I really don't care if crime rates go down with legal open carry. I can see how it might have a deterrent effect, but concealed carry could also be argued to have a deterrent effect with criminals not knowing who is armed. I don't carry so that the crime rate decreases; I carry to protect myself. There are many arguments for and against open carry, but I mainly see it as a right we are currently denied here in Texas.Rich wrote:I’m just happy to have a CHL. Plenty of pros and cons on this subject - would like to see some statistics regarding this topic…Would crime rates go down due to more folks walking around with open carry? Maybe so.
I would hope that the OC Law would require a license – just like the CHL.
Rich
As for me, I don't think that a permit should be required for open carry. I grew up in Virginia, where no permit is required to OC, and where it is actually becoming more common. I did not carry or even own firearms before moving to Texas, but when I go back to Virginia to visit I do OC some of the time--in particular, in Virginia the only way to carry on any restaurant that serves alcohol is to carry openly.
I am actually for Alaska-style carry--no permit required for open or concealed carry. At this point though that is most likely an unobtainable goal in Texas, or at least one that will take years to accomplish. I do not think that even open carry without a permit is a realistic goal in Texas right now, as much as I would like it. I do think that open carry with a permit is a realistic goal right now. So far as I can tell, the reason that open carry is legal without a permit in many states is that it was never outlawed. OC with a permit would at least a step in the right direction.
I also want to put in a plug for (as far as I can tell) one of the few websites dedicated to open carry, http://www.opencarry.org. The site also includes a forum.