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There was a reason gun-rights supporter turned away from polling place

This is something that is getting a bit of attention, not to mention some pretty sharp criticism. But hold on to your outrage until, as Paul Harvey used to say, the rest of the story.

Last week, Chris Driskill went to the polls, joining thousand sod his fellow Texans on the first day of early voting.

His polling place is at the Walker county courthouse in Hempstead, just outside of Houston.

Driskill, a security guard, is s staunch support rod the right to keep and bear arms. And to vote he wore a black T-shirt with the slogan “2nd Amendment— America’s Original Homeland Security.”

The words are accompanied by an illustration of a skull with crossbones made from short-barreled shotguns.

When he got to the polling place, Driskill was told he could not cast his ballot while wearing the shirt.

“I heard a gentleman’s voice over my shoulder say ‘he can’t vote with that shirt on. You’ll have to either turn it inside out or you’ll have to leave,’” he told FOX News.

Now, this is where a lot of folks get mad. They hear the story from someone else or read an email that does;t go into enough detail. All they understand is that someone expressing support of try Constitution is denied the right to vote. But that’s not the case. You see, Texas law prohibits campaigning within 100 feet of a polling place. And campaigning is defined as including clothing bearing a message is support of any “candidate, measure or political party.”

So what does that apply to the message on Driskill’s shirt?

It turns out there is a proposition on the Republican Primary ballot asking for a “yes” or “no” vote for expanding support of the Second Amendment. And Driskill’s shirt was deemed in violation of the law.

Some may see this as silly. And that’s certainly something we can understand.

Others might say this is an attack on a conservative position, but that’s murkier. Back in 2010 a voter in Houston was turned away for wearing a shirt with President’s Obama’s image on it—even though the president was not running that year.

In any case, Driskill borrowed a jacket, covered up his shirt and was permitted to exercise his franchise. Afterward, he said he didn’t mind the inconvenience and offered a bit of advice: “If you have to turn around and go change shirts, you know, so be it. But get out and vote.”

Now that’s sound thinking. A lot of folks would have made a big deal over this—and a lot of folks will. But forget the drama. Just vote.