The Second Amendment of the Constitution of the United States of America gave the right to all
citizens to keep and bear arms. Most, although not all, legal scholars interpret this to
mean the government cannot arbitrarily confiscate weapons from an individual's
home. It really does not address the issue of citizens carrying a concealed
handgun, or a open view handgun as in the old Texas wild west days. Individual states,
Texas included, started enacting legislation to limit this by creating unlawfully carrying laws
to apply to citizens outside their homes. In reality, this would be the first
step in gun control. In Texas, this created somewhat of a dilemma for peace officers,
as carrying a concealed handgun in your vehicle was as common as... well...
driving a pickup, wearing cowboy boots, eating chicken fried
steak and BBQ. After the Luby's massacre (Oct, 1991) in Killeen, Texas, rumblings were heard
throughout Texas for the Texas Congress to pass a Texas concealed handgun carry law, much like
other states had already done. One of the survivors of Killeen, Dr. Susanna Gratia Hupp got herself elected to the Texas
Legislature and immediately, along
with Senator Jerry Patterson, started to work on an old, never passed, Texas
Concealed Handgun law. The governor of the state at that time made it perfectly clear she would veto any legislation brought to
her concerning the issuance of a concealed handgun permit. She was defeated in
the next Gubernatorial election (1994) by George W. Bush, who let
it be known he favored a Texas concealed handgun law. The bill was passed, signed by
then Governor Bush in May, 1995, and enacted into law effective September, 1995.
The decision to obtain a Texas Concealed Handgun (Concealed Carry) License is to
take on an awesome responsibility. The legal carrying of a concealed handgun
exposes a Texas Concealed Handgun licensee to the potential risk of severe
criminal, financial and emotional consequences. Considering this is a Texas law,
why would you take a class
from a "gun toting cowboy" who has absolutely no, or very little
experience with the application of the law and is more concerned with "packing" or
"special tactical weapons" (ah
yes, we carry those
everyday), than
on the application of the Texas concealed carry law? Only you can make the
choice of whether to take the Texas Concealed Handgun (concealed carry) training from full
time law enforcement professionals with over 47 years experience dealing with
the law on a daily basis, or
from a "look what I have on my hip" type instructor. Many folks tell
us they want to hear the law from the people who would possibly prosecute them
if they "mess up". By the way, if they say
they are law enforcement, ask them to show you their credentials.In light of our complex and changing society, more and more citizens
of Texas feel the need to be able to protect themselves, their loved ones and
their property. This law is not about being an expert with a handgun, but
understanding how to act with
intelligence and common sense. A Texas concealed handgun permit holder must have a basic understanding of the Texas Concealed Handgun (Concealed Carry) Law, as well as Chapter
9 (Force and Deadly Force) of the Texas Penal Code. Therefore, we are the
ONLY area class to offer the expertise of a first chair felony prosecutor from
the District Attorney's Office, and/or a District Court Judge, as guest lecturers
to discuss the topics of Force and Deadly Force.
In addition to over 5000 applicants who have attended our concealed carry classes,
we are recommended by numerous local area law enforcement officers, as well as the Range Masters
of the San Antonio Police Department. Most of the local State Parole Officers and
Federal Probation Officers chose our class to obtain their Texas Concealed Handgun
(Concealed Carry) training.
Look for future announcements regarding an
additional location which will allow us to offer a much broader class area
across San Antonio.
If you have any questions, concerns, or comments regarding the Texas Concealed Handgun
(Concealed Carry) law, please feel free to
contact us.
Thank You,
Sammy Miller
