Gun Permits Issued to Felons in Texas

* Re “Felons Get Concealed Gun Licenses Under Bush’s ‘Tough’ Law,” Oct. 3: Your article about Texas’ concealed-carry gun law delineates a handful of cases where local law enforcement showed extremely poor judgment in issuing permits, then concludes, without additional proof, that there are “thousands of problem licensees.” The latter does not logically follow.

The more appropriate question is, “Did the establishment of a concealed-carry law in Texas change statewide violent assault statistics?” My guess is that it significantly lowered violent crimes, as it did in Florida and elsewhere when similar laws were enacted.

Of course, if the goal of the article was simply to disparage Gov. George W. Bush without understanding the entire complex issue, it smacks of partisan politics.

DANIEL LEVY

Santa Barbara

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I was outraged to read about Robert Clinton Hinkle. He had his concealed handgun license revoked just because he killed two people. The 2nd Amendment guarantees our right to carry a handgun, bazooka or shoulder-fired surface-to-air missile, concealed or not. And if I’m a convicted felon, then I have an even greater need to carry such a weapon (or, in Hinkle’s case, weapons), because it’s more likely that I’ll be in a shootout at some point. How else will I protect myself and kill the lying jerks coming after me? God bless America and Smith & Wesson!

TODD KOERNER

Hermosa Beach

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Imagine my shock at learning that felons are able to obtain concealed-carry permits in Texas--Gov. Bush’s home state. Of course, I am still trying to figure out how all those thousands of people supposedly prevented from purchasing firearms in the rest of the states by the Brady law have managed to escape the attention of Atty. Gen. Janet Reno. I guess she was just too busy beating up on Bill Gates or roasting children at Waco to take any action against felons who “failed” the already-in-place federal gun laws.

JAMES F. GLASS

Chatsworth