Is Open Carry Activism Threatening our CHL rights.

[UpTheIrons]

Check this link out. We're getting even more press - and it is the bad kind. There's a comment by "Patrick" towards the bottom of the comments following the article that has some good things to say about what to do with these clowns, but I don't know how we'd get the ideas out far and wide:

In part, he says:

My question to the people of Texas: why are the OCT leaders (and those who damage our cause) allowed into any gun range or gun shop in the state?

Seriously, we need to police this. I will say that no reputable range in Maryland would rightly serve someone who hurt our cause so brazenly and unrepentantly. We got a ban hammer, and we use it. The largest ranges in Maryland would not accept these people, and to this day the few shops and ranges who complied with a “request” from the state police to get names of people buying ammo are on a blacklist and will never come off until they repent.

So to the people of Texas, I suggest you start taking names and calling ranges, shops and clubs. Tell them, “I will not patronize any business that harms my interests, and serving OCT drama-queens harms my interests.”

Link: http://www.pagunblog.com/2014/06/03/tex ... ent-358261

[sugar land dave]

A Good Book I read said that some lawful things are not the best way to do things and that some lawful things are not good for us. Some folks way back in time were pretty smart.

[myntalfloss]

Well, I guess I jumped the gun (no pun intended) on this. Now the NRA is saying that the comments about OC were just one staffers opinion and that they support OCT. I guess they decided that common cause was more important than common sense.

Still think they're causing people who are neutral about guns to move into the anti-gun camp. To paraphrase; "Guns don't make me nervous, people who carry guns inappropriately do". I don't know these idiots, I don't know their competence levels with firearms and the fact that they're carrying them like this doesn't give me a lot of confidence in their brain housing group.

[RedRaiderCHL]

I dont think their tactics are hurting CHL carriers. I think they are hurting everyone that is PRO guns. Most people realize that CHL holders are licensed, trained (to some degree or another) and law abiding. I think their tactics hurt people without CHLs who would like more freedom with their guns. Not that they necessarily should get it.

As for Open carry, I am a strong believer carrying. period. I feel Texas (as well as every other state) should make open carry a legal option for those that have acquired a CHL. I think that once you have a CHL you should be able to carry concealed (like we currently do-no change in the laws there) but also be able to carry openly WITH A LEVEL TWO OR HIGHER retention holster. As for those who just own guns and feel it is their right to open or conceal carry without a permit they need to be evaluated psychologically because the current requirements in order to get a CHL are not difficult.

For those that say little Susie Soccer mom is going to see someone open carrying and get freaked out and launch an anti-gun coalition of mothers throughout the state. I think that is ridiculous. I know when I was growing up I lived in a couple open carry states and the only people ever saw open carrying were police officers so they always had their gun and their badge on there belt when they weren't in uniform. Occasionally you would get that law abiding citizen that open carried and had no badge and in those circumstances i would usually do a double take and wonder if they were a police officer; but never once did I or my family or friends ever get freaked out over something like that.

Anyways, like I said. Im a strong believer in carrying. period. CARRY ON!

The Second Protects The First

[TexasGal]

Had an interesting call today for a political poll. A couple of the questions specifically centered on open carry;

1. Would you be more or less likely to vote for a candidate that supports open carry groups? (groups not a proposed law).
2. Would you be more or less likely to vote for a candidate that supported the open carrying of firearms in public without a license?


Unrelated to this thread, but other questions covered:
How I feel about Wendy Davis, Gregg Abbot, Ted Cruz, and Konni Burton.
And a question asking if I would be more or less likely to vote for a candidate who supported taking guns away from someone charged with domestic violence. No mention of what level of offense.

[Jason K]

If OC does pass, we really need to work on changing this attitude of holstered OC gun automatically means threat....

[RedRaiderCHL]

If OC does pass, we really need to work on changing this attitude of holstered OC gun automatically means threat....

[Charles L. Cotton]

If OC does pass, we really need to work on changing this attitude of holstered OC gun automatically means threat....

I agree. Unfortunately, that job has been made harder by open-carry demonstrations with long guns and to a lesser degree with black powder handguns. I wrote an article during the 2013 legislative session designed to lessen fears that the general public might experience if open-carry passes. (Some people think there will be no such fears, but that's precisely what happened in 1995 when CHL passed.) I didn't think it would pass in 2013, so I intended my article as the first in an effort to educate the public about the great track record CHLs have earned and to put folks at ease at the sight of openly armed citizens.

The plan was to write more articles and hold live and video conference "town hall meetings" on the open-carry issue with a goal of building a strong consensus among all Texans that open-carry does not post a threat and that those doing so are CHLs who are 16 times less likely to commit a crime than the general public. The political landscape has changed and I don't think such efforts would help. In fact, they may even hurt the cause because people could well think they are nothing more than a political stunt designed to counter demonstrations.

Chas.

[canvasbck]

If OC does pass, we really need to work on changing this attitude of holstered OC gun automatically means threat....

I agree. Unfortunately, that job has been made harder by open-carry demonstrations with long guns and to a lesser degree with black powder handguns. I wrote an article during the 2013 legislative session designed to lessen fears that the general public might experience if open-carry passes. (Some people think there will be no such fears, but that's precisely what happened in 1995 when CHL passed.) I didn't think it would pass in 2013, so I intended my article as the first in an effort to educate the public about the great track record CHLs have earned and to put folks at ease at the sight of openly armed citizens.

The plan was to write more articles and hold live and video conference "town hall meetings" on the open-carry issue with a goal of building a strong consensus among all Texans that open-carry does not post a threat and that those doing so are CHLs who are 16 times less likely to commit a crime than the general public. The political landscape has changed and I don't think such efforts would help. In fact, they may even hurt the cause because people could well think they are nothing more than a political stunt designed to counter demonstrations.

Chas.

Charles, I am no expert but I'm not so sure that you should abandon that idea.

Yes, the fringes of the OC group have made it more difficult but we still have a long way to go until the next session.

Many of the groups are changing their tactics so that they are OC'ing during community outreach events. The CATI Austin group recently did a feed the hungry drive, I know that several of the groups are trending towards litter pickup events, more feed the hungry types of events. If those events are successful, we could see them start moving more away from the crazy protester theme that they have been going with. IF (I know it's a big if) they can steer their image towards a more positive one through these public outreach events, the articles and town halls would go along with them tremendously.

[TexasGal]

A recent newsletter from the TSRA noted the open carry enthusiasts demonstrating at the Republican Convention certainly did nothing at all to warm up legislators to passing open carry. The prevailing impression on legislators was negative.

By hanging out with long guns outside the convention, the demonstrators gave the press something to film that did not help gun rights at all. I will not be surprised if the only carry law they get passed is the one that puts a stop to the open carry of long guns and black powder revolvers.

[Keith B]

I can't find a link to it online, but on Tuesday night WFAA did one of their polls asking people to text in their vote on 'Should businesses be able to ban open carry of firearms'. The poll was 87% Yes and 13% No. I will be willing to be a large sum of money that had this poll been taken prior to all of the negative publicity that these open carry people have been creating, the yes number would have been a much smaller percentage.

[ScottDLS]

I can't find a link to it online, but on Tuesday night WFAA did one of their polls asking people to text in their vote on 'Should businesses be able to ban open carry of firearms'. The poll was 87% Yes and 13% No. I will be willing to be a large sum of money that had this poll been taken prior to all of the negative publicity that these open carry people have been creating, the yes number would have been a much smaller percentage.

It is kind of a misleading question, because the answer is...they can and always have been able to...and it's easier than banning concealed carry. However, I don't think the rifle toting "mall commandos" are doing us any favors.

[myntalfloss]

If OC does pass, we really need to work on changing this attitude of holstered OC gun automatically means threat....

I agree. Unfortunately, that job has been made harder by open-carry demonstrations with long guns and to a lesser degree with black powder handguns. I wrote an article during the 2013 legislative session designed to lessen fears that the general public might experience if open-carry passes. (Some people think there will be no such fears, but that's precisely what happened in 1995 when CHL passed.) I didn't think it would pass in 2013, so I intended my article as the first in an effort to educate the public about the great track record CHLs have earned and to put folks at ease at the sight of openly armed citizens.

The plan was to write more articles and hold live and video conference "town hall meetings" on the open-carry issue with a goal of building a strong consensus among all Texans that open-carry does not post a threat and that those doing so are CHLs who are 16 times less likely to commit a crime than the general public. The political landscape has changed and I don't think such efforts would help. In fact, they may even hurt the cause because people could well think they are nothing more than a political stunt designed to counter demonstrations.

Chas.

[cb1000rider]

Honestly, I don't think you can change it. In OC states, like MI, people are being stopped and detained for OC where the public considers it unusual.

With all the media attention on firearm related violence and the increase (I think) in public area shootings, it's simply a fact that the public is going to have concerns when seeing a weapon. I think you'll find this opinion present on this forum too...

And honestly, I feel for LEOs on this issue too. The day that they get a call and ignore it because "OC is legal" and there is a blood-bath, someone's LEO head will roll.

It boggles my mind a bit that hidden is OK, but I guess that's "what you don't know"....

We're at a point where things might have to change. OC a firearm where legal and you're going to be stopped. You may be arrested. Yet, technically speaking, you've done nothing wrong in most cases.

[MeMelYup]

I think Jerry has the right handle on this. " onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;