Petition for Texas Open Carry

[Flintknapper]

dogbaloo wrote:

No offense....but I DO NOT nor WILL I support open carry. I think it's a bad idea...not because of people on this forum and the good folks who actually take the responsibility of owning a firearm and training with it/them seriously...and I think people here are in that crowd.

I'm against it because of the "casual" gun folks, many of whom currently have CHL's and probably don't carry much as it's a hassel. If this bill passes, they will open carry, possibly, and it's much easier of course.

If I'm a bad guy, I'm sucker punching the first non-suspecting open carrying individual, be a woman, a small man or an elderly person and presto, I have a gun. Very few are trained and very few will get training on weapon retention. That's my number concern.

CHL is effective as a bad guy has no idea who is carrying. There's some deterant in that. Open carry makes you a target needlessly.

Not trying to hijack the thread, just trying make it clear that there are folks here who don't and won't support open carry.

Can you back up this ridiculous concern with any significant number of events where this has happened in the 30+ states that currently have open carry?

 

[Double Naught Spy]

CHL is effective as a bad guy has no idea who is carrying. There's some deterant in that.

There are no data to support that concealed carry is a deterrent to crime in any form or fashion. People who have made the claims have done so without refence to context or an understanding of cause and effect. Contrary to misguided and pro-concealed carry belief, the criminals are not changing their behavior because less than 2% of the Texas population of CHLs. However, if giving criminals that much credit for thinking through the risks and rewards, then pro-concealed carry folks should also realize that the vast majority of folks with CHLs do not carry on a regular basis, are not apt to practice with their guns even if they do carry, and as such, the realistic risk posed to criminals out on he street from concealed carry is quite low.

Open carry might provide some deterrent to some crime, but it isn't likely to make any major changes in the overall crime rates either. It does not appear to have done so in open carry states.

 

[hso]

JohnKSa,

Thanks for the clarification.

Since the TX legislature won't meet again until 2013 there's not a lot of point to this thread any longer since the proposed plan of action can't be carried out.

 

[TexasRifleman]

TX law is not worded that way. Unintentional exposure is not an offense.

"Sec. 46.035. UNLAWFUL CARRYING OF HANDGUN BY LICENSE HOLDER. (a) A license holder commits an offense if the license holder carries a handgun on or about the license holder's person under the authority of Subchapter H, Chapter 411, Government Code, and intentionally fails to conceal the handgun."

Keep in mind however that it's a jury who gets to decide if it was intentional or not.

If an LEO believes it was intentional he can arrest for it. If he's wrong and you prevail at trial good for you, but you were still arrested and had to defend yourself.

It's bad law in my opinion.