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Major Freeway Bridge Collapses in Minnesota

Wed, 01 Aug 2007 17:08:52 -0700

Major Freeway Bridge Collapses in Minnesota Wednesday, August 01, 2007 ADVERTISEMENT MINNEAPOLIS � A freeway bridge over the Mississippi River in Minneapolis collapsed Wednesday, sending many cars into the water, injuring 20 to 30 people, authorities tell FOX News. Tons of concrete have collapsed and people are injured. Survivors are being carried up the riverbank. This bridge connects downtown Minneapolis and the University of Minnesota. The entire span of the 35W bridge collapsed about 6:05 p.m. where the freeway crosses the river near University Avenue. Some people are stranded on parts of the bridge that aren't completely in the water. A tractor-trailer is on fire at the collapse scene. http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,291790,00.html

California Passes Micro-Stamping Bill Despite Flawed Technology

Thu, 31 May 2007 09:23:26 -0700

NEWTOWN, Conn. � Rejecting the results of a study it requested, yesterday the California Assembly passed by a vote of 44-29 legislation that would mandate a new patented, sole-sourced technology known as firearms microstamping. The study, conducted by the University of California at Davis tested the reliability of microstamping, the process by which a firearm's make, model and serial number are micro-laser engraved on the tip of the firing pin so, in theory, that information would be imprinted on any cartridge casing fired in the gun. The authors of the study concluded that, "At the current time it is not recommended that a mandate for implementation of this technology in all semiautomatic handguns in the state of California be made. Further testing, analysis and evaluation is required." http://www.nssf.org/news/PR_idx.cfm?AoI=generic&PRloc=common/PR/&PR=053007.cfm

The Media FINALLY Gets One Right!!

Thu, 03 May 2007 14:40:00 -0700

Interesting comments from Bill Lamb, general manager and president of TV station WDRB Fox 41 in Louisville, Ky. He is actually standing up for a police officer that was involved in a shooting. Kudos to Mr Lamb! E-mail him at billlamb@fox41.com with comments. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HiAU9Im9IQg Thx to phoenixzorn for this clip

NC anti-gun lesgislation hiding within!

Sun, 29 Apr 2007 10:20:17 -0700

from the NRA-ILA North Carolina: Anti-Gun Legislation Hiding Within! Friday, April 27, 2007 On Monday, April 30, the North Carolina House of Representatives is scheduled to vote on House Bill 1287, introduced by Representative Ronnie Sutton (D-47), which seeks to create a new statewide database to which sheriffs would report all individuals who have been denied a permit to purchase a pistol. http://www.nraila.org/Legislation/Read.aspx?ID=2918 from the NRA-ILA North Carolina: Anti-Gun Legislation Hiding Within! Friday, April 27, 2007 On Monday, April 30, the North Carolina House of Representatives is scheduled to vote on House Bill 1287, introduced by Representative Ronnie Sutton (D-47), which seeks to create a new statewide database to which sheriffs would report all individuals who have been denied a permit to purchase a pistol. http://www.nraila.org/Legislation/Read.aspx?ID=2918 And while this legislation may seem benign to law-abiding gun owners, as they say, the devil is in the details. The problem is not, necessarily, with the proposal, but with the current approval process for purchase permits. Originally enacted in 1919--long before anyone imagined the possibility of centralized computer databases of criminal records--the law requires anyone who wishes to purchase a pistol to acquire a permit from the sheriff of the county in which that person resides. At the time, sheriffs likely had the most immediate access to information that would indicate an applicant had a violent criminal record, so it would seem logical that they would be the best source to try to determine if an individual had a history that indicated he or she should be prohibited from acquiring a handgun. Today, however, there is a national database law enforcement may access, the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to determine if an individual is statutorily prohibited from purchasing or possessing a handgun--or any firearm, for that matter. Unfortunately, the current permit to purchase process allows sheriffs to deny a permit not just to people statutorily prohibited from purchasing or possessing a pistol, but also allows denials for random, arbitrary reasons. Under the current permit process, a permit applicant must not only be free of any statutory disqualifications for purchasing or possessing any firearm--including pistols--but he or she must also prove to the sheriff "by affidavits, oral evidence, or otherwise, as to the good moral character of the applicant." It is this vague standard where problems arise. A sheriff could deny a permit simply because he or she feels the individual should not possess a pistol, for whatever reason, in spite of the fact the applicant may have no history of criminal activity. It is important to remember that the Right to Keep and Bear Arms is protected in both the U.S. and North Carolina Constitutions, and reasons for denying this right must be carefully considered, and carefully spelled out. Federal and state law do this. Allowing sheriffs to deny a permit to purchase a pistol for anything other than clearly defined standards is contrary to the protections that are constitutionally enshrined. But what makes matters worse is that HB 1287 would not only establish a new database where arbitrary denials are entered, but the information, as mandated by this legislation, would remain in the new database for eight (8) years. An individual who has been arbitrarily denied a permit to purchase would have that cloud hanging over him or her every time he or she applies for a permit, even if that person moves to a new county where the sheriff does not have a problem with people possessing handguns for lawful purposes. The new sheriff would still see the applicant was once denied a permit, and may deny based on that little bit of information. Sheriffs are already tasked with a great deal of responsibility, as well as granted a great deal of power and authority. The responsibility of determining who should or should not be permitted to exercise a constitutionally protected right should not weigh on these public servants. The authority to arbitrarily or randomly deny a law-abiding individual the ability to exercise a right protected by both the U.S. and North Carolina Constitutions should not be enhanced by allowing them to make decisions that could result in a cloud of confusion hovering over a law-abiding citizen for eight years. Please call your Representative at (919) 733-4111 and urge him or her to oppose HB 1287.

Concealed, Permitted Handguns Allowed At University Of Utah!

Sat, 28 Apr 2007 20:55:18 -0700

The state of Utah allows college students with concealed carry permits to be armed on college property without the consent or knowledge of the college staff. Here is a video link from WHIO TV, the CBS affiliate in Dayton, Ohio. http://www.whiotv.com/video/13211562/index.html

Illinois Confiscates Registered Firearms!

Fri, 27 Apr 2007 16:41:25 -0700

Confiscation of Registered Guns Begins in Illinois! The Chicago Police Department and the Illinois State Police have teamed up to make good on Mayor Daley's pledge that, if it were up to him, nobody would have a gun. Daley and his elite "CAGE" unit are apparently taking advantage of gun privacy loopholes to pinpoint certain individuals for inclusion in the confiscation program. The ISRA is following up on leads in one case that has disturbing implications. An elderly first-generation Chicago resident was recently paid a visit by an Illinois State Police trooper. After asking to come inside the man's home, the trooper asked if the man owned a gun - to which he replied yes. The trooper then directed the individual to surrender the firearm. The man complied with the officer's demand and the trooper left with the gun. And the story gets better... Confiscation of Registered Guns Begins in Illinois! The Chicago Police Department and the Illinois State Police have teamed up to make good on Mayor Daley's pledge that, if it were up to him, nobody would have a gun. Daley and his elite "CAGE" unit are apparently taking advantage of gun privacy loopholes to pinpoint certain individuals for inclusion in the confiscation program. The ISRA is following up on leads in one case that has disturbing implications. An elderly first-generation Chicago resident was recently paid a visit by an Illinois State Police trooper. After asking to come inside the man's home, the trooper asked if the man owned a gun - to which he replied yes. The trooper then directed the individual to surrender the firearm. The man complied with the officer's demand and the trooper left with the gun. And the story gets better... The gun in question was purchased legally by the man in the 1970s shortly after he became a U.S. citizen. When Chicago's infamous gun registration scheme went into effect in the early 1980s, the man registered the firearm as per the requirement. However, over the years, the fellow apparently forgot to re-register the firearm, and forgot to renew his Illinois FOID Card. So...what does this all mean? In the last edition of The Illinois Shooter, we reported on the activities of a shady taskforce known as the Chicago Anti Gun Enforcement (CAGE) unit. This elite squad, operated jointly by the Illinois State Police, the Chicago Police Department, and the Cook County State's Attorney's Office, supposedly exists to identify illegal gunrunners. However, information gained by the ISRA makes it clear that the CAGE unit is targeting law-abiding citizens, not criminal gunrunners. Thanks to a ruling by a liberal federal judge, the CAGE unit now has the name of every single person in the United States who, since 1992, lawfully purchased more than one handgun in the period of a week. The CAGE unit also has all the makes, models and serial numbers of those guns. In essence, the Chicago Police Department is now registering guns and gun owners nationwide. The ISRA has also learned that the CAGE unit has compiled a list of families where more than one person in that family holds a FOID card. Acting on that information, the CAGE unit is now contacting gun shops where those families have shopped, and is illegally registering all guns purchased by those families. Now, it appears that the CAGE unit is scrubbing Chicago's gun registration list against the list of FOID card holders. Indications are that folks who have let their registrations and FOIDs lapse will have their guns confiscated. We have to wonder how long it will be until state troopers show up at the doors to confiscate the guns of non-Chicago residents who have let their FOIDs expire.

Do We Need Tighter Gun Control?

Fri, 27 Apr 2007 15:08:50 -0700

Here is an interesting video clip of Pat Buchanan debating gun control with political analyst Bob Shrum on Hardball with Chris Matthews. http://video.msn.com/v/us/fv/msnbc/fv.htm??g=8d904846-e162-4d11-abe9-d39616051c94&f=00&fg=email

Liberal Hypocrisy, Spying On Terrorsts BAD... Spying On Legal Gun Owners GOOD!!!

Thu, 26 Apr 2007 23:34:12 -0700

Congressional Leaders Moving To Pass Gun Control Without A Vote! Written by Mike Kinsey Thursday, 26 April 2007 This alert for action is from the Gun Owners of America Congressional Leaders Moving To Pass Gun Control Without A Vote! -- McCarthy bill would treat gun owners even worse than terrorists Congressional Leaders Moving To Pass Gun Control Without A Vote! Written by Mike Kinsey Thursday, 26 April 2007 This alert for action is from the Gun Owners of America Congressional Leaders Moving To Pass Gun Control Without A Vote! -- McCarthy bill would treat gun owners even worse than terrorists Gun Owners of America E-Mail Alert 8001 Forbes Place, Suite 102, Springfield, VA 22151 Phone: 703-321-8585 / FAX: 703-321-8408 http://www.gunowners.org/ordergoamem.htm "Another gun rights group, the Gun Owners of America, is adamantly opposed to the [McCarthy-Dingell] legislation. It said the measure would allow the government to trample privacy rights by compiling reams of personal information and potentially bar mentally stable people from buying guns." -- Associated Press, April 24, 2007 Thursday, April 26, 2007 This is going to be a knock-down, drag-out fight. GOA continues to stand alone in the trenches, defending the rights of gun owners around the country. It's not going to be easy. Gun control supporters want to pass gun control within the next couple of weeks. And that's why, even if you took action earlier this week, you need to do so once again. All the gun haters (who have been keeping silent for a while) are now coming out of the closet and into the open. Take the notoriously anti-gun senator from New York -- Chuck Schumer. He has been very, very excited this week. Recent events have given him a platform, and the excuse, to push legislation that he had sponsored years ago -- legislation that never got through Congress. You see, Senator Chuck Schumer has been, in past years, the Senate sponsor of the McCarthy bill (HR 297). And the recent murders at Virginia Tech have given Senator Schumer the pretext he has been looking for. Appearing on the Bill O'Reilly show earlier this week, Schumer did his best to make a reasonable-sounding pitch for more gun control. He told O'Reilly on Monday that while he and Rep. McCarthy had previously worked together on this legislation, he now wants Congress to take up HR 297 quickly. "The Brady Law is a reasonable limitation," Schumer said. "Some might disagree with me, but I think certain kinds of licensing and registration is a reasonable limitation. We do it for cars." Get the picture? First, he wants the Brady Law strengthened with the McCarthy-Dingell-Schumer legislation. Then it's off to pass more gun control -- treating guns like cars, where all gun owners are licensed and where bureaucrats will have a wonderful confiscation list. In the O'Reilly interview, Schumer showed his hand when he revealed the strategy for this bill. Because it could become such a hot potato -- thanks to your efforts -- Senator Schumer is pushing to get this bill passed by Unanimous Consent in the Senate, which basically means that the bill would get passed WITHOUT A VOTE. This is a perfect way to pass gun control without anyone getting blamed... or so they think. We need to tell every Senator that if this bill passes without a vote, then we hold ALL OF THEM responsible. (Be looking for a future GOA alert aimed at your Senators.) On the House side, the Associated Press reported this past Monday that "House Democratic leaders are working with the National Rifle Association to bolster existing laws blocking" certain prohibited persons from buying guns. Of course, there are at least three problems with this approach: 1. It's morally and constitutionally wrong to require law-abiding citizens to first prove their innocence to the government before they can exercise their rights -- whether it's Second Amendment rights, First Amendment rights, or any other right. Doing that gives bureaucrats the opportunity to abuse their power and illegitimately prevent honest gun owners from buying guns. 2. Bureaucrats have already used the Brady Law to illegitimately deny the Second Amendment rights of innocent Americans. Americans have been prevented from buying guns because of outstanding traffic tickets, because of errors, because the NICS computer system has crashed -- and don't forget returning veterans because of combat-related stress. You give an anti-gun bureaucrat an inch, he'll take a mile -- which we have already seen as GOA has documented numerous instances of the abuses mentioned above. 3. Finally, all the background checks in the world will NOT stop bad guys from getting firearms. As we mentioned in the previous alert, severe restrictions in Washington, DC, England, Canada, Germany and other places have not stopped evil people from using guns to commit murder. (Correction: In our previous alert, we incorrectly identified Ireland as the location of the infamous schoolyard massacre. In fact, it took place in Dunblane, Scotland in 1996 -- a country which at the time had even more stringent laws than we have here.) McCARTHY BILL TREATING GUN OWNERS WORSE THAN TERRORISTS HR 297 would require the states to turn over mountains of personal data (on people like you) to the FBI -- any information which according to the Attorney General, in his or her unilateral discretion, would be useful in ascertaining who is or is not a "prohibited person." Liberal support for this bill points out an interesting hypocrisy in their loyalties: For six years, congressional Democrats have complained about the Bush administration's efforts to obtain personal information on suspected terrorists WITHOUT A COURT ORDER. And yet, this bill would allow the FBI to obtain massive amounts of information -- information which dwarfs any records obtained from warrantless searches (or wiretaps) that have been conducted by the Bush Administration on known or suspected terrorists operating in the country. In fact, HR 297 would allow the FBI to get this information on honest Americans (like you) even though the required data is much more private and personal than any information obtained thus far by the Bush administration on terrorists. And all of these personal records would be obtained by the FBI with no warrant or judicial or Congressional oversight whatsoever!!! Get the picture? Spying on terrorists is bad... but spying on honest gun owners is good. After all, this horrific intrusion on the private lives of all Americans is presumed to be "okay" because it's only being used to bash guns, not to go after terrorists and criminals who are trying to kill us. As indicated in earlier alerts, this information could include your medical, psychological, financial, education, employment, traffic, state tax records and more. We don't even know the full extent of what could be included because HR 297 -- which can be viewed at http://thomas.loc.gov by typing in the bill number -- is so open-ended. It requires states to provide the NICS system with ALL RECORDS that the Attorney General believes will help the FBI determine who is and who is not a prohibited person. Certainly, an anti-gun AG like Janet Reno would want as many types of records in the system as possible. The provision that would probably lead to the greatest number of 'fishing expeditions' is that related to illegal aliens. Federal law prohibits illegal aliens from owning guns. The bill requires all "relevant" data related to who is in this country illegally. But what records pertaining to illegal aliens from the states would be relevant? Perhaps a better question would be, what records are not relevant? ACTION: 1. Please take a moment to communicate your opposition to HR 297 -- even if you already sent your Representative a note earlier this week. We have provided a new letter (below) which provides updated information relating to the battle we are fighting. House leaders are talking about bringing up this bill soon. And Sen. Schumer (in his interview with O'Reilly) even hinted at the fact that the bill could come up WITHOUT the ability to offer pro-gun amendments -- such as a repeal of the DC gun ban or reciprocity for concealed carry holders -- provisions that could potentially serve as killer amendments. Also -- oh yeah, this is going to upset you -- Senator Schumer told O'Reilly, "I got to tell you, a lot of NRA people, they support this." Can you believe that? Senator Schumer is claiming to speak for you! That's why it's so important that you once again tell your congressman that Schumer is wrong... that you're a supporter of gun rights who OPPOSES the anti-gun McCarthy-Dingell bill. 2. Please circulate this e-mail and forward it to as many gun owners as you can. CONTACT INFORMATION: You can visit the Gun Owners Legislative Action Center at http://www.gunowners.org/activism.htm to send your Representative the pre-written e-mail message below. And, you can call your Representative toll-free at 1-877-762-8762. ----- Pre-written letter ----- Dear Representative: As a supporter of Second Amendment rights, I do NOT support HR 297, the NICS Improvement Act. I hope that you will OPPOSE this bill and urge your party leadership to either kill it outright or to allow other pro-gun amendments to be offered (repeal of the DC gun ban, reciprocity for concealed carry holders, etc.). In its current form, HR 297 will treat gun owners even worse than terrorists, giving the FBI a mountain of private information on law-abiding Americans like me. How is it that, despite all the criticism over the Bush administration's attempts to obtain personal information on suspected terrorists without a court order, this bill would allow the FBI to obtain massive amounts of information on ME -- information which dwarfs any warrantless searches (or wiretaps) that have been conducted by the Bush Administration on known or suspected terrorists operating in the country. And all of this personal information would be obtained by the FBI with no warrant or judicial or Congressional oversight whatsoever!!! How is it that spying on terrorists is bad, but spying on honest gun owners is good? Again, I hope that you will oppose HR 297. Gun Owners of America will continue to keep me informed on the progress of this bill. Thank you. Sincerely,

31 Killed In Virginia College Campus Rampage!!

Mon, 16 Apr 2007 14:55:50 -0700

Gunman, 30 others killed in Va. shooting By SUE LINDSEY, Associated Press Writer 7 minutes ago A gunman opened fire in a Virginia Tech dorm and then, two hours later, in a classroom across campus Monday, killing at least 30 people in the deadliest shooting rampage in U.S. history, government officials told The Associated Press. The gunman was killed, bringing the death toll to 31. Students complained that there were no public-address announcements or other warnings on campus after the first burst of gunfire. They said the first word they received from the university was an e-mail more than two hours into the rampage � around the time the gunman struck again. "Today the university was struck with a tragedy that we consider of monumental proportions," said Virginia Tech president Charles Steger. "The university is shocked and indeed horrified." It was not immediately clear whether the gunman was shot by police or took his own life. Investigators offered no motive for the attack. The gunman's name was not immediately released, and it was not known if he was a student. The shootings spread panic and confusion on campus. Witnesses reporting students jumping out the windows of a classroom building to escape the gunfire. SWAT team members with helmets, flak jackets and assault rifles swarmed over the campus. Students and faculty members carried out some of the wounded themselves, without waiting for ambulances to arrive. The massacre took place at opposite sides of the 2,600-acre campus, beginning at about 7:15 a.m. at West Ambler Johnston, a coed dormitory that houses 895 people, and continuing at least two hours later at Norris Hall, an engineering building about a half-mile away, authorities said. Police said they were still investigating the shooting at the dorm when they got word of gunfire at the classroom building. Some students bitterly questioned why the gunman was able to strike a second time. "What happened today this was ridiculous," student Jason Piatt told CNN. "While they send out that e-mail, 20 more people got killed." Students and Laura Wedin, a student programs manager at Virginia Tech, said the first notification they got of the shootings came in an e-mail at 9:26 a.m., more than two hours after the first shooting. The e-mail had few details. It said: "A shooting incident occurred at West Amber Johnston earlier this morning. Police are on the scene and are investigating." The message warned students to be cautious and contact police about anything suspicious. Student Maurice Hiller said he went to a 9 a.m. class two buildings away from the engineering building, and no warnings were coming over the outdoor public address system on campus at the time. Government officials, speaking on condition of anonymity because they did not want to pre-empt an announcement by higher-ranking authorities, put the death toll at 31. At least 26 people were being treated at three area hospitals for gunshot wounds and other injuries, authorities said. Their exact conditions were not disclosed, but at least one was sent to a trauma center and six were in surgery, authorities said. Up until Monday, the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history was in Killeen, Texas, in 1991, when George Hennard plowed his pickup truck into a Luby's Cafeteria and shot 23 people to death, then himself. The massacre Monday took place almost eight years to the day after the Columbine High bloodbath near Littleton, Colo. On April 20, 1999, two teenagers killed 12 fellow students and a teacher before taking their own lives. Previously, the deadliest campus shooting in U.S. history was a rampage that took place in 1966 at the University of Texas at Austin, where Charles Whitman climbed the clock tower and opened fire with a rifle from the 28th-floor observation deck. He killed 16 people before he was shot to death by police. Founded in 1872, Virginia Tech is nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains of southwestern Virginia, about 160 miles west of Richmond. With more than 25,000 full-time students, it has the state's largest full-time student population. The school is best known for its engineering school and its powerhouse Hokies football team. The rampage took place on a brisk spring day, with snow flurries swirling around the campus. The campus is centered around the Drill Field, a grassy field where military cadets � who now represent a fraction of the student body � once practiced. The dorm and the classroom building are on opposites sides of the Drill Field. A gasp could be heard at a campus news conference when Virginia Tech Police Chief W.R. Flinchum said at least 20 people had been killed. Previously, only one person was thought to have been killed. Investigators from the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives began marking and recovering the large number of shell casings and will trace the weapon used, authorities said. A White House spokesman said President Bush was horrified by the rampage and offered his prayers to the victims and the people of Virginia. "The president believes that there is a right for people to bear arms, but that all laws must be followed," spokeswoman Dana Perino said After the shootings, all entrances to the campus were closed, and classes were canceled through Tuesday. The university set up a meeting place for families to reunite with their children. It also made counselors available and planned an assembly for Tuesday at the basketball arena. After the shooting began, students were told to stay inside away from the windows. Aimee Kanode, a freshman from Martinsville, said the shooting happened on the fourth floor of West Ambler Johnston dormitory, one floor above her room. Kanode's resident assistant knocked on her door about 8 a.m. to notify students to stay put. Police said there had been bomb threats on campus over the past two weeks by authorities but said they have not determined a link to the shootings. It was second time in less than a year that the campus was closed because of a shooting. Last August, the opening day of classes was canceled and the campus closed when an escaped jail inmate allegedly killed a hospital guard off campus and fled to the Tech area. A sheriff's deputy involved in the manhunt was killed on a trail just off campus. The accused gunman, William Morva, faces capital murder charges.

Texas Passes "Stand Your Ground" Law!

Wed, 28 Mar 2007 09:42:15 -0700

Criminals in Texas beware: if you threaten someone in their car or office, the citizens of this state where guns are ubiquitous have the right to shoot you dead. Governor Rick Perry's office said on Tuesday that he had signed a new law that expands Texans' existing right to use deadly force to defend themselves "without retreat" in their homes, cars and workplaces. "The right to defend oneself from an imminent act of harm should not only be clearly defined in Texas law, but is intuitive to human nature," Perry said on his Web site. The new law, which takes affect on September 1, extends an exception to a statute that required a person to retreat in the face of a criminal attack. The exception was in the case of an intruder unlawfully entering a person's home. Criminals in Texas beware: if you threaten someone in their car or office, the citizens of this state where guns are ubiquitous have the right to shoot you dead. Governor Rick Perry's office said on Tuesday that he had signed a new law that expands Texans' existing right to use deadly force to defend themselves "without retreat" in their homes, cars and workplaces. "The right to defend oneself from an imminent act of harm should not only be clearly defined in Texas law, but is intuitive to human nature," Perry said on his Web site. The new law, which takes affect on September 1, extends an exception to a statute that required a person to retreat in the face of a criminal attack. The exception was in the case of an intruder unlawfully entering a person's home. The law extends a person's right to stand their ground beyond the home to vehicles and workplaces, allowing the reasonable use of deadly force, the governor's office said. The reasonable use of lethal force will be allowed if an intruder is: - Committing certain violent crimes, such as murder or sexual assault, or is attempting to commit such crimes - Unlawfully trying to enter a protected place - Unlawfully trying to remove a person from a protected place. The law also provides civil immunity for a person who lawfully slays an intruder or attacker in such situations. Texas joins several other states including Florida that have or are considering similar laws. Sympathy for violent offenders and criminals in general runs low in Texas, underscored by its busy death row. The state leads the United States in executions with 388 since the death penalty was reinstated in 1976 by the U.S. Supreme Court. A conservative political outlook and widespread fondness for hunting also means Texans are a well-armed people capable of defending themselves with deadly force. It is easy to acquire guns over the counter in Texas and lawful to carry a concealed handgun with a permit