Despite popular mythology, us Texans don't ride horses much anymore, or wear 10 gallon hats, or walk around town with a 6-shooter on our hip.
That will all change on January 1, 2016, however. The part about the 6-shooter at least. Up until then it is illegal to "open carry" a handgun in Texas. But we will soon be joining most of the rest of the country in allowing our citizens to do just that.
On that date all CHL (Concealed Handgun License) holders will convert to LTC
(License To Carry) holders, and anyone properly trained, vetted and licensed will be able to carry
either concealed or openly. What I can't figure out is why? Why would anyone want to carry a handgun out in the open?
This lady looks to me like she could easily become a victim at any moment. Someone walks up behind her with a sock full of quarters and pops her up-side the head with it, and he has himself a nice looking 1911-style handgun, while she gets a very expensive ambulance ride. Or if a bad guy already doped up and fidgety walks into a convenience store to hold it up and sees her with that gun on her hip, he might just shoot preemptively and take her out.
I have no problem at all letting upstanding citizens who are willing to undergo the proper training and allow themselves to be photographed, fingerprinted, and vetted top to bottom, carry private firearms. In the world we live in today, with the lawlessness that exists, and with the constraints (budgetary and otherwise) placed on our police, having the means to protect yourself seems quite reasonable IMO.
But I would personally prefer to go "gray man" whenever I could, kind of like having a big honkin' 454 under the hood of a vintage Buick Le Sabre. I would feel safer not attracting attention whenever possible, knowing that if I really had to, if there was absolutely no other way out, I could defend myself.
Ever hear of the "little man" complex? Is that what this is all about? Am I missing something? What is the point of open carry? Somebody 'splain it to me.
S
Open carry has been law in this part of Dixie for over a year now.
ReplyDeleteI have never seen a single one.
At the airport in Orlando recently, I saw on older guy who openly carried...except it wasn't a gun, it was a HUGE wad of $100 bills. Same principle, in my opinion, except he didn't have to get trained, photographed, and finger printed.
ReplyDeleteIt's just a good thing that only those properly trained, vetted and licensed will be able to openly carry. Now we'll always be able to tell the good guys from the bad guys, huh?
I agree with you 100%, but I guess this gives the option to people if they want. Maybe there are situations or occupations where someone might want to advertise that he is packing and not one to tangle with...still I would conceal if I were to carry.
ReplyDeleteRanchers, some farmers and perhaps a person doing night deposits are the only ones I can see needing to do this. Open carry kinda brings up the old " shoot first, ask questions later" mindset. I will not be doing it.
ReplyDeleteMe either.
DeleteOnly good thing is I can now see who is carrying so I can turn and go the other direction or leave a business where they are.
ReplyDeleteI wish the NRA would get that seeing some random stranger with a gun makes me feel less safe, not more so. I mean you can't tell just by looking if that person is responsible or crazy.
ReplyDeleteI'm with several of your commenters above. When I see a guy with a big gun on his hip entering a local store (and I do see it occasionally here in Wild West Arizona), I turn and head for my car. Some other store gets my business. And I'm a big fan of Doc Holliday. Go figure.
ReplyDelete