TexasCHLforum.com

I'm in a bit of a quandary when it comes to this issue...

I support the unrestricted right to carry - whether concealed or not. But the reality of it is that there are a large number of people who ought not to be carrying at all because they are criminals - concealed or not. That salient fact is what anti-gunners will use as any argument against enlarging the scope of the state's carry laws. For better or for worse, those anti-gunners vote, and they will vote against anything that will facilitate the RKBA - unless those steps are taken incrementally, and there are sufficient statistics to back up the reasonableness of loosening carry restrictions. That's just the political reality of it.

Let's say that you put a bill before the legislature that was sweeping in its scope, brushing aside all the previous restrictions on carry, whether open or concealed, and it was voted down. This could easily happen, and you will have already played your full hand on the opening move. You've had CHL here in Texas for what? 13 years or so? Remember that CHL bills were shot down in 1985, 1987, 1989, 1991, and 1993... ...and this was in a state with a long tradition of gun ownership. Texans have grown comfortable, it seems, with licensed concealed carry.

I think that the approach far more likely to be successful is to start by trying to expand the CHL to include open carry. After the public has gotten used to the idea, then you deregulate open carry, but keep concealed carry with a license. After the public has gotten used to that, then you deregulate concealed carry. I believe that any other approach than the incremental one is politically unrealistic.

OTH, there are some genuine benefits to having licensed concealed carry. One is is that, realistically, it does help to defuse LEO encounters if they can know from your CHL that you are one of the good guys. Not all cops are going to be courteous about it, but most will be so.

Anyway, I would like to see completely unrestricted right to carry, but I don't think it is a politically realistic expectation to get it all at once.