Open vs Concealed Carry

I just learned about an interesting movement in Texas and nationwide. It is the Open Carry of firearms. Did you know that in 42 states you can open carry a firearm(with various levels of restrictions). Also, interesting enough Texas is not one of those states. There is quite a debate about the benefits of concealed carry vs open carry. You can check it out at the web sites above. I will attempt to summarize the arguments and then give my opinion.

• Open carry is easier-Definitely true in Texas in the summertime and for smaller people
• Open carry is a better deterrent to crime-Maybe, some argue that if someone is known to be armed the bad guy can take them out first.
• Open carry is a constitutional right-True, but the Texas constitution allows the restriction of that right
• Honest citizens will be scared if honest Texicans are openly carrying guns-probably true at first if open carry ever became popular. But I think we would get used to it over time.
• There will be gunfights in the streets-that is what was said when the CHL law was passed too and crime went down
• Property owners are more likely to not allow carrying openly-probably true, but business people don't like to lose money either
• Protecting is the police's job-Not true, in fact court cases have shown the police have no obligation to protect(no matter what they put on the cars). Police can prevent some crimes, and they can investigate and arrest after the fact. There are simply not enough of them and too many of us(and the bad guys)
  

I think any expansion of gun rights is a good thing, so I am in favor of Open Carry. I think it could happen but probably with a gradual process, or maybe just be allowed by CHL. In an ideal world any Good Texican(or American) over 18(except convicted VIOLENT criminals and the legally insane) would be allowed to carry a firearm openly or concealed except on private property where not allowed by the owner. Any steps toward this would be good. The more honest people carry guns the lower the odds are for the bad guys and some of them will give up and get a real job instead of preying on the weaker. Also remember that a gun is the only way too even up the odds between a young large male attacker and a small, or female, or elderly, or handicapped person. Give your mother/wife/daughter/poor neighbor/handicapped friend a chance to protect themself.

Right now in Texas a concealed firearm can not be visible to normal observation. This had made quite a market for holsters that attempt to hide a gun on a human. It is fairly difficult to conceal a large gun(especially on a small person or someone wearing tight clothes) and large guns make bigger holes in bad guys. Many people don't carry because it it too difficult to conceal properly so open carry would probably result in more Good Guys carrying guns(a good thing). Also right now you have to be 21 years old to get a CHL(unless you are military). I would really like to see that lowered to 18, in fact to me(as a father of girls) that is a much higher priority than open carry. Also the NRA and TSRA don't want to get strongly behind open carry. They think it will give gun owners a bad wrap with the public and hurt their image and their ability to get legislation passed.

So, I would like to see open carry legalized in Texas. A friend asked me recently if I would carry openly if it was legal. I told him probably not most of the time. In fact, it is legal now on premises that I own or control and I rarely open carry there(never in public). I guess if it got to be more socially accepted I would and there would probably be times that I would in a high risk area. But I don't think I would carry openly on a regular basis. But I still think this would be a step in the right direction. If nothing else I would carry a larger gun concealed and worry less about if it was totally concealed. That would be very nice in Texas in the summertime.

An armed society is a polite society.

When seconds count the police are only minutes away.