Far too many people, many of whom have never left New York let alone been to the emptier parts of Texas, simply cannot disassociate carrying a gun with being a criminal.

Harrold, Texas, is remote – but maybe it’s not remote enough. Highway 287 (which is not actually an interstate but a US Highway) is the major road corridor from Dallas/Fort Worth to Amarillo and points west, and has a great deal of traffic. It passes through small towns, not around them as an interstate more likely would. The town’s concerns about crime have a basis in fact.

I can guarantee that despite the paranoid fears of many, there won’t be gun battles in the hallways; if mere possession of a gun caused firefights, big gun shows in Dallas would be bloodbaths. Instead, they’re some of the most civilized and safest public events anywhere.

I know many people who are concealed-handgun carriers (I might be one such person myself), and none of them are criminals. Obtaining a concealed handgun license requires classroom time, firing-range time, an extensive background check, and periodic requalification – a far more detailed process than one must go through for many professions…like being a journalist, for example.

Scott