Legally blind Texans may use lasers to pick out prey

Completely bypassing the stunning fact that (legally) blind Texans are actually allowed to wield a weapon and fire at will during regular hunting seasons, a new piece of legislation could allow these folks to see what they're aiming at a wee bit better, which is thrilling news if you're being mistaken for game. Rep. Edmund Kuempel has initiated a bill that would enable legally blind hunters that have a valid Texas hunting license to strap a sweet laser scope on their weaponry in order to pinpoint exactly where the bullet is headed before pulling the trigger. The bill would require the hunter to be accompanied by a (not legally blind) licensed hunter of 13 years or older, and is being pushed as a "reasonable accommodation" for those with disabilities. Hey, we know Texas is good for helping out the less fortunate, but we'd seriously think twice before wandering out into the wilderness for a weekend retreat in the Lonestar state.

[Via Fark]

[Ken @ Apr 6th 2007 2:09PM]

Wow, now this is totally messed up. It will only be a matter of time when people get shot.

[wako @ Apr 6th 2007 2:11PM]

WTF?! why are legally blind people hunting in the first place?! I would think it is a public hazard to have blind people shooting guns!

[Foof @ Apr 6th 2007 2:12PM]

Don't the vast majority of legally blind people in the US simply have high-level myopia, and are seeing 20/20 or better with contacts/glasses?

Without corrective optics, if you're legally blind you can't even see the laser dot, let alone the painted target.

[Jean-Michel Decombe @ Apr 6th 2007 2:12PM]

Actually, the bill was created for both legally blind people *and* Dick Cheney.

[Jobs @ Apr 6th 2007 2:15PM]

The state that gave us George W. Bush is now allowing visually impaired people to hunt.

[Bc3 @ Apr 6th 2007 3:01PM]

Actually W is from Connecticut not Texas.

[Sean @ Apr 6th 2007 2:16PM]

So if a blind person winds up shooting someone there, who will be charged, him or his spotter?

[Jean-Michel Decombe @ Apr 6th 2007 2:20PM]

Hmmm, if they're not from these neck of the woods, I reckon they should both be hanged.

[crackpipe @ Apr 6th 2007 2:21PM]

I went to Texas once. People in that state are totally retarded... blind or not.

[Caleb @ Apr 6th 2007 2:34PM]

I'm from Texas, and I am pretty sure you are the one is retarded saying that everyone from one state is a retard............. and with your name, it is now confirmed thaat you are in fact retarded.

[Ben @ Apr 6th 2007 7:06PM]

Oh my god you have to be kidding. Are you seriously ignorant enough to think that everyone from Texas is an idiot? Sure there are some places in Texas where people are dumb hicks but that goes for pretty much every other state too.

[crackpipe @ Apr 6th 2007 2:37PM]

Don't worry, scrot. Now, there are plenty of 'tards out there living really kick-ass lives. My first wife was 'tarded." She's a pilot now.

[Txpunk @ Apr 6th 2007 2:37PM]

I am legally blind. I drive myself to work everyday. Legal Blindness does not necessarily mean you cannot see. I can see 20/20, but have a restricted peripheral vision and night blindness...
Texans love to hunt....this "law" was just so the old folks who run the state can still have a hobby.

[magik @ Apr 6th 2007 2:49PM]

I smell pork.

[HDMike @ Apr 6th 2007 2:51PM]

Legally blind typically means that your vision cannot be corrected to 20/20. I haven't read the law, but I hope it sets boundaries for corrected vision. I wouldn't want people hunting with corrected (e.g. contacts) 20/200 vision. If it truly opens the gate for all legally blind people, then the TX legislature didn't do a good job thinking this one through.

[false_cause @ Apr 6th 2007 2:56PM]

Legally blind doesn't mean you can't see. It means your vision is limited enough that you are entitled to things like assistance from government programs and special accommodations at work, etc. I'm not sure whether Texas allows profoundly blind persons to hunt, but it wouldn't surprise or scare me because they are required to have sighted guides. The guide ensures that there are as many eyes seeing what's going on as in most hunting situations, so it's really no less safe for other humans. The challenge is to cleanly kill the game. Thus, the laser is intended to better enable the guide to determine where the hunter is aiming so as to facilitate a clean kill. The guide is already there to prevent a discharge while there is any question as to the target and what lies down-range.

[M Bakunin @ Apr 6th 2007 3:06PM]

> Hey, we know Texas is good for helping out the less fortunate

Hey, here's how benevolent Texas is: (US state rankings, as of ~2000)

Teacher salaries plus benefits:50
Number of children living in poverty:2
Number of children without health insurance:2
% of children without health insurance:1
% of poor working parents without insurance:1
Number of people stripped of Medicare benefits:1
Per capita funding for public health:48
Delivery of social services:47
Number of executions:1
Pollution released by manufacturing plants:1
Pollution by industrial plants in violation of Clean Air Act:1
Greenhouse gas emissions:1

Source: http://www.knowthecandidates.org/ktc/bushtexasranks.htm

[Brian @ Apr 6th 2007 4:00PM]

I'm glad all your stats skewed things. They randomly decided to use per capita numbers and totals in others, whichever made the state look worse. It's a big state with lots of people, I'd like to see stats based on per capita, per square mile, etc. that actually factor in everything.

Teachers' low salaries are definitely an issue though.

[Bill @ Apr 6th 2007 4:06PM]

It's been said already but legally blind doesn't mean blind. I have a legally blind friend in Arizona that drives a car without a problem. He had to jump through all kinds of hoops to do it, take special tests, special training and purchase some very expensive glasses but he drives anytime of the day or night without any problems. If anything, he's more observant and careful than people who take their vision for granted (the rest of us).

But I realize at face value, this news item seems dramatic. It's not as scary as it sounds.

[John @ Apr 6th 2007 4:12PM]

Oh sure, when Texas is in the news y'all are eager to jump on our backs and slap us around with these moronic jokes, but when something like this happens to your state, everything's quiet.

And even though Dubya was governor of Texas and has his ranch here, he was born in Conneticut. Oh, and not everyone in Texas supports Bush. (Yes, shocking isn't it?)

[Tom @ Apr 6th 2007 4:40PM]

I'm glad that it requires the supervision of a 13 year old. 12 would have been way too young.

[coolfrode @ Apr 8th 2007 1:01AM]

OK, so legally blind is not completely blind. I get it, but couldn't they approve a hobby without a FIREARM? Crossword puzzles, video games(duck hunt, maybe), Drag racing, Sky diving, WHATEVER.

CNN Report: Legally Blind Wins NASCAR

[Marthirial @ Apr 6th 2007 5:58PM]

So if a blind man shoots an animal in the forest, was that animal really shot?

[TIMMAH! @ Apr 6th 2007 6:45PM]

Hey I wonder if you can use a similar system to allow to drive as well? They'd have to remember what system they were using though. "Remember, if the red dot is on a pedestrian, that's bad!"

[John @ Apr 6th 2007 7:42PM]

This article is a piece of crap. The laser sight isn't supposed to help the legally blind person "see what they're aiming at a wee bit better", it's to let the accompanying hunter see what they're aiming at. The 13+ year old accompanying hunter can't look through the scope at the same time as the impaired hunter, so they get to see what's being aimed at via a handy red dot. But hey, at least all you people who wanted a shaky premise to make fun of Texas got one, right?

P.S. I'm not from Texas. But I'm sure you don't care.

[John Doe @ Apr 6th 2007 9:33PM]

Ahh Texas. Can we give the state back to Mexico? Please?

[Texan @ Apr 18th 2007 9:20AM]

Come and try and take it shitknob.

[Shmoe @ Apr 7th 2007 2:19AM]

It's Lone Star State, not Lonestar state. The illegals are already doing a good job of taking over the state, not to mention the country.

[JQ @ Apr 7th 2007 6:03AM]

To Texan: The "Illegals" owned this state before you were even a glimmer in your daddy's eye, and before that, the Natives/Indians owned most if not all of America. Claim what you want, but have some respect for others.

[Patuxentbball @ Apr 7th 2007 11:20PM]

Question: If this same law was passed in another state, would there be as many flamers?
Now, if they had done this the other way, barring these people from hunting, you all would have cried "Texas is discriminating against handicapped people" and so on.

[cloud811 @ Apr 8th 2007 1:30PM]

wow, just when you think the world has learned from there mistakes. I'm so glad im I live in canada. I dont have to worry about blind people with laser guilded rifles now