Them Rootin’, Tootin’, Shootin’ Minnesotans

It’s one of Minnesota liberals’ standard conceits; that Minnesota is just plain more civilized than rough ‘n tumble southern zip codes like Texas.

But if you look at the numbers, Andrew Rothman at GOCRA reminds us, you can find some interesting surprises.

For example:  If you divide Minnesota’s population of 5,457,173 by its total number of carry permits – 210.647, you get a figure of 3.86%.

If you do the same thing with Texas’ population and carry permits, you get 3.38%.

How about in convenient graphic form?

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In other words, while liberals want to have you believe the sky will fall if Minnesota becomes as “gun crazy” as Minnesota liberals’ stereotype of Texas, we are already carrying more than Texans are.

By the way – that 3.86 becomes closer to 5% if you count only adults.

And yet we have one of the lowest murder rates in the country, down around western European levels.

Surely there must be some mistake.

10 thoughts on “Them Rootin’, Tootin’, Shootin’ Minnesotans

  1. Not going to disagree on numbers, however premise is flawed. Number of permits expressed as a percentage does not equate to “we are already carrying more than Texans are”. On paper, yes, in reality, I doubt it. For example, in West Texas, they don’t need no stinking permits.

  2. For example, in West Texas, they don’t need no stinking permits.

    Perhaps.

    Same is probably true enough in Kandiyohi county, too…

  3. There are more people overall in TX, so pure numbers are still in
    TX favor. However, on the books, MN has much more liberal gun laws than TX. Open Carry in TX only started this year AND you have to have a permit – there is no Constitutional Carry here. About the only thing in favor of TX as far as gun laws are concerned, is that you can carry a loaded long rifle/shotgun within reach in your vehicle – for handgun you need a permit. And of course there are no restrictions on NFA.

  4. On a related note, one of the quirks of carry laws in South Dakota: You can open carry without a permit. You need a permit to concealed carry. It is perfectly legal to leave a handgun sitting out in the open in the front seat of your car. If you have it in a case, it is considered concealed and you need a permit, even to transport it.

  5. Mitch, are you sure you’re aren’t comparing apples to oranges? The percentage of OPEN carry permits in Texas may be 3.3%, but it sure looks to me like you’re comparing that figure to conceal carry permits in Minnesota. CHL (concealed handgun licenses) in Texas totaled 4.3M from 1996-2011, or 16% of the population (roughly). Not the same figure at all. Also, you have a slight typo. To get a percentage, I believe you divide the segment by the total (i.e. 4.3M divided by 26M) not the population by the segment as you seem to have stated above. Incidentally, Mitchkateers, that’s how you deal with typos by people, rather than focusing on the typo itself and making your response based on a fatuous understanding of their meaning or import.

  6. I’m sure Mitch knows how to obtain a percentage, he just had a typo. Just like I had a typo when I typed .556mm rather than 5.56 mm after repeatedly typing .223 caliber.

  7. Bill C, that’s odd. Seems like the weapon on the front seat would be seen as the more dangerous to law enforcement making a stop.

  8. Mitch, are you sure you’re aren’t comparing apples to oranges? The percentage of OPEN carry permits in Texas may be 3.3%, but it sure looks to me like you’re comparing that figure to conceal carry permits in Minnesota.

    Yep, I’m sure.

    There aren’t two separate permits; the change in law earlier this year allows people with CHLs to carry openly (as they have been able to in Minnesota since “shall issue” passed.

    CHL (concealed handgun licenses) in Texas totaled 4.3M from 1996-2011, or 16% of the population (roughly).

    GOCRA’s figures cover currently-valid permits. The Times cites a figure of 925K active permits, which gives us a figure of 3.356%.

  9. The percentage of OPEN carry permits in Texas may be 3.3%

    What a maroon! His emphasis on OPEN highlighted his utter ignorance. Or maybe it was just a typo, like his calculation. Or his life in general.

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