is it permitted to carry a licensed handgun to a mardi gras parade in texas?

Question

i am from texas and i ussually attend the famous mardi gras parade every year, this year i plan to carry my handgun along with my license to the event for protection. i am unsure about the rules and regulations they have there. i know they sell alcohol there, but dont think that more than half their sales are from alcohol, they sell many other things. i cannot remember if they have metal detectors there or not. so i am asking anyone from texas or luisiana, that know about the rules there. is it ok for me to bring my heat with me?

Answer 1

I lived in Galveston for a few years and there's a big Mardi Gras festival there. About 7 or 8 years ago some numbskull shot 5 people killing some of them.

I don't know what the security is like now, but it's tighter than it used to be. I don't think a handgun will be well tolerated. Although I do understand why you'd want to bring one!

Answer 2

Do you really feel like bringing heat to a party is necessary?

I don't know Texas or Louisiana law, but I think my two cents is worth three, so hear me out.

If you've been to Mardi Gras before without being raped/robbed/cut/whatever, doesn't it sound reasonable that it's still a fairly non-violent event?

I know that when a bunch of drunks get together there is often some harsh language and occasionally some hand-to-hand fighting. But when someone ups the proverbial ante by bringing a weapon, they're not only more likely to shoot someone on impulse than they would be unarmed, they're also more likely to have the "other guy" want to strike first to avoid getting blasted.

And from what I've seen of people in general, it doesn't matter if they're a sharpshooter for the Green Berets, crossfire happens and non-combatants get injured. Would you really want that to happen? During a celebration of pleasurable sins, no less?

Don't take your guns to town, son. Leave your guns at home. Timeless wisdom.

Answer 3

Typical liberal response from "wood vulture".

First point: Previous trouble-free events are no guarantee of the same in the future. Violent criminals don't study crime statistics and stick only to the ghetto. They go where opportunities for crime present themselves. By this guy's logic, if your house hasn't been broken into in the last ten years, you can start leaving your doors unlocked.

Second point: If you're a gun owner, you're a ticking time-bomb waiting to go off and kill someone at the slightest provocation or insult. It's assumed that you'll be involved in drunken revelry, and that you'll brandish your handgun to prove your superiority in any disagreement. This is a common argument from the anti-gun crowd, and it's complete rubbish. Concealed carry permit holders are far less likely than the general population to commit crimes and far less likely to shoot the wrong person than the police!

Third point: Does "wood vulture" have a lot of experience in gunfights from which to draw conclusions about gun owners' marksmanship skills or the likelihood of innocents being caught in a cross-fire? I doubt it. He's seen too many movies and watched too much TV, and he obviously knows precious little about guns, shooting safety, the Bill of Rights, or the true facts about the lawful use of firearms in preventing and responding to crime.

Timeless wisdom my butt. More like timeless foolishness. He sounds like he's posting from a set of talking points provided by Chuck Schumer or Sarah Brady.

I don't know Texas law, but here's what I'd reccommend. Call the police department in the town you plan to visit and ask if there are any special restrictions on concealed carry at the event you'll be attending. If not, take your handgun along and enjoy yourself, secure in the knowledge that you're taking responsibility for your own safety and that of your family. If there are restrictions, write a letter to the city's commissioner, or council, or whatever, and let them know that you don't appreciate having your Second Amendment rights arbitrarily infringed.

If you're not a member of the NRA, join soon. They work hard to preserve your right to protect yourself and your familty, and to enjoy the shooting sports. http://www.nra.org/