Is Open-Carry Dead for 2009?

[AWB09]

"....but Texas requires an
expensive permit, an arduous application process, and an
interminably long wait before you can bare arms...."


I know, I've been wanting to wear short sleeve shirts since I got here, and It's HOT in south Texas.



Sorry, just trying to lighten things up a bit.

You can't bare them. You have to conceal them even if you jump through the hoops.

[phoneguy]

"....but Texas requires an
expensive permit, an arduous application process, and an
interminably long wait before you can bare arms...."


I know, I've been wanting to wear short sleeve shirts since I got here, and It's HOT in south Texas.



Sorry, just trying to lighten things up a bit.

You can't bare them. You have to conceal them even if you jump through the hoops.

Maybe I'll move to New Mexico, I hear you can bare your arms there, without a permit.

[MCook806]

Why should the mother driving her kids to school and herself to work unarmed because of her employer’s parking lot policy support your open-carry effort if you do not care enough about her life to get involved and help her reach her goal? Why should the adult college student support open-carry when you don’t support her cause, and you attack the A+ Senator who is going to try to make sure she doesn’t become a victim of a mass murderer on a Texas campus?

It is time for more people to follow the lead of SA-TX and Conagher and tell the radical open-carry supporters that their brand of activism is counter-productive and won’t be supported in Texas.

Chas.

can you point out to anyone here just where those of us who supported open carry did NOT support the other two causes you mentioned? or are those unsubstantiated claims of yours, much like the ones you accused me of in the other thread?

"It is better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to open one's mouth and remove all doubt." --Very old and very wise adage

[cyphur]

It is rather unfortunate that two groups looking to at a base level achieve the same goals - expand citizen's 2A rights - were unable to work together and become successful. Hopefully in the future this will be possible.


As for open carry in Texas - I can appreciate people's fears that anti-gunners will use this against us - I can see that some people - in public who don't understand the law - could become alarmed. But, at the end of the day, it should be my right to decide how to carry. If I want to walk out to my mail box, which is on public property(community mail boxes) without concealing, I should be able to. I should be able to pump my gas without having to wear additional clothing. If I want to go fishing, I should be able to wear it however is most comfortable. I've gone through the background checks, heck - I was even training in combat handgunning in the Army as I was issued an M9 as my primary weapon. For the state of Texas to say I can't open carry because they think it's unnecessary, is as silly to me as telling me I shouldn't be allowed to drive a bright yellow Corvette because it is a distraction to other drivers. I've been issued a drivers license, what does it matter what I drive so long as the car itself is road worthy?


I can appreciate the timing factor we face with several other important issues. I agree that without the right to defend one's self at school or the ability to store a weapon in your car during work hours, open carry doesn't help much. I do not believe these rights are mutually exclusive, though. Gov Perry said after the VT shootings that we should be permitted to carry just about anywhere - I say we hold him to that remark.

I find it sad that we have to fight for this right to begin with. I can agree - licensing in this day and age has become an necessary evil - I am unhappy about it - but I can live with it. What I don't agree with, after going through the background check, the day-long training course, waiting several months for the State of Texas to verify I wasn't lying to them all this time - they "permitted me" to carry a pistol - something I thought should have been a fairly obvious right to begin with - but now they have the audacity to tell me how to carry it.


I will support all of the pro-2A bills this session, I have in the past, I'll continue moving forward. What I don't understand - is why anyone who supports gun owner's rights, would fight this. If you don't want to carry openly, don't! Keep it concealed. I propose simply renaming it the Texas Handgun License. It should keep the same reciprocity, same licensing requirements, but drop the requirement to keep it concealed. Also - carrying openly under permit should be an exception - not a defense to prosecution. Also, I believe there should be a badge-like item to identify folks who have been licensed to carry - to keep near the weapon - such as a LEO does. I think while there is some complexity to that - I am sure there is a way to avoid it being mistaken from a LEO badge - but also look official enough that most sheeple would notice it and not think twice.

Just my two cents - keep it civil.....

[Charles L. Cotton]

. . . is as silly to me as telling me I shouldn't be allowed to drive a bright yellow Corvette because it is a distraction to other drivers.

[DoubleJ]

. . . is as silly to me as telling me I shouldn't be allowed to drive a bright yellow Corvette because it is a distraction to other drivers.

[flintknapper]

. . . is as silly to me as telling me I shouldn't be allowed to drive a bright yellow Corvette because it is a distraction to other drivers.

I figured that would catch your eye.

[cyphur]

. . . is as silly to me as telling me I shouldn't be allowed to drive a bright yellow Corvette because it is a distraction to other drivers.

Chas, if you drive a millenium yellow or velocity yellow Corvette, you can chalk me up as envious - I love Corvettes. Just seemed to be a good comparison!!!!