TexasCHLforum.com

Sure I'm sure OCT provided some media viewpoint. But you also have to consider all of those LEO presentations would have happened irregardless. All the media presentation would have happened irregardless, as what OCT did was open carry with long guns which has nothing to do with the open carry of handguns. If you take OCT out of the picture, do you honestly think the media would have said nothing about the new law going into effect? They HAD to inform the general populous that "HEY people are gonna start carrying pistols openly because its legal now". That was 100% going to happen irregardless of anything OCT did or did not do. 98% of the media coverage on this issue was about the new law, not about anything OCT did. The media never once said, oh OCT carried ar-15's into starbucks and by the way texans can now legally open carry handguns. I'm not a member of OCT. I have never carried an AR-15 openly and I don't even own an AR-15 ( I do have an AK-47 but its not carried in starbucks). Everyone seems to get bent up on OCT, but fails to realize, all this non sense about open carry would have gotten blasted on the media no matter what OCT did. Those anti-gun folks out there do not care if you are carrying a glock 17 into starbucks or an ar-15. It's a gun and they do not want you there. This anti-gun sentiment was going to come out no matter what as soon as open carry passed. The suit and tie approach does not work with MDA and other groups. You can walk in wearing a suit and tie and a holstered handgun, and they will IMMEDIATELY categorize you the same as if you had walked wearing shorts and a tank top with an ar15 on your back. Your dress code, your politeness, etc, in no way effects their view of you. It is the firearm you carry, be it a pistol, a shotgun, or a rifle which causes them to pass judgement. Look at any of these peoples motto's, or their "missions". No where does it say, we don't want anyone carrying a gun that isn't wearing a suit and tie. They are scared of guns, and they do not want to see a gun, and do not want anyone to have a gun. PERIOD. If you think any of that is false, go look on any of the thousands of comments on the MDA facebook page.

OCT maybe opened a few eyes. They are not the main culprit. The media attention and the LEO presentations are what prompted this. I have spoken to like 30 or 40 people right before OC became law, and they had no clue that CHL even existed. They were panicked that people were gonna start walking around with guns now, and I attempted to explain people have already been doing that for 20 years now, and they just had no clue. If you remove OCT and pretend the group never existed, this issue still would have gotten the same amount of media attention, LEO presentations, as they had to let the masses know what the new law is, so that every single person carrying a gun wouldn't get twelve 911 calls made on them daily. It just so happens the ignorant masses had no clue about concealed carry, until the media/ police let them know. If you have no interest in guns, you probably don't go look at options that will allow you to legally carry, which is why a lot of people previously were uninformed.