TexasCHLforum.com

Any restriction on carry is an obvious infringement of the Second Amendment federal right to bear arms. That, hopefully, is on the way to getting sorted out now. Here in Louisiana, open carry has always been the law of the land in a violent and often confrontational society for the simple reason it provides the fastest access to a holstered handgun for personal defense. Partially for the same reason knives are traditionally carried here on the belt. When the Louisiana Legislature was mulling over the aspect of concealed carry with a permit, then Governor Edwin Edwards took the position that if the citizens of his state desired to carry handguns, they should continue to do so in the open, where they would serve as an effective deterrent to criminal activity. Best call he ever made. Perhaps the only good one. I believe there are a lot of concealed carriers and others on the sidelines against open carry who have never drawn a weapon in self defense. Otherwise, they would appreciate it's advantages. Ever see a uniformed LEO with their duty weapon concealed? You need a gun, you often need the quickest access possible. This is not to say there are not times when one may wish or need to compromise that accessibility. I remain compeletly flabbergasted that the State of Texas, with it's long frontier history in which all manner of guns played a vital part, does not now permit the open carry of handguns.