My husband has a gun

I've had one of those weeks, and today I am all about my Texas accent...that happens when I get really tired and drained.

I have heard of the book, not read it though...there is another called Murder in Little Egypt, {can find it on Amazon} never read it either, but I've heard it was good as well.

I did find a diary once {from Southern IL} in a second hand store, from 1963 or 4, I believe, just a housewife and her daily activities..."June came by today and we had tea"...etc...but as I read along, one day she mentioned poor Mrs so-in-so was found cut up with a meat saw, after that I couldn't put the thing down, not much else happened on that scale but it was still interesting. Now that I have the net at my disposal, I should dig out the diary, might be able to find out more of the story.

There was a book written about my area too, factual, I do own it, and it is very well written, besides the actual event the book is centered on, it goes into some detail about the socioeconomics of the region, which I found very interesting....but the actual story is not something that I want to bring to light, not on this forum anyway.

I will admit, that this is "good ol boy" territory, and that we {mainly when I was younger} often will throw a pistol, rifle or shotgun in the truck and just ride around shooting stuff...retarded or not....that's just what we do. I know of many instances where one of the boys had forgotten about a firearm, behind the seat or in the back seat and got pulled over in IL for some reason and all hell broke loose. I got hassled once for having a few shot gun shells lying in the floorboard, and another time for having some .22 shells in the cup holder. Whereas back home, the officer would have asked what kind of shotgun or rifle I owned. I know a few guys that have been jerked out of the vehicle, cuffed and held down on the hood for similar reasons....they were all let go, but...well we just don't dig the fuzz when they act like that ya know.

I'm sure Mr. Tea is one cool sum'bitch.

Hey thats funny - I'd never heard of a town called Cairo, IL, but just today I was reading some article about Obama, who visited Cairo once, and there was a throw-away reference to the town having a seriously troubled race history - whats that all about?

The legacy of Cairo


Interesting, I never knew any of this. Not surprised though.




I love this description of Cairo that was made in the summer of 2003:


Cairo Illinois is the strangest city on the river. It feels like your visiting a motion picture set from the 1950s and all the actors, save a few strays, have cleared the streets to hide from some impending doom. You glance back over your shoulder expecting to see the alien spaceships begin their attack or a six story high praying mantis chewing on the power lines.

Illinois is a screwed up state period. The entire place lives in fear of its masters, the police who have hounded the populace for years, who put fear in the minds of the citizenry, who in turn vote away their rights to protect themselves and take charge. F-up.

Don't know anything about the history. But I did find out how it got here. Apparently step-MIL checked it on the plane - filled out the paperwork and so forth when she came to visit last. Thought my hubby would like it. Hubby really has no attachment to it and no interest in pursuing firing guns again.

I wonder if we can just hold it until we move to Texas. What would we need to check it on the plane?

Cjhsa - I am a gun virgin - what is a long gun?

I haven't taken it to a locksmith, because we don't have a license and I don't want to get in trouble for having possession without a license.

It really isn't fear of the gun per say just that we don't have a license and hubby doesn't really want to have it any way. I don't view it as harmful as we don't have any ammo any way. I don't love guns by any means, and quite honestly prefer not having one. But I am not against them in a sense. If my hubby wanted to keep it, I wouldn't have an issue as long as it was properly stored.

Linkat
Here is the TSA policy on firearms
http://www.tsa.gov/travelers/airtravel/prohibited/permitted-prohibited-items.shtm#5
http://www.tsa.gov/travelers/airtravel/assistant/editorial_1666.shtm

You can not carry inside of your "carry-on", but can pack the unloaded pistol inside of its locked box with the rest of your luggage. That shouldn't cause any problems. Not having a license isn't a big deal so long as you don't carry it concealed on your person. Having it unloaded in the trunk of your car isn't illegal any where that I know of. You could probably ship it UPS without a problem, but you'd need to have someone in Texas receive and sign for the package.

A "long gun" is a rifle, though some folks would include shotguns in the same category. Shipping and traveling with rifles and shotguns is very much the same as with pistols. They should be unloaded and secured away from easy visibility and access.

Everyone should, if given the chance, visit beautiful downtown Cairo.

I have a friend that lives in Surrey...Vancouver area...and he is your typical Canadian, fairly open minded, liberalish....and quite pale. He came for a visit about a year and a half ago, and we toured the local country, including Cairo...he had heard me talk about it many times, and wanted to see if I was pulling his leg about how bad the town had deteriorated. He found out very quick, that I was on the level with everything that I had told him. Even the fact that the town is literally falling into the river, we got some nice pictures of a very deep sink hole in the middle of the street. He is a member of this site, I'll see if I can get him to give you an unbiased opinion of the city.

If you read the link that Chai posted, that pretty much covers the real reason the town failed....integration simply did not take, the white folks refused to allow it to happen, the black folks refused to accept it, neither side gave any ground....and the city fell apart. This mostly happened before my time, but the after effects...racial ripples....were still going strong while I was high school and shortly after. I do remember the principal telling his senior class to...get the hell out.

There are two other cities nearby...Mounds and Mounds City, that are quite similar....I would have taken my Canadian friend up there but...as I have previously stated, I am really uncomfortable in IL....and no not because of the people, because of the 5-0.

In that link there is a picture of a concrete structure near a body of water, it's supposed to represent a tug boat..it sits on the confluence of the Ohio and the Miss, at a place called Fort Defiance, which is actually a state park, but besides some picnic tables, and a few trash cans, that's all that is there. Most springs, the water level gets very high and you can not access the park at all, without a boat. The point, as we call it, is one of my favorite places on earth....honestly it's drab even in the spring or summer, in winter it is downright ugly, but it's a very peaceful place, where you can observe the power of nature...them's some big ass rivers hoss.

One thing of interest about Cairo that has been in the news a lot lately...the city council/mayor....I won't go into the details, but there is a constant power struggle over there....over what? you might ask...mainly over paychecks. The council members receive 800.00 per month each...if of course they make it to the meetings, and I believe the mayor gets an even grand...in a town that is the definition of poor/ranshackeld, and in dire need of...something...I don't even know where to begin on fixing the city....they dole out huge sums of cash each month for....basically nothing.

I read that same article and thought the same thing. Thanks for the details. Wow.

You said live near rather than live in, right?

Yeah near....old man river separates us, I am huddled safely away in Missouri.

It could be checked on as baggage, but there is a tagging system to comply with. I don't know the details, but it is mandatory. This is good for federal law. For a state in which permits are required for ownership, I just don't know. It grieves me to suggest it, but maybe you should just rent a cutting torch with a large tip, and melt it into slag.

Checked guns have a nasty habit of disappearing. The TSA and airport employees are pretty good at picking out stuff they like so they can sell it later on the side. Nothing new there.

You have to have a gun case with a TSA approved lock. Only they can lock it for you - after you have declared and checked it as baggage. I don't know if you can check ammo. That could prove problematic if you check a 10mm Glock 20 and Win .308 and when you get to your hunting destination, the only ammo available is 30-06.

Hey all, this would be the pale Canuck mentioned earlier.

Yes, for probably 2 years I heard Pack's tales of Cairo and the state it was in. Finally when I was down there he took me to go show that he wasn't making anything up. And he wasn't.

The town is literally falling into the rivers, pick one, they are both eating under the city. One of the main drags on the Ohio side theres a massive hole in the middle of the road, probably around 20-30 feet deep, and who knows how wide, we didn't feel like venturing out into the sagging asphalt. The park at the point seems to have gotten more money than the town did, boasting its pretty bronze plaque and pink granite plaque. The town itself is just bizarre. Here in Surrey (once the butt of jokes by Canadians and the Car Theft Capital of the world (beating out detroit) we have some pretty questionable areas. Eventually the run down houses get bought or bulldozed, and you end up with an empty lot that sits there for a decade till it gets built up into a high-rise. Doesn't appear that way in Cairo. Theres blocks after blocks of "empty" lots, except these seem to be strewn with the remnants of the houses that I assume just collapsed on them. Theres allot of very nice victorian-esq houses, but upon closer inspection they are in such bad shape that they are a write off (I saw one with the second floor almost collapsing on the first). Further up the road towards the interstate theres a little block sized development called "Future City" Packs tells me that it was supposed to be the new center of a town that just never materialized. I think all I saw there was a gas station of questionable merits. The kicker for me was the fact that the water tight doors that are to close to protect the city from a flood are non operational and stuck rusted open.

All in all the impression I got from Cairo was a city that just wont exist in 10-20 years, if not sooner. Odd too because if you have the water, and you have the location, you usually have the population, but not the case here. I have a feeling if they build a bridge to the south and connect KY to MO then that will probably spell the end, as right now it only seems to be a way-point in between points A and B.

Dan

Hey Dan, nice to meetcha. I'm biased towards friends of 2Packs (he's a gem) but that was quite the evocative description.

I agree.

What I would like to know is what's the big deal about this gun? It's just a tool that should be greatly respected WHEN IT IS LOADED. It's harmless when unloaded. I would think three or four times before I turned it in to the police there-they may really make a big deal out of it, but in Texas they would only run the serial no. Then if it was clean they would return it to you (at least most parts of Texas).
It may be a bad idea to put the gun anywhere but in the seat beside you, especially here in the south. It could be considered concealed in the trunk or elsewhere. Just make sure it's unloaded and left in the locked case. Of course try to come up with a key to enable inspection by an officer if the need arises. With all these really stupid gun laws throughout most of the country, it's really difficult to transport a handgun across most state lines-a rifle,shotgun or muzzleloader is different.
If you decide to place the gun in the trunk, dissassemble it first and make sure no ammunition is anywhere in the car.
Once you have established a residence in Texas, there's no problem. With many southern state laws, if you are on a trip over 50 miles from home the gun is legal without a carry permit. Most southern police will not mess with you if it is inside the locked case and in the seat beside you-not concealed. Not being able to open the case could become a problem however-get a key or break open the case and put the gun in another case (zip up case is fine).
I live in Arkansas near the Texas line and have lived in Texas. I carry a handgun often on trips and have never had a problem. Of course I try to observe all traffic laws and have a perfect driving record, criminal record and no kind of record on my vehicle tags. The gun is in the seat beside me, and at least holstered or in a zip up case. I conceal it when stopped (refueling, stores, etc.) then put it back in the seat when traveling again. Most southern officers respect that. I have numerous friends and relatives in Texas and Arkansas who do the same thing, without problems.
In some instances a southern officer may run a NCIC check on the gun's seriel no. then give the gun back if it checks clean (takes only minutes by police radio).

As far as the gun discussed-if you take it to Texas with you, establish a residence then first call the local police or sheriffs office-explain the circumstances. They may do a check over the phone (depends on the city) or want you to bring the gun in. If they want to see the gun, do not take the gun in with you when you first go in (some large departments may have metal detectors at entrances), but go in and tell them you're here for the check on the gun's serial no. and that it is in the car. If they desire, they will have an officer go to the car with you to retreive the gun and run the check. If it is clean the gun is given back. REMEMBER, call first because city laws are sometimes different from state laws, especially large cities like Houston or Dallas/Fort Worth.

I now up my bid to 200.00 on the mystery box...as is.

That amount has already been bid. See page 2.

Yeah I saw that, but it didn't look like you were actually bidding...just saying it would go for 200 unseen up to 400....shh Roger I'm trying to talk this nice Yankee lady out of her sidearm.

Ok....I now up my bid to 250.00....act now and I will throw in a gallon of genuine Missouri made moonshine...to ease the pangs of the coming culture shock for Linkat and her family upon beginning their life in Texas.

This particular batch is an exceptionally fine vintage, I cooked it off over two weeks ago...it has a delightful fragrance, a robust body, and the finish has an ever so slight hint of radiator coil....best served at room temperature, and not within 50 feet of any open flame.