Free Shotguns for any Houstonians living in Oak Forest

If you read the article, then you saw that they have to complete safety training in order to qualify.

"So is there a part of Coplen that is terrified that he's putting guns in so many hands? "No. To qualify for a firearm with us you have to pass a background check. You have to take and pass our training course which is legal, safety and tactical training."

 

To qualify they have to pass a background check and attend safety training. It is actually more difficult to get a shotgun from this program than it is from Academy.

 

nevermind. irrelevant post is irrelevant.

 

I moved my 83 year old grandmother out of Oak Forest late last year. Crime was getting very very bad and she no longer felt safe.

 

Only read the quoted part in the OP. My bad.
The only part I'm terrified with is the idea of giving everyone weapons that can effectively kill dozens of people just to feel safe; in the short run it might work. However, the long-lasting implications of this are troubling.

 

I don't see how anyone can have a problem with this. The guns are all properly registered, the recipients pass a background check and they are required to pass a gun safety class. It isn't like he loaded up his F-150 up with shot guns and is handing them out of the cab of his truck in a Fiesta parking lot.

 

I don't see any downsides to this, short-term or long-term. As Coplen says, people who want a free shotgun have to go through a standard background check AND pass his safety course.

People who want a shotgun could go to Academy and just pass the background check without taking a safety course. People who want a free shotgun have to take his safety course where they are taught how to handle a firearm.

These type of people are only getting weapons for self defense so they can protect their property, feel less vulnerable, and have some peace of mind in a bad neighborhood. They're not going to turn around and become robbers themselves or look to start trouble.

The only negative I can see is if that gun gets into the wrong hands. But if they take the safety course to heart, they should learn to secure their weapon.

Now, if a safety course was required for purchasing a weapon, then I could see this as a problem. But since they are not, getting people to take a firearms safety course by giving away a free shotgun is a good deal.

 

Hmmm I live in Oak Forest. I might have to get in on this.

 

The only problem I have with this is the type of guns he's giving out. I'd want a double barrel shotgun if I had to have a shotgun.

I already have one, so I'd rather have a rifle, and I'd like it to be the type that I want.

 

Just curious, why?

 

God bless Texas.

 

I live on the other side of 290. What about us Copperfieldians??? No one gives a damn about us... yet. But they will. Oh, they will. Unfortunately, by then, it will be too late!! MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAA

 

Didn't that used to be a pretty decent neighborhood? Has the surrounding area really deteriorated that much?

 

I'm not too bothered by this since he is requiring training and background checks. I didn't see anything in the article though about providing things like trigger locks though and would hope he would include those to cut down on potential accidents.

 

It still is a pretty decent neighborhood, it just happened to have a slew of armed robberies.

 

I have friends who live in Oak Forest, and they're mostly just paranoid WASPs. They hear about someone having their unsecured bike stolen off their front porch in Garden Oaks (the more westerly part of the neighborhood, near 290) and they panic and start barring up the windows and putting glocks in the nightstand. The two neighborhoods are pretty far apart in crime rates, despite what you might hear. This shotgun distribution program doesn't actually apply to anybody living in Oak Forest proper, so there's obviously some confusion there.

If this program actually works though (highly doubtful), you're just going to deflect crime into neighboring areas. It's not as if criminals see a "warning: all area homeowners armed with shotguns" sign and think "gee, I guess crime just isn't for me anymore". Not really sure what the end-game of the program sponsor is. Arm the whole city/state/nation/world? That'll end crime, sure.

My main gripe with this program is you're arming people with little investment on their part. That's a recipe for disaster by creating a lot of irresponsible gun owners. In addition to that, this is obviously a low income area, so these guns won't be secured. And beyond that, you're dumping a bunch of guns into a high crime area. Guns are a favorite item of thieves to steal. I'm not going to be thrilled when I hear one of these weapons turns up in a homicide investigation.

 

I think a more prudent approach would be to teach people the basics of home and personal security. As well as coordinating with HPD, forming a neighborhood watch, etc. Giving out guns would be last on my list of things to do to increase security. Well, maybe second to last behind just putting a giant dome over the neighborhood.

 

Because I really only like guns that are replicas of the old west guns. That's all that I shoot. I really only have an interest in shooting those or muskets.

I have a double barrel 12 gauge but I'd like to get a new one because the one I have is odd, and takes longer to reload than I'd like. So if this guy was giving them out, I'd like it if it was something I was interested in. I don't really live in Oak Forest so it's not really even a serious complaint on my part.