Open Carry In Texas

[Mike D]

Infringe-to break (a law etc) or interfere with (a person's freedom or rights), to encroach upon
Bear-to hold or carry
As far as I can tell...citizens should be able to carry a gun with no "interference" or "encroachment" from ANY laws. Period. I would consider laws which force a person to carry a certain way, or limits the types of guns we can carry to be infringing on my rights.

ON the flip side...carrying a gun in the open may make a person a target(even though I dont think a simple robber really wants to kill anyone and would prolly avoid this situation entirely). But who says its the government's right to not let people make themselves targets? Anyone who has a gun should know the risks and do whatever is best for HIMSELF. I know that sounds dumb but its the truth. And besides...maybe if a bad guy shoots me first then one of you who CC would actually have time to dig into your ankle holster or reach down your pants and get something done!

I tell you what, try that and let me know how that works out for you.

If you are so dead set that your rights are being violated why not do something about it besides sign a poorly drafted internet petition?

GOD knows every time a minority feels his rights are being violated he steps up and makes a huge deal out of it.

[Flint knapper]

Other states like New Mexico and Colorado have a open carry law. This Towns and Cities can over ride this law to prohibit the open carrying of a firearm within their city limits.

I really don't have a problem with this, other than it does infringe on people 2nd amendment rights. That's why I got a concealed carry permit!

The concealed carry law allows you to carry almost everywhere, even in the cities that don't allow open carry. The key workd here is "Concealed"

[SaltwaterSlick]

I've been following this thread along and had decided not to post, but I've got to get on my soapbox a bit here.

First of all, I do think any law abiding sane citizen should be able to carry any legal weapon in public in any manner he/she so desires. Private businesses and homes is another story. The reason I'd personally like to see our rights returned is for no other reason than to make the CHL that I carry a little less troublesome. For instance, if you are a CHL holder and you are packing and someone in public sees or suspects you are carrying a handgun, if they report you to the authorities, that is grounds for you to be arrested and could even cause you to lose your right to carry, even with a CHL... that's just plain nuts, but it is the law. If you're carrying in one of the IWB holsters and your coat, shirt tail, or whatever is covering the grip or exposed portion of your gun above the waist band moves and exposes your gun, you are in violation of the CHL standards... the open carry rights that this petition is trying (not very well) to give us back would make that a mute point. I probably wouldn't openly carry, but I wouldn't worry so much about someone accidentally seeing my gun if I were packing. Further, it is a myth that openly carrying will make you a traget. In fact, by a vast margin, openly packing will make you less likely to be a victim. I researched this years ago in the state of Colorado which has an open carry law, and statistically, open carry folks seldom if ever were violent crime victims, and almost never had their guns taken... crooks (or better descirbed as turds by our many fine L.E. folks on here) are BIG COWARDS, and they will take the path of least resistance and move to someone else who is not packing. If you're packing openly, they will know it and give you wide berth. If it's concealed, they may or may not look at you as a victim (I do my best whether packing or not, to not "look" like a victim.). If they do decide you look like a victim, and you become their target, you will be forced to "try" to defend yourself and hopefully be successful. If that gun were hanging on your belt or in a shoulder holster outside your clothes, the turds would almost always move far away from you and select another victim, and a victim that is far enough away from you because they know you can help others as well. If there were a fair number of law abiding citizens openly packing, the turds would move out of that area... that is sure what was shown in the data I found from my Colorado research... This is quite the opposite of what has happened in Washington D.C. who has the strictest handgun laws in the country... they have the highest violent crime per capata of any major city in the country... go figure. Hopefully that law in DC will be upheld by out Supreme Court as unconstitutional in agreement with the lower court's finding.

Ok, I'm getting down off my box now....

[idratherbhuntin]

Not quite sure what my final opinion is yet but I think this can be looked at the same way as you play poker or run your business.

YOU DONT SHOW YOUR HAND TO THE OTHER PLAYERS.

YOU DONT SHOW YOUR PAYCHECK TO THE ONES YOU WORK WITH.

"THERE IS NOTHING GOOD THAT COULD COME FROM EITHER ONE."

Yes it is our right to bare arms but do you want the majority of your conversations each day to be about how big your gun is and why do you carry that one?

My CHL lets me be discrete and still protect myself.

[LostHawg]

That's not the point. The point is that with the CHL, the individual does NOT have the choice. It is no longer a right, it is a bought into deal that only a certain few may partake in; those who meet a certain criteria. It circumvents the rights of the individual to equality.

[Bily Lovec]

if i used too many big words, let me know and I'll retype it
I'll promise, heck, I'll bet you, you will never see an open carry law passed in the USA for the remainder of our great county's life...

right now, you can open carry on property you own or are authorized to by the owner. that includes your deer lease, even your eff-tree-fiddy driving down the road. be thankful you got that....

guys,
the best weapon you have against crime, is not the one on your hip, its the one between your ears. too many people think a weapon is a"cure-all" it aint. if you're not aware of your surroundings, that 45 tied around your leg is gonna get you a bullet in the back of the head.

I was here when we were passing the CCW law in texas, i know what a pain that was for us to pass, we had to get that beoitch ann richards out of office to get'r done, we had to write letters, make phone calls, threaten politicians, to get this done. if you think you're gonna get an open carry passed in texas, you're a fool wasting your effort.
Even if something liked that passed, it would have provisions for businesses to outlaw open carry on their premises, heck, the only places that would allow it would be gunshops and half of those would outlaw it. the thing about CCW is no one know you got it, and thats the way i like it.

there is no place in a civilized society for open carry. it aint gonna happen, redirect your efforts to something useful...

[LostHawg]

We don't all live in urbania.