General store owner and weapons instructor Crockett Keller needed more students for his concealed handgun class at his Riverside store in Mason, in the center of Texas Hill Country. He teaches classes behind his store off Highway 87 about two hours northwest of Austin.
Like any good businessperson, he decided to run an ad on a local country music radio station. The message stated, “We will attempt to teach you all the necessary information you need to obtain your C.H.L.,” Forty-five seconds in, the advertisement Keller added a disclaimer, “If you are a socialist, liberal and or voted for the current campaigner in chief, please do not take this class. You have already proven that you cannot make a knowledgeable and prudent decision as under the law.”
He continues in the radio ad to state, “If you are a non-Christian Arab or Muslim, I will not teach you the class with no shame; I am Crockett Keller, thank you and God bless America.”
This is what Keller was able to obtain for instructor’s $175 advertisement — six days’ worth of air time on his hometown radio station, KHLB.
After several letters of support and a few death threats, Keller’s the ad was referred for a hearing by The Texas Department of Public Safety. They released the following statement: “The Texas Department of Public Safety certifies individuals to teach coursework and provide training required to be taken by individuals seeking to qualify for a Texas concealed handgun license. Certified instructors are required to comply with all applicable state and federal statutes. Conduct by an instructor that denied service to individuals on the basis of race, ethnicity or religion would place that instructor’s certification by the Department at risk of suspension or revocation. The Department became aware of the statements in question yesterday and has begun an investigation into the matter. The Department will take appropriate administrative action based on the findings from the investigation.”
–torrance stephens,ph.d.
Follow Stephens on his blog https://rawdawgb.blogspot.com/ or https://twitter.com/rawdawgbuffalo
