked out the window but I didn't see anybody there so I went to the top of the stairs with the gun to make sure there wasn't anybody downstairs and then that's when the door opened and I saw him,” Kugler said.

The young man confronted Roberts a forced him to back out of the house, where he was arrested for a second time.

“Guns have always been an important thing in our family and he knew what to do when the problem came up,” Kugler said. “I feel pretty good about it that I could have saved other people's houses and their property.”

“Gun Free Zone” Rule Backfires At NC State Fair

Three people leaving the North Carolina state fair were robbed at gunpoint last week, shortly after a judge ordered that guns should remain prohibited at the fair. One of the suspects is now in custody.

This is more proof that the only people who obey gun free zone restrictions are law-abiding gun owners.

“By announcing to violent predators that people attending the North Carolina state fair would be unable to protect themselves, the responsibility for this armed robbery of fair-goers lies squarely with Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler, who illegally banned concealed at the fair, and … [Judge Donald] Stephens, who willfully misinterpreted the law to impose his own worldview,” said Paul Valone, president of Grass Roots North Carolina.

Firearms were banned at fair this year after Judge Stephens ruled that allowing guns would be “unwise and imprudent.”

Following the ruling, Grassroots NC accused Stephens of having an anti-gun bias: ”The decision was best summed up when the judge said that if he could find a way to read these statutes to prevent guns at the Fairgrounds, he would do so,” Valone said. “I think that says it all”.

Although the North Carolina State Fair has prohibited guns in the past, many hoped that a new law expanding concealed carry rights in the state would force the fair to change its policy.