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Texas Seeks to Outgun Florida
In a bid to one-up the state of Florida, which recently gave its residents more leeway to use deadly force in their homes and in public, the Texas state legislature has proposed a bill that would allow Texans an even freer hand in shooting their neighbors.
The Texas measure goes a step further than Florida's "stand your ground" bill, which allows people to use deadly force in public places without first trying to escape. The legislation, dubbed "Georgie's Law" after Texas native son President George W. Bush, would give gun owners the right to shoot on sight anyone they suspect of even thinking about attacking them.
The bill's sponsor, Rep. Fred C. Butler said, "If preemptive strikes are good enough for the president of my country, then they're good enough for John Q. Public." He went on to cite studies that showed virtually all perpetrators of violent crimes were alive at the time they committed their heinous acts. He said that the law would permit Texans to nip the threat in the bud.
But most law enforcement officials in the state oppose the bill. Houston police spokesman Morgan Fanberger called the bill unnecessary and dangerous. "What if some guy looks at you funny at the all-you-can-eat buffet?" he asked. "It could just be gas, but gun owners might feel they have total immunity to open up on the guy."
Butler dismissed those concerns. "If we don't give citizens the right to shoot first and ask questions later, then only criminals will be able to shoot first. Besides, law abiding Texans can tell if someone don't look right. Like if they got one of those scarf doohickeys around their heads or can't speak American, you just know they're up to no good."
Wayne LaPierre, executive vice-president of the National Rife Association, called the legislation "patriotic" and said his group is lobbying hard for its passage. "People want to know their government stands on the side of victims of crime instead of the side of criminals," he said.
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