Texas House Committee OKs Open Handgun Carry Bill

[Bold Lib]

AUSTIN (April 28, 2011)--The Texas House Committee on Homeland Security and Public Safety wants to take “concealed” of the state’s concealed handgun licenses, voting 5-3 in favor of a bill that would remove the word concealed from the law that allows Texans to have a handgun license.
http://www.kwtx.com/statenews/headlines/Texas_House_Committee_OKs_Open_Handgun_Carry_Bill_120870124.html

I like this. It will make things much easier to have the option to open carry during the hot Texas summers. You'll note that this is not "constitutional carry" though. Only people with CHL's would be able to open carry.

I wonder how enforcement would work though. If an officers see's a person open carrying are they to assume that they are doing so legally? In California an open carrier is not assumed to be doing so legally and can be stopped and inspected for compliance just for open carrying. Hummm. . .

[whoneedstickets]

1. I imagine the decision to stop and inspect will depend largely on race.

nt

[jpak]

3. Yup

n/t

[rl6214]

36. I guess I will have to make sure I have my paperwork in order

Hey jpak, didn't YOU say all these open carry bills were going to go down in defeat?

[Hangingon]

4. You are branding all Texas LEOs racist.

A slam on Texas. I know that you just can't wait to play the race card but this deserves an alert.

[rl6214]

35. Riiiggghhhtttt

Since Texas is largely hispanic I guess they will be stopping all caucasians.

[jpak]

2. Open Carry + Castle Doctrine = Funerals

yup

[lawodevolution]

6. Show us the evidence. There are states with both

[jpak]

10. they just passed it - but you just wait

Some Castle Keeper is going to encounter an Open Carry Intimidator and blow him away

and get away with it

"but yer honor he hads him a BIG GUN and I wuz skeered fo' my life"

yup

[lawodevolution]

13. show us how this is a problem in new hampshire or vermont

both have a state murder rate of around 1-1.5 per 100,000

[Name removed]

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[Bold Lib]

23. What a giant broad brush of bigotry that is. Shame on you!

[Name removed]

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[Bold Lib]

27. Yep, more broad brush bigotry on an entire state. Oh,

and as far as "New England" goes. . .

[ileus]

31. Hide and watch it not happen...again like always.

[Bold Lib]

14. Only for people that use unlawful deadly force. YUP

I've got no problem with that.

[Gman]

5. Why TF would anyone want to openly carry?

To be a complete obnoxious ass? I can think of absolutely no other reason. Oh yeah! I'll bet these people are a pariah at parties. Except with people that think like them. Better that than anything else.

[jpak]

7. To intimidate others and make themselves feel good/important

yup

[lawodevolution]

9. "make themselves feel good/important"

is this why you have to edit news stories and put the word "moran" in them. To make youself feel good and important.

[jpak]

11. No, to make sure that everyone knows that GOP morans are sponsoring all these stupid gun bills

yup

[lawodevolution]

12. you're trying to make yourself feel better because underneath your a petty little dude trying to ban

the interests of other men, meanwhile you probably think the things you like should remain legal.

[Name removed]

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[Bold Lib]

21. Looks to me like he hit the nail squarely on the head. Your lack or refutation

would seem to acknowledge it as well.

YUP

[jpak]

24. I was responding to a particularly stupid personal attack

yup

[Bold Lib]

25. And it was squarely applied with an outstanding light of insight.

yup.

[Bold Lib]

19. They are responding to the constituent wishes. I wish more Democrats

would take the lead on this. As it is they are too often following on this topic in Texas. Remember Ann Richards?

[Bold Lib]

18. Nope. Please get a little more knowledge on the subject and correct your ignorance.

[Bold Lib]

16. They would open carry because it is much more comfortable

to do it that way in the hot Texas summer. I much prefer to carry a .45 but when it gets real hot I sometimes switch to a .38 do to light attire. You seem to speak from a point of ignorance. Perhaps a little more knowledge on the topic and you would know why the fuck someone would open carry and not ask questions in such an obnoxious way.

[Gman]

32. I own 3 guns including a .357 Magnum

I would NEVER even consider carrying it openly. That's probably one of the most obnoxious things I can think of doing in public.

[Bold Lib]

34. You are entitled to your opinion. I, and the vast majority of Texas, disagree.

But at least now you know at least one reason why someone would rather carry open than concealed.

[Name removed]

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[rl6214]

42. I live in Texas and CC daily. Would I open carry, probably not

BUT I do often worry when it's 80+ degrees and I am wearing shorts and a Tshirt which makes it awefully difficult to CC. Hell, most of the time during our 'winter' I don't even wear a jacket so it's always difficult to CC. I want to remain within the law and don't want to accidently print or expose my weapon so for this I think the law is appropriate.

[Bold Lib]

51. I really don't care about your ass. You are simply wrong though.

Remember Ann Richards? She thought as you do, and look where that got us. As far as where I was born. I was B.O.I. Let's see what kind of Texan you are and if you know what that means.

[PavePusher]

45. "obnoxious"? How so?

Is there an accompanying neon sign and polka band?

[Gman]

49. LOL! I rest my case

those that don't get it are the problem.

[PavePusher]

50. If you can't explain it....

then it doesn't exist.

Language. It's this nifty thing we Homo Sapiens developed to ease the exchange of feelings and concepts. Try it, you'll like the results.

[gravity556]

37. No kidding.

A good OWB for those days when it's 115 out is much more comfy than an IWB. And you know what? Almost no one notices, and the few that do are 99% positive about it. You get the occasional "yup"-ing carbuncle on the ass of what would have been an otherwise perfectly lovely day, but what can you do?

And you'd think the anti-ccw ("OMGWTFBBW! hidden guns! HIDDEN GUNS EVERYWHERE!") crowd would fully support open carry over concealed. The people who should, however, have a good deal more attention from the anti-carry crowd, are the criminals. The people who, by their very nature, have no concern about breaking laws. Or going to jail. Or taking your posessions or your health, or your life. And they don't give a flying fuck about "gun free zones", other than knowing that there's less chance of someone pulling a gun in their own defense. Particularly since law abiding citizens, valuing their freedom and looking at even a night in jail as strong deterrence, and so either do not carry in that area (though some still will) or avoid it completely.

[PavePusher]

20. Do you walk around with uncovered books?

Shame on you....!

[Name removed]

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[gejohnston]

33. in the woods and around the ranch/farm. In town? Search me.

[Gman]

47. I've no problem with the ranch or farm

In the grocery store is a sign of total insecurity.

[Bold Lib]

52. Thank you for your permission to open carry on private property, but we don't need

it for OUR private property. Come to think of it the grocery store is private property also, and the owner is free to disallow carry (concealed or otherwise) on it. What we are discussing is open carry in public. (you know that "bear" part of the 2A - well maybe you don't)

As far as "insecurity", you are able to deduce this how exactly? Is it through your failed but self believing clairvoyance, or just bigoted stereotyping? I suspect the later.

[YllwFvr]

38. Because

I wear tight shirts and my gun is too big to conceal. Not much point. That and the grip rubs my skin raw, its hot and prints very obviously. Also why not? Ill be ocing on duty soon enough.

[GreenStormCloud]

44. There are some situations in which I would like to open carry.

For example, if I use an outside ATM at night I would like to be able to lift my shirt and tuck it behind my gun making my gun visible, and able to be drawn faster. When finished with the ATM then I would flip my shirt over my gun. Any thug planning on robbing me at the ATM would know that I was a high-risk proposition and likely would wait for someone else to rob.

[lawodevolution]

8. but we will still be able to conceal right?

[Bold Lib]

22. Yes, as I read it, it would allow for the option of a CHL holder to carry

concealed or open.

[lawodevolution]

40. This is good because it means you don't have to worry about some of the gun showing

[DWC]

30. Great News and long overdue. n/t

[Smokewagon]

41. There is a little hidden problem

With open carry for Texans, that hasn't been addressed. It's the state required signage that prohibits licensed carriers from businesses. I see very few of the signs today, but once open carriers begin frequenting some places of business, more signs will go up. Let's face it, there are a lot of people that are terrified at the sight of a firearm. Some reasonably so, some not.

So open carry may become a cause for CHL holders to have fewer places they can carry.

[rl6214]

43. I've seen a few signs that say no guns allowed

I have alson seen quite a few that say no UNLICENSED guns allowed.

Big difference.

[armueller2001]

48. They can both be ignored

If you have a CHL.

[PavePusher]

46. That prediction is another hoary adage that doesn't really seem to be a real problem...

in other places.

A few signs go up, but most soon come down when the "blood in the streets" doesn't happen, and the businesses that put them up get large volumes of letters and decreases of sales.

Isn't the free market a wonderful thing?