Lumberton, TX Resident had Rifle Confiscated after LEGALLY Open Carrying in Beaumont

A Lumberton Texas man, Derek Poe, was walking to his Golden Triangle Tactical gun shop in Parkdale Mall in Beaumont, TX. He was legally open carrying his AR-15 rifle across his back with the barrel facing down. He had done this many times before.

On December 28^th, 2013, the Beaumont Police confiscated Poe’s rifle and told him that he would have charges pressed against him for disorderly conduct (see video of incident below)

This incident with Lumberton Resident Derek Poe hits close to home because I am a fellow Lumberton resident and I am running for Hardin County Judge.

If this incident were to have happened a few miles over into Hardin County, the misdemeanor charge would be heard by the Hardin County Judge. I am a strong supporter of the 2nd Amendment. If I become elected as the next Hardin County Judge, I, David Bellow, would ensure that laws are being followed properly while at the same time not infringing anyone's second amendment rights.

According to the Beaumont Enterprise, there is an open carry gun rights rally planned for Jan 18^th in Beaumont.

Let me make one thing very clear. Open carrying a rifle in a non-threatening manner in Texas is LEGAL. Just the simple fact that someone sees the rifle and gets scared is NOT legal grounds to charge someone with carrying the open rifle in a threatening manner. Open carrying of rifles is legal and cannot be considered disorderly conduct unless the rifle was being carried in a threatening manner. Open carry means people can see the rifle. I do not know of any less threatening of a way to open carry a rifle other than slung behind your back with the barrel down. That is the way Derek Poe was carrying his rifle.

I have written many articles about this issue. Unfortunately, many of the articles involve Texas officials taking away rifles and charging people for doing nothing more than legally open carrying a rifle. You would think that of all places, Texas would be more gun friendly. Open carrying a rifle might not be normal, but it is not illegal. The liberal media has pounded their anti-gun agenda so much that people are frightened by even the sight of a gun. The solution is not to charge the person legally carrying the gun. The solution is to educate American citizens that carrying a gun is legal. We need to educate so that they know gun control measures will only keep guns from law abiding citizens and will not stop mass murderers from going to a mall and shooting people. The only thing that will stop a mass murderer from killing people in a mall is if a law abiding citizen in the mall has a gun and shoots back to stop the mass murderer.

I do not fault anyone for seeing the gun and being scared, and I do not fault the police for questioning Mr. Poe. There was no legal grounds to charge him though and he should have never had his gun confiscated.

The courts and the laws have clearly established that the simple sight of a rifle does not constitute alarm. It is the way the rifle is carried. If the simple sight of a weapon was the basis of not allowing weapons then your neighbor could call the police to take away your guns because she saw you with one though your window and she was alarmed. The fact that someone was alarmed cannot be the legal reason to say someone was using their rifle to alarm or threaten. I admit, I would even be a bit surprised if I saw someone with a rifle on their back in the mall because it is not something you see very often, just because I am surprised does not make what the man is doing illegal though and the laws and Constitution of the County and State must be upheld

I take threats and gun violence seriously, but I also take the 2^nd Amendment seriously. Mr. Poe has a Constitutional right to bear arms and there is no evidence that what he did was illegal or threatening. He should have never had his rifle confiscated and should have never been charged.

More Texas School Teachers are Armed with Guns - The latest is in East Texas

from the Beaumont Enterprise:

Some employees at an East Texas school district are now armed on campus.

The Huntington Independent School District board passed the policy allowing some staff to carry arms in March, and beginning Friday they were able to arrive on campus with their weapons.

Superintendent Eric Wright told the Lufkin Daily News the board approved the new policy in response to the fatal shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., in December. Twenty children and six adults were killed in that incident.

Wright says staff with concealed carry permits that want to bring their arms on campus underwent several training programs, including a firearms proficiency test, a psychological evaluation, an active shooter class and a firearms safety course. He refused to name the armed staff members.

Child Porn Investigation against Hardin County Sheriff's Deputy, Lumberton, TX Resident Jerry Roberts

From the Beaumont Entrprise:

A Hardin County man's trial was dismissed on Wednesday because the lead investigator in the case is the target of a federal investigation, said District Attorney David Sheffield.

Sheffield said Toby Langham's sexual misconduct case had to be dismissed because Sheffield learned that Hardin County Sheriff's Office Sgt. Jerry Roberts, the lead investigator in Langham's case, was being investigated for child pornography allegations.

Sheffield said the defense would have used that information during the trial to hurt the prosecution's case.

Last year, Langham was indicted on charges of sexual assault of a child, indecency by exposure, and sexual performance of a child.

Sheffield said his office will review the charges against Langham and see what can be brought back to a grand jury for possible re-indictment.

Read more: http://www.beaumontenterprise.com/news/article/Hardin-Co-investigator-accused-of-having-child-4355136.php#ixzz2O4216sGo

Student Underwear Search Leads to Lawsuit Against Texas School (West Sabine ISD)

I don't have time to write about this so just check the story out at the Beaumont Enterprise: http://www.beaumontenterprise.mobi/beaumont/db_14555/contentdetail.htm?contentguid=0g4hJoTe

Lumberton Man, Mike Bellow, Receives Hero Award for Saving Knife River Truck Driver After Crash in TX

from David Lisenby, Beaumont Enterprise:

It was a normal day for Mike Bellow on Sept. 24, as he and his son, Steven, were traveling along Hwy. 90 near Raywood. They were on their way to a convention, traveling along the country road enjoying conversation.

Things took a dramatic turn as Bellow witnessed an accident in front of him. A transit mixer was hit head-on by a motorist traveling in the opposite direction. The impact was horrendous and fire soon began to engulf the vehicles.

As Bellow watched the growing flames, Steven pointed out that the driver of the transit mixer was trying to get himself out of his vehicle. Not thinking of the danger he was putting himself in, Bellow ran to the vehicle and helped the driver escape the fiery wreckage.

Three months later, on Dec. 21, representatives from Knife River Corporation, the company whose driver was involved in the accident, gathered in Beaumont to honor Mike Bellow with an Award of Heroism from Knife River.

"We at Knife River are appreciative for the actions of Mr. Bellow that likely saved the life of one of our employees during a tragic situation," said Knife River General Manager Larry Rougeau. "It's not just anybody that would stop. I have seen many other accidents through the years where some people may stop but others tend to ignore them and keep on going. We feel blessed as a company to be recipients of his actions."

Knife River has given out numerous hero awards to employees for actions that were deemed to be acts of heroism, but the award to Bellow marks the first time in the history of the company that the award has been presented to someone outside the company.

Roy Kirkpatrick, South Region President of Knife River, said many people are afraid of liability issues, unsure of the situation, and unsure of what to do in times of crisis.

"I think his actions are a testament of who Mr. Bellow is," he said. "We perceive our jobs as an extended family, so it was one of our extended family members whose life he could very well have saved. This is something that we don't take lightly.

"Acts like this and saving a life are really taken into consideration, especially at this time of year. When you realize what could have happened and what could have taken place, had Mr. Bellow not come to his aid, this driver's family may be going through the holidays without him."

Bellow was joined by his family as the award was presented in the ceremony.

"I am grateful to God that I was able to help pull him out," he said. "I thought a lot about liability, but he was trying to get himself out of the wreckage and wanted help. I figured if God spared him it was my job to help get him out. That is what I tried to do."