Open Carry

[bizarrenormality]

Does anyone know why Open Carry was banned in Texas?
Is it like most Gun Laws and have to do with some weird vaugley racist concerns?

If you look at the history, there was nothing vague about it.

[chabouk]

Does anyone know why Open Carry was banned in Texas?
Is it like most Gun Laws and have to do with some weird vaugley racist concerns?

If you look at the history, there was nothing vague about it.

And it was especially telling that it was imposed by a Reconstruction government unhappy that Texas didn't bar "those people" from carrying guns.

[Conagher]

I’ve stated this before, but maybe worth repeating. I believe we should be addressing the root cause of the issue in order to find an appropriate solution. Most, if not all the objections I read hear to OC is not with the freedom and choice to OC, but rather with our current law to allow posting of the 30.06 sign. If we can address this concern it appears, at least from this thread that we can all align on restoring this freedom.

What are some of your ideas on how we can add/delete/modify the current 30.06 law to ensure this issue is addressed?

jordanmills had one idea which appears to be a play on how/why the original 30.06 was created in the first place. Thanks jordanmills for being part of the solution!

Now, what are yours?

Thanks and Have a Nice Day!

Well, I was really hoping more folks would jump in to be part of a solution.

Keith B, mr surveyor, and frazzled: Not to put you on the spot, but I was really hoping for a response from you folks. With your experience, knowledge and your typical level-headed responses I’m guessing you would have some great ideas on how we could began working up a resolution to this impediment of freedom. What do you say; want to give it a shot?

Others please join in as well.

Thanks and Have a Nice Day!

[frazzled]

Personally I'm for OC with the ability of local jurisidictions to prohibit, otherwise limited only by the same requirements of purchasing a firearm in Texas. It would be problematic between jurisdictions, but thats the wonly way i could see it, other than being prescirbed in areas of such and such concentration of folks. Frankly if someone walked by armed outside the BofA Building or Chase Tower, many people would freak, including all the cops about.
Personally I'm ok for CC, limited only by the same requirements of purchasing a firearm in Texas. 30.06 signs and other off limits to remain.

Not so certain how to go about it other than expand the CC first. As noted, OC of long guns was a time honored tradition in Texas until the 90s. Like others I grew up with everyone with a truck have a shotgun rack and a shotgun or 30/30 in it (and often an umbrella at least in Houston). That fell away more due to crime than much of anything else-people would steal your dang 30/30 out of your truck!

[Keith B]

Well, I was really hoping more folks would jump in to be part of a solution.

Keith B, mr surveyor, and frazzled: Not to put you on the spot, but I was really hoping for a response from you folks. With your experience, knowledge and your typical level-headed responses I’m guessing you would have some great ideas on how we could began working up a resolution to this impediment of freedom. What do you say; want to give it a shot?

Others please join in as well.

Thanks and Have a Nice Day!

Well, as much as it would be nice to have open carry capability, I personally don't see it happening. As stated before, trying to get a state to reverse a law is VERY tough and my thoughts are the compromises that would be required to get ANY form of open carry would cause damage to concealed carry laws.

There is one potential option for a start, and that might be to try and get open carry in unincorporated areas, i.e. not in the city limits. This would allow those that live in rural areas an option to not have to cover. By starting small and out in the areas where there are no big businesses, you start training the populace that just because someone has a gun on their hip doesn't make them a bad person.

IMO any advancement toward getting open carry is going to be slow at best. And, after last year's debacle with some of the antagonistic methods a few supporters used, you are going to meet with a lot of resistance from legislators. You are going to have to try and get them to eat the elephant one bite at a time and it is going to take a lot of tenderizing and chewing to get anyone to swallow the bite and not choke.

[Conagher]

Personally I'm for OC with the ability of local jurisidictions to prohibit, otherwise limited only by the same requirements of purchasing a firearm in Texas. It would be problematic between jurisdictions, but thats the wonly way i could see it, other than being prescirbed in areas of such and such concentration of folks. Frankly if someone walked by armed outside the BofA Building or Chase Tower, many people would freak, including all the cops about.
Personally I'm ok for CC, limited only by the same requirements of purchasing a firearm in Texas. 30.06 signs and other off limits to remain.

Not so certain how to go about it other than expand the CC first. As noted, OC of long guns was a time honored tradition in Texas until the 90s. Like others I grew up with everyone with a truck have a shotgun rack and a shotgun or 30/30 in it (and often an umbrella at least in Houston). That fell away more due to crime than much of anything else-people would steal your dang 30/30 out of your truck!

Thanks for your reply fazzled. I think you have the start of an idea there. I would like to kindly encourage you to continue your thought process to see how this could work.

Thanks and Have a Nice Day!

[Conagher]

Well, I was really hoping more folks would jump in to be part of a solution.

Keith B, mr surveyor, and frazzled: Not to put you on the spot, but I was really hoping for a response from you folks. With your experience, knowledge and your typical level-headed responses I’m guessing you would have some great ideas on how we could began working up a resolution to this impediment of freedom. What do you say; want to give it a shot?

Others please join in as well.

Thanks and Have a Nice Day!

Well, as much as it would be nice to have open carry capability, I personally don't see it happening. As stated before, trying to get a state to reverse a law is VERY tough and my thoughts are the compromises that would be required to get ANY form of open carry would cause damage to concealed carry laws.

There is one potential option for a start, and that might be to try and get open carry in unincorporated areas, i.e. not in the city limits. This would allow those that live in rural areas an option to not have to cover. By starting small and out in the areas where there are no big businesses, you start training the populace that just because someone has a gun on their hip doesn't make them a bad person.

IMO any advancement toward getting open carry is going to be slow at best. And, after last year's debacle with some of the antagonistic methods a few supporters used, you are going to meet with a lot of resistance from legislators. You are going to have to try and get them to eat the elephant one bite at a time and it is going to take a lot of tenderizing and chewing to get anyone to swallow the bite and not choke.

Thanks for the reply Keith B. I think starting in unicorporated areas has a lot of merit. How do you think we could go about implementing something like this?

Also just to respond to some of your other comments: I agree trying to get a State to reverse a law is tough, but as we have seen with the concealed carry law it is not impossible with a lot of hard work. I also agree advancement towards OC could be slow; which to me means all the more reason we need to begin working it now. Seems reasonable to start laying the ground work now (swallowing the first bite). An example to this is last session a bill was submitted to allow OC for handicap folks. Maybe we can get that re-submitted and include unincorporated areas as a start. What do you think?

Thanks and Have a Nice Day!

[Trinitite]

Personally I'm for OC with the ability of local jurisidictions to prohibit, otherwise limited only by the same requirements of purchasing a firearm in Texas. It would be problematic between jurisdictions, but thats the wonly way i could see it, other than being prescirbed in areas of such and such concentration of folks. Frankly if someone walked by armed outside the BofA Building or Chase Tower, many people would freak, including all the cops about.
Personally I'm ok for CC, limited only by the same requirements of purchasing a firearm in Texas. 30.06 signs and other off limits to remain.

I'm for religious freedom with the ability of local jurisdictions to prohibit. Some people freak out when they see Muslims, and it's more important to make intolerant people feel comfortable than allow others to exercise their constitutional rights. .

[marksiwel]

Personally I'm for OC with the ability of local jurisidictions to prohibit, otherwise limited only by the same requirements of purchasing a firearm in Texas. It would be problematic between jurisdictions, but thats the wonly way i could see it, other than being prescirbed in areas of such and such concentration of folks. Frankly if someone walked by armed outside the BofA Building or Chase Tower, many people would freak, including all the cops about.
Personally I'm ok for CC, limited only by the same requirements of purchasing a firearm in Texas. 30.06 signs and other off limits to remain.

I'm for religious freedom with the ability of local jurisdictions to prohibit. Some people freak out when they see Muslims, and it's more important to make intolerant people feel comfortable than allow others to exercise their constitutional rights. .

[03Lightningrocks]

Personally I'm for OC with the ability of local jurisidictions to prohibit, otherwise limited only by the same requirements of purchasing a firearm in Texas. It would be problematic between jurisdictions, but thats the wonly way i could see it, other than being prescirbed in areas of such and such concentration of folks. Frankly if someone walked by armed outside the BofA Building or Chase Tower, many people would freak, including all the cops about.
Personally I'm ok for CC, limited only by the same requirements of purchasing a firearm in Texas. 30.06 signs and other off limits to remain.

I'm for religious freedom with the ability of local jurisdictions to prohibit. Some people freak out when they see Muslims, and it's more important to make intolerant people feel comfortable than allow others to exercise their constitutional rights. .

[frazzled]

Personally I'm for OC with the ability of local jurisidictions to prohibit, otherwise limited only by the same requirements of purchasing a firearm in Texas. It would be problematic between jurisdictions, but thats the wonly way i could see it, other than being prescirbed in areas of such and such concentration of folks. Frankly if someone walked by armed outside the BofA Building or Chase Tower, many people would freak, including all the cops about.
Personally I'm ok for CC, limited only by the same requirements of purchasing a firearm in Texas. 30.06 signs and other off limits to remain.

I'm for religious freedom with the ability of local jurisdictions to prohibit. Some people freak out when they see Muslims, and it's more important to make intolerant people feel comfortable than allow others to exercise their constitutional rights. .

[stevie_d_64]

The amazing thing is that this discussion has gone on for 5 pages...Which tells me people are still scratching their heaqds and wondering why this issue has not been resolved (in our favor)...

Regardless of the very knowledgable and technical pros and cons of this issue, I have been one that would still like to see it resolved and Texans having the choice to exercise their right without scrutiny or critisism...

What started out last time with a good effort was torpedoed by proponents that were impatient and immature in my opinion, and that pretty much killed the effort, and it is unlikely to be carried again anytime soon...

So what do we do now???

Carry concealed!!!

I'm good with that...

[chabouk]

Personally I'm for OC with the ability of local jurisidictions to prohibit, otherwise limited only by the same requirements of purchasing a firearm in Texas.

I'm a huge advocate of OC, but I'd rather not have OC, than let the camel of local restriction get its nose into the tent. Gun owners can't afford to allow any cracks in the armor of strong statewide preemption, and I don't think TSRA would ever agree to anything like that.

Look at alcohol sales in the DFW metroplex: it's a crazy patchwork of wet, dry, by-the-drink, and package sales only. Local municipality lines run willy-nilly with hardly any notice. In 30 minutes you can pass through a half dozen or more "local jurisdictions". Do you want the same kind of craziness applied to carrying a gun?

[sooeey2u]

I fully support open carry as our Second Amendment right and live in the state of Oregon which is an open carry state.

However I carry concealed most of the time but with summer approaching I tend to OC more often. Even tho I can OC without a permit, I have a Oregon CHL because it gives me more options and more place to legally carry such as school premises and in cities that do not allow OC by municipallity codes.

I also have a non-resident Utah CHL which give me 16 additional states which includes the great state of Texas and my neighboring state of Washington.

Here in Oregon, you can legally carry with or without a permit in bars, taverns, restaurants that serve alcohol (no 51% limitations), even banks. Of course Post Offices are off limits, at least those with metal detectors .

I lived in & around Houston from '72-81 and concealed carried 90% of the time w/o a permit being knowledgeable that when carrying concealed it means concealed...

My belief is ALL states should allow OC to al law abiding USA citizens, period.

[Dopavash]

I am an Open Carry proponent as well. The ease and convenience as well as the educational, tactical, and human rights aspects of it are undeniable IMO.

Would it not be a good route to take by simply decriminalizing "printing" or such? Wouldn't this make it to where only CHL holders can OC? I don't agree with this route completely but it serves everyone's purposes. Folks who are strictly CC won't have to worry about taking a ride to the station because of an accident and have the option to OC when it suits them. OC folks would be happy with this, I know.