Dallas County Has More Gun Stores Than Museums and Libraries (Map)

I wonder if they counted the gift shop at the Gun Museum? *lol*

I don't get it.  The town I grew up in had one library and no museums (in Massachusetts).  Would it have been a big deal if this town had 2 gun stores (for 25000 people)?  OK, the local Sports Authority sold firearms.  So if there were one more store with guns (was there -- I don't know), it would have meant that there were twice as many gun stores as libraries and museums!!!!!  Oh, no! *sarcasm*

Yet another lame dumb@$$ DO article..............and this one wasn't even penned by Eric Nicholson.  I'm sure the DO readers in NYC, San Francisco, Chicago, and Boston were absolutely flabbergasted by this breaking news.  What's next, an earth shattering scoop on the disturbing number of Texans who own more than 5 pairs of cowboy boots and drive a Ford pickup?

"Honey, please don't forget to get me that AR-15 for Billy-Bob's birthday when you come from Walmart, ok?"

I always like to see a bit of good news about Denton County!

Not shocking, sounds like people have some kind of problem with it, but I fail to see an issue. Lets face some facts here, Gun stores are private businesses in business to meet a demand. Museums and libraries are government businesses there by demand of government.

Given that, in general, your average library or museum can serve a greater number of people than your average gun store, a better indicator might be the number of people who have been to a library or museum in the past 6 months as compared to the number who have purchased a gun during the same period. 

Who actually spent money on this crap?

There are more bodegas in New York City than opera houses.

This just in: Dallas has more KFC than Baptist churches.

Agree with most of what has been said so far, but y'all forgot a big one.

Don't Mess With Texas!

The entire premise of the article is flawed.  However, I wonder if they included school libraries in the mix? As they only noted 211 libraries and museums, and the number of schools with libraries in DISD and the surrounding districts exceed that number, I think that those were excluded.  Why not performing arts? 

Perhaps they did at first, but didn't like the answer.

Probably the most stupid article in the history of THE DALLAS OBSERVER. I'm sure there are more churches than libraries or museums. There are more (fill in the blank). What the heck difference does that make?

Duh.  This story is is dumb, just dumb.  And I'm on the 'we've got too many guns in this country' side. 

And while Dallas libraries are underfunded, the 'basically never open' about Dallas libraries is just stupid hyperbole. 

Besides, an FFL =/= a gun store

again, lazy "journalism," if you can even call it that.

this is a retarded article and it means absolutely nothing. it's probably a common trend in many US cities, actually.

As long as you're going to compare apples to oranges,  how many liquor stores are in the county compared to libraries?

how many cars to the total number of books held by the libraries?

1. Since gun stores are funded by revenues that are done by conducting a legal business and most museums and libraries are funded by tax dollars, your really comparing two very different things.

2, I wonder how many of these licensed dealers are the type who operate out of their home and only really operate at gun shows and off of auction web sights (and they are still required to do background checks since they are licensed dealers)?

3. How many of these are Walmarts, Academy Sports, and other retailers who happen to also sell firearms?

Overall, looking at the map, I think this is largely driven by population density. If you want more museums and libraries, start putting your money where your mouth is.

I suppose you were trying to be cute with the Florence reference ("Italy I presume").  But Florence, Texas is in Williamson County, which is definitively red, which is just the way those folks likeit.

I always got a kick out of the Sheriffs reading guns & ammo when I went to the courthouse.

Libtard shit propaganda for naive nanny do-gooders.

You can digitize books and  2D art then pull it up on anywhere on any computer, tablet, or smartphone. Thus, you eliminate or minimize a need for those buildings. You can't digitize a gun.

@bvckvs  Actually, if you look at the data it covers all licenses, not just brick and mortar ones.  Therefore, those who hold an FFL and sell online or at gun shows were included.  Also included were big box stores such as Wal-Mart that sell ammo and FFL3 holders who are collectors of relic firearms (50 years or older by law) who are prohibited from selling firearms to other individuals in retail transactions.

@MattL11  Good point.  It also doesn't consider bookstores, online book purchases or downloads.

@blerwin  I think Eric set her up to take pressure off of him. 

@c.huxtable85  Guns and museum/libraries are not mutually exclusive.  I go to all regularly. 

@Tim.Covington  It also doesn't factor in the amount of square footage devoted to gun sales versus the sq/ft devoted to libraries/museums. 

Also as a person who likes to read, but doesn't like to share, why are book stores not included with the library count?

Like I said before, they probably did include them at first, but didn't like the answer.

Boom

I looked at the list the answer is a lot of them are individuals and big box.

@becoolerifyoudid

WilCo makes East Texas counties seem positively Massachusetts-like in terms of liberal/conservative. Me, I always drive through WilCo at precisely 1 MPH under the speed limit, with both hands on the wheel.

And they're keeping it white in Austin too.

@Sharon_Moreanus

I wonder if Austin's immense population growth may change that.

In the category of "Useless Studies," this one claims that Sarita, TX, (pop. 238) is the most liberal town in Texas, and Garden City (pop. 334) is the most conservative town. 

http://www.businessinsider.com/most-liberal-and-conservative-towns-in-each-state-2014-6

@Sharon_Moreanus  That explains the gun stores in Williamson and Bell counties to the north.

@OxbowIncident Sure you can. Don't you recall the Libs going all cardiac arrest over 3D printers being able to make a single shot handgun out of plastic with the digital plans freely available online?

@OxbowIncident Yes you can, and the Lib's went into "Oh My God We're All Going To Die" over printed single shot hand guns. 

@OxbowIncident  They also left off bookstores.  Not everyone likes to share.

@OxbowIncident

But you surely can print a gun on a 3D printer. Prices are down to a couple hundred bucks, and it's only a question of time before we see home-grown firearms. Still need gun shops for ammo, though.

@Myrna.Minkoff-Katz @Tim.Covington and the population of Loving County is a mere 71 individuals

@TheCredibleHulk @OxbowIncident And, Cabela's has a gun library in most of their stores. Though, you must still purchase the firearms after passing a background check in order to leave with any of them.

However, she has had plenty of time and negative comments to update the story if that was her point.