Discussing laws

[DaveInTexas]

A few have mentioned to me in other threads that I should not be asking questions about the legality of firearms on the General section of the CC forum. I am going to start a new thread on this to bring it out into the open as I need to know what the scoop is on this.

I have reviewed the forum rules:
DefensiveCarry Concealed Carry Forum - Forum Rules
and see nothing in there to say we must not discuss the laws pertaining to firearms.

Frankly, I think being savvy on the laws is vital if you plan to own a firearm - surely there is no disagreement on that.

And please do not think I would use an internet forum as the sole source to gain this important knowledge...of course I plan to get state-specific training or research it in other ways. I did not say or even imply such a thing, in fact I think most people would never use internet chats as their primary or main source for such info.

However, I think it is natural and normal to want to chat about the laws with like-minded folks as a means of getting a general feeling for what the current legal situation is. In fact, I am willing to bet 99% of people in this country learn about all laws that affect them by talking to friends and family.

I simply cannot believe that most firearm users made an appointment with an attorney and spent a few hours in discussion regarding their state laws on gun ownership and gun use. In fact, most attorneys I know simply would not know and would have to research the current statute and then go looking for case law to actually give you any useful, practical information. At 300 bucks an hour I don't see that happening a whole lot.

I will try to pour through Texas' code on the topic but my guess is that as is often the case, much of the law is scattered here and there, and it will take hours to find it all - let alone interpret it. I confess to a mental block when reading that crap too...I seem to stumble over all the Exceptions, Notwithstandings, and Heretofore's....hence my preference to at least begin with the common man's word on any legal .

So set me straight on what is acceptable regarding Legal Discussions on this forum. Does the DC/CC forum allow such questions? Are we allowed to share info that we might have, to learn about what we have heard and read, about the law pertaining to guns, here?

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[retsupt99]

Your discussion on firearms is not normally allowed...I can, however, allow your questions for a minimal fee.
Please forward $74,000 to retsupt99, I will see that you receive the proper clearance for asking such questions.

Of course you can ask anything, 'Tony and Vito' may show up at your home, but ask away...

Stay armed...this a very friendly place...stay safe!

[ccw9mm]

So set me straight on what is acceptable regarding Legal Discussions on this forum. Does the DC/CC forum allow such questions?

Sure. Not disallowed, as such. I've never seen anything written up in the rules, either, indicating that this was to be limited or disallowed.

Are we allowed to share info that we might have, to learn about what we have heard and read, about the law pertaining to guns, here?

Sure.

But common sense is what most folks bring up, when they suggest that a dozen internet opinions won't mean squat in the event of legal proceedings. Keep in mind that, whatever else may be true, "information" from someone who is not a competent attorney (which includes me, as well) is merely an opinion of unknown legal value. Might well be correct, and might well match what a dozen others believe to be true. But, if you've learned anything about the USA, you should have learned this: the "justice" system is really simply a legal system in disguise. It often runs on whim and fanciful beliefs about what should and should not be prosecuted.

Hence the recommendations to back up one's own first-hand review of the statutes and whatever may be heard on the internet forums with an actual/factual discussion with an attorney who is competent in the area involved (not just the family shingle).

[MitchellCT]

Too many people, when they discuss laws, discuss laws as they wish them to be, and twist the reading of laws to how they feel they should be interpreted.

Additionally, too many people seem to forget that the United States of America is not Texas or similar states, and seem to couch any advice or discussion in terms of how they believe things to be in the Lone Star State.

As such, those discussions have little value and a lot of misleading information.

Discuss as you will, but don't expect to come away with an understanding of the issues any better than you had in the begining.

You don't know who you are getting advice from (including me) so I'll leave you with this:

Verify information for yourself, and beware of people twisting logic or information to suit any particular position.

[Ram Rod]

Too many people, when they discuss laws, discuss laws as they wish them to be, and twist the reading of laws to how they feel they should be interpreted.

Additionally, too many people seem to forget that the United States of America is not Texas or similar states, and seem to couch any advice or discussion in terms of how they believe things to be in the Lone Star State.

As such, those discussions have little value and a lot of misleading information.

Discuss as you will, but don't expect to come away with an understanding of the issues any better than you had in the begining.

You don't know who you are getting advice from (including me) so I'll leave you with this:

Verify information for yourself, and beware of people twisting logic or information to suit any particular position.

That's pretty much it, and I agree. Local, city, county, state, federal. The various laws are changed, dropped, created, or amended a lot depending. Also....most laws were meant to confuse us anyway, but with verifiable information available through many venues, one can limit that confusion at best. Law discussions here on the forum? That's another reason I think state specific forums would be a great help.

[mr surveyor]

I don't see where anyone suggested it was against the rules of the website to discuss legal matters. The main point being posed is that one should seek state specific legal information from those closest to that information...most likely residents within that state. I have resided in Texas for 55+ years, and handled firearms for 48 of those years, and have to struggle to keep up with the ever changing gun legislation here. My only suggestion was to look at national type forums as having more generic information, but laws that may be specific to a given state may not always fit the national perception. That's the reason I recommended a visit to a particular website that is geared towards Texas concealed carry issues. And for what it's worth, there are several attorneys that participate on that forum, one of which is very, very closely associated with the effort to lobby the state legislature on the behalf of 2A matters (he's also the host of the website).


surv

[Bumper]

A few have mentioned to me in other threads that I should not be asking questions about the legality of firearms on the General section of the CC forum. I am going to start a new thread on this to bring it out into the open as I need to know what the scoop is on this.

I'm confused. Why would you think you could not ask questions regarding firearms laws on this forum or that it could possibly be denied by our rules? People do it many times every day.

[JonInNY]

Bumper has spoken. Sure, we discuss this stuff all the time, but as others had mentioned, please do not consider any discussion as authoritative, legal advice. I know we have several attorneys on the forum that pipe in every so often, but even then, laws a different in every state, and sometimes even different counties within the same state (like New York, and New York City).

So let's discuss, but nothing can compare to referencing the actual statutes and talking with a competant, local attorney if there are still questions in your mind.

[mcp1810]

We do discuss aspects of the law all the time. But it is vital to remember that what is perfectly legal in one state can get you a twenty year prison term in another. Also, the way we understand the law is not necessarily the way judges and juries understand the law. Their understanding is what counts, what you have here is in most cases is only opinion.