Texas gun culture of having firearms 'inside suits, boots, bras' shocks reporter

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A new report from The Washington Post seemed to marvel at the sheer number of guns that Texans have.

In an article published Tuesday, reporter Molly Hennessy-Fiske provided an in-depth look at how much Texans value their firearms, opening it with the claim, "To live in Texas is to live surrounded by guns."

The piece, titled, "In Texas, guns are everywhere, whether concealed or in the open," provided a litany of settings in which guns are present for citizens.

Hennessy-Fiske wrote, "Each morning, men here strap guns inside suits, boots and swim trunks. Women slip them into bra and bellyband holsters that render them invisible. They stash firearms in purses, tool boxes, portable gun safes, back seats and glove compartments."

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A new Washington Post report detailed just how large gun culture in Texas is, contrasting it with the "majority of Americans" who want firearm restrictions. (PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images)

She continued: "Neighbors tuck guns into bedside tables, cars and trucks. They take guns fishing, to church, the park, the pool, the gym, the movies — even to protests at the state Capitol. The convention center hosts gun shows where shoppers peruse AR-15s and high-capacity magazines outlawed in other states."

The author also observed how "Texas billboards offer an endless stream of advertisements for ammunition, silencers and other accessories."

Noting that this lifestyle isn’t only due to the state’s Second Amendment-loving heritage, the author explained that Texas has loosened restrictions on firearms in recent years. 

"Two years ago, state lawmakers gave those 21 and older the right to carry handguns without a permit; in 2015, they gave those with concealed handgun permits the right to carry on public college campuses," she wrote.

Hennessy-Fiske claimed that after two elementary school shootings in the U.S. — one in Sandy Hook, Connecticut, and the other in Uvalde, Texas — lawmakers allowed "public school staff with concealed handgun permits to arm themselves," and blocked a proposal to raise the age to buy rifles from 18 to 21, respectively.

The author then stated, "Texas has no state firearm sales registry, no required waiting period to buy a gun, no red flag law guarding against the mentally ill or violent having weapons, no restrictions on the size of ammunition magazines and no background checks for guns purchased in a private sale."

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Texas has led the country in gun purchases for the last three years, according to the Post report. (Tamir Kalifa/Getty Images)

She contrasted these laws to restrictions implemented in "California and some other blue states," as well as the preferences of the "majority of Americans" that "favor stricter gun laws and say it’s too easy to obtain a gun."

The reporter said, "many Texans see guns as a solution to the problem, not the problem itself." She cited multiple Texans she interviewed, who told her "they feel nervous" without their guns. 

"They take solace in knowing that they are armed and that someone else around them likely is, too; some relish spotting the telltale imprint of a concealed gun," she said.

Hennessy-Fiske then reported that Texas has led the country in gun purchases for the last three years, stating, "Texans have purchased about 5.8 million firearms since 2020, more than any other state, according to a Washington Post estimate based on federal background checks." 

She added, "Last year, the rate at which Texans purchased guns was nearly double that of California, according to the estimates."

A customer holds a Glock 17 pistol for sale at a gun store. (Kyle Grillot/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

According to the journalist, the rate of gun sales has increased, even amidst a rise in mass shootings. Hennessy-Fiske added, "The attraction to guns by many of the state’s 30 million residents has grown not despite the state’s increased numbers of mass killings but because of them, according to gun owners."

Citing data about the rise in these shooting, she noted, "Texas has had the most mass killings of any state from 2015 to this year, 30 in total. The next highest state is California, which with about 9 million more residents had 27 total mass killings."

The reporter spoke to Will Moravits, a resident of New Braunfels, Texas, which had "one of the top urban Zip codes in Texas for new handgun licenses per capita last year," who spoke about the importance of carrying his firearm in the event of a shooting. Moravits, who is also Republican precinct chair in Comal County, told the paper, "If something goes down, I’m going to try to protect people… Guns are a great equalizer."

At another point in his interview with the Post, Moravits — who carries his Sig-Sauer handgun to his teaching job at nearby Texas State University — said that carrying is "part of being Texan."

Another New Braunfels resident, retired pilot and Air Force veteran Kenneth Wells, told the Post he disagrees with government efforts to regulate AR-15s or instate red-flag laws. He told the outlet, "The hysteria over AR-15s and assault-style weapons, that this is what’s causing the mass shootings, I just don’t buy that. If assault-style weapons were not out there, I believe people would resort to other means."

Hennessy-Fiske also spoke to gun store owner Tunis Lopez, who commented on being able to open carry his handgun. "They’d never let you do that in California," he said.

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