Open Carry - Just your opinions. Let's try not to debate just hear everyone out.

[Texas1911]

Sorry - but I don't see *moderator* on your heading. If you'll go back, you'll see that I generally ignore him - until he starts his name-calling and such. I ignored it for a while, figuring he'd get tired of it - but it's just gotten worse, and frankly I'm tired of it, and WILL react to it when he does it.

Breaking the rules because someone else is doing so is NOT the correct way to handle things. Report the thread so that the moderators can do something about it. Calling someone out on the forum is against the rules, and frankly you've been warned in the past about attitudes. A little self-control would be in order.

 

[M. Sage]

No, there is no "moderator" in my heading, does there have to be ? We should ALL be mature enough not to have the mgmt. get involved. This, to me, sounds like a school yard squabble. Be the "bigger" person and move on ! GEEZ !

Exactly. It just means that you can't back up your call for people to act like adults with the ban stick.

A reasonable suggestion is still a reasonable suggestion no matter what quarter it comes from. The only difference is failing to heed certain suggestions from moderators can cost you the privilege to post on TGT. Mods can't force anybody to act a certain way. All we can do is stop them from doing it here anymore.

 

[majormadmax]

So, what was this thread all about?!?

Honestly, while it's (almost) good to hear everyone's opinion on open carry; the truth is that I don't see it on the horizon. I am not a big advocate of it myself, I think the visibility of firearms spooks the general public too much and despite a lot of folks wrapping themselves up around the Second Amendment, civil order should take precedence over one person's right. Yes, I said it, and I understand the magnitude of that statement but having spent a quarter of a century in uniform I understand that certain sacrifices have to be made for the greater good.

My concerns lie with those "fence-sitters," the people that are OK with concealed carry because the aren't afraid of what they can't see; but bring all those dangerous weapons to their attention and it may just tip them in the anti-gun lobby's favor.

Even if Texas were to pass a law allowing it, I still don't think I would openly carry anyway. Concealed carry does give a person an edge, one that can make the difference in a lethal encounter. The scenario such where a bad guy walks into a place looking to rob it, sees you with a pistol on your hip and decides he has to remove you from the equation beforehand to prevent you from stopping him in his crime would be completely different situation if the bad guy doesn't realize you have a weapon, pays no more attention to you than any other customer, and this allows you to either make your exit or engage the bad guy if the conditions favor you doing so.

However, when I am in the deepest parts of the Hill Country, in some of those beautiful towns that dot the landscape, I don't see where open carry would be a big issue and similar signage to 30.06 could be displayed in places where businesses preferred that their customers do not openly carry on the premises.

So, it's not a cut and dry issue; there are good arguments for and some reasonable ones against. But once again the bottom line is that until the general public and more importantly our elected officials accept the idea and want to implement it, I think we're "stuck" with the ability to conceal carry which, in my book, is better than nothing!

Feel free to debate any and all of the above opinions...

Cheers! M2

 

[APatriot]

What level of open carry do you think is reasonable for Texas and why?

Poll is incomplete. I support OC only by those who qualify for a CHL. Where is that in your poll, specifically addressed?

 

[MR Redneck]

So, what was this thread all about?!?
Feel free to debate any and all of the above opinions...

Cheers! M2

You have nothing at all to debate with me what so ever. I tell as clear as I can, I dont like conceal Carry. I think its sneeky and I myself dont like having to hide my stuff, nor do I like something up against me. What I dislike more is people not being able to make their own decissions. Even though I dislike CC, I would never tell anyone they should nor would I support any law that say's you couldnt.
Open carry, thats for me. I left Odessa Texas last Friday and headed to El Paso to go on a tripp with someone I knew nothing about. I stoped in El Paso overnight and stayed at his house. He and his wife sure seemed like good people to me. I found out something about professions that really blew me away. His wife is in LE. Go figure. Im really not a person LE warms up to very well. I stayed at their house overnight and the next morning we haul ass to Arizona. When we left, my new found friend had a S&W 500 on his hip. Even thought I didnt know anything about this guy, it didnt bother me. We get to New Mexico" open carry state" I still didnt have my guns on me when we stoped for gas. I watched people as he wondered through the store and the only 2 people that seemed to notice his gun was a couple of gang banger lookin punks. They stay away from him. I dont know if he realized it or not. I really didnt want to carry in NM because I wasnt positive if I could carry there being from out of state and not having a chl. Beside, I can mop the floor with a couple of punks if I need to.
We get to Arizona and I didnt stop anywhere till we got to the meeting in Pheonix. When we arrived, I got out of the truck and had my 1911 hanging out of my pocket. I kinda felt like I was going to get in trouble, but yet I was doing nothing wrong in Arizona.
We went in and I saw everybody open carrying! It was a site to see. Old Duke had a 1911 I really admired. A 1915 year model he said. We didnt get time for me to hear the history about that 1911 with silver grips he carries, but I'll see him again. In the meeting I saw a lot of good thing and a bunch of great people. The only issue I seen that I didnt like was some dude carrying a 45 in a CC rig with a 90* cant.. I noticed it because he was sitting in front of me. I looked up and found myself staring down the barrel of a 45.. CC you say,if he had a shirt over that thing I would never been able to decide I need to move over. You can see what other are doing with CC.
When we left the meeting, we mess around for a little while and I honestly felt like I left Texas and went to Free country. Nobody ever seemed to notice Everybody was carrying guns! Something is way different in Arizona and I like it. People have a choice, and people use it! I never ran across a single asshole the whole day. People didnt look at me as if I were some big mean looking Redneck. They just didnt seem to care. Someone recently spoke of civilized Sociaty to me, and I know for a fact that in Arizona, people act more civilized! I travel Texas form one end to the other all the time. I run across asshole everywhere I go. I have learned to try and ignor them and I guess I do a good job most of the time. While in Arizona, I didnt run accross anyone that made me think a negative thought, well except for the blue POS car I saw with Obama Biden stickers on it.
I spent the entire weekend surrounded by people I didnt know. Never a issue, nothing but fun. I even went shooting with people in New Mexico last sunday. One of em was a fed...
Go figure, I left home friday night and surrounded myself with DEA's, FBI's, gun carrying Arizonians, and had the time of my life.. I had no clue when I left home what my weekend would endure. As big and mean as I look, nobody pulled a gun on me, and I didnt get any odd looks..
My little world recently got a lot bigger and I found myself missing out on some finer thing in life. It ended too soon and I cant wait to do it again.

 

[randmplumbingllc]

My concerns lie with those "fence-sitters," the people that are OK with concealed carry because the aren't afraid of what they can't see; but bring all those dangerous weapons to their attention and it may just tip them in the anti-gun lobby's favor.

Even if Texas were to pass a law allowing it, I still don't think I would openly carry anyway. Concealed carry does give a person an edge, one that can make the difference in a lethal encounter. The scenario such where a bad guy walks into a place looking to rob it, sees you with a pistol on your hip and decides he has to remove you from the equation beforehand to prevent you from stopping him in his crime would be completely different situation if the bad guy doesn't realize you have a weapon, pays no more attention to you than any other customer, and this allows you to either make your exit or engage the bad guy if the conditions favor you doing so.

However, when I am in the deepest parts of the Hill Country, in some of those beautiful towns that dot the landscape, I don't see where open carry would be a big issue and similar signage to 30.06 could be displayed in places where businesses preferred that their customers do not openly carry on the premises.

So, it's not a cut and dry issue; there are good arguments for and some reasonable ones against. But once again the bottom line is that until the general public and more importantly our elected officials accept the idea and want to implement it, I think we're "stuck" with the ability to conceal carry which, in my book, is better than nothing!

Feel free to debate any and all of the above opinions...

Cheers! M2

Where is the greater good in denying a person their constitutional right to bear arms and protect themselves, family and property ? What civil disorder would it cause ? 43 states already allow it, without any problem with "civil order".

I can change your guy robbing a place scenario this way. A bad guy walks in to rob a place and sees you armed. He is the usual criminal that preys on easy targets and leaves for easier pickins. How many crimes do you hear happening in police stations ? How many gun stores do you hear about being robbed ? How about uniformed police officers being robbed ? NONE ! The bad guys usually find an easier target.

You are right, it is all in what you get use to. We were in Arizona and New Mexico all day Saturday and I open carried. No one batted an eye. Texas would get use to it pretty quick, once the original shock wore off.

I understand OC is not for you. That is fine, but it should be your choice. If you can't afford a CHL or are old enough to own a handgun, but not old enough to get a CHL, you should have the right to OC. Why should my life be more important to protect then someone that is too young or too poor to get a CHL ?

As far as those "on the fence", if they want to be anti gun, that is their right. Just like it is my right to be armed. Some think that no one should have guns. Ask someone from the U.K. how that is working out for them.

I think it is funny that no one even bats an eye when seeing a uniformed officer open carry, but they will somehow freak out seeing someone without a uniform OC. Can you see the irony in that ?

 

[Cliffh]

Everyone that's against open carry should take at least a weekend trip to a state where open carry is allowed and try it themselves. They just might learn that open carry isn't as eeevillll as it's made out to be.

 

[randmplumbingllc]

You have nothing at all to debate with me what so ever. I tell as clear as I can, I dont like conceal Carry. I think its sneeky and I myself dont like having to hide my stuff, nor do I like something up against me. What I dislike more is people not being able to make their own decissions. Even though I dislike CC, I would never tell anyone they should nor would I support any law that say's you couldnt.
Open carry, thats for me. I left Odessa Texas last Friday and headed to El Paso to go on a tripp with someone I knew nothing about. I stoped in El Paso overnight and stayed at his house. He and his wife sure seemed like good people to me. I found out something about professions that really blew me away. His wife is in LE. Go figure. Im really not a person LE warms up to very well. I stayed at their house overnight and the next morning we haul ass to Arizona. When we left, my new found friend had a S&W 500 on his hip. Even thought I didnt know anything about this guy, it didnt bother me. We get to New Mexico" open carry state" I still didnt have my guns on me when we stoped for gas. I watched people as he wondered through the store and the only 2 people that seemed to notice his gun was a couple of gang banger lookin punks. They stay away from him. I dont know if he realized it or not. I really didnt want to carry in NM because I wasnt positive if I could carry there being from out of state and not having a chl. Beside, I can mop the floor with a couple of punks if I need to.
We get to Arizona and I didnt stop anywhere till we got to the meeting in Pheonix. When we arrived, I got out of the truck and had my 1911 hanging out of my pocket. I kinda felt like I was going to get in trouble, but yet I was doing nothing wrong in Arizona.
We went in and I saw everybody open carrying! It was a site to see. Old Duke had a 1911 I really admired. A 1915 year model he said. We didnt get time for me to hear the history about that 1911 with silver grips he carries, but I'll see him again. In the meeting I saw a lot of good thing and a bunch of great people. The only issue I seen that I didnt like was some dude carrying a 45 in a CC rig with a 90* cant.. I noticed it because he was sitting in front of me. I looked up and found myself staring down the barrel of a 45.. CC you say,if he had a shirt over that thing I would never been able to decide I need to move over. You can see what other are doing with CC.
When we left the meeting, we mess around for a little while and I honestly felt like I left Texas and went to Free country. Nobody ever seemed to notice Everybody was carrying guns! Something is way different in Arizona and I like it. People have a choice, and people use it! I never ran across a single asshole the whole day. People didnt look at me as if I were some big mean looking Redneck. They just didnt seem to care. Someone recently spoke of civilized Sociaty to me, and I know for a fact that in Arizona, people act more civilized! I travel Texas form one end to the other all the time. I run across asshole everywhere I go. I have learned to try and ignor them and I guess I do a good job most of the time. While in Arizona, I didnt run accross anyone that made me think a negative thought, well except for the blue POS car I saw with Obama Biden stickers on it.
I spent the entire weekend surrounded by people I didnt know. Never a issue, nothing but fun. I even went shooting with people in New Mexico last sunday. One of em was a fed...
Go figure, I left home friday night and surrounded myself with DEA's, FBI's, gun carrying Arizonians, and had the time of my life.. I had no clue when I left home what my weekend would endure. As big and mean as I look, nobody pulled a gun on me, and I didnt get any odd looks..
My little world recently got a lot bigger and I found myself missing out on some finer thing in life. It ended too soon and I cant wait to do it again.

Mr Redneck, it was a pleasure to spend the weekend with you. I am glad that I was able to show you how "the rest of the world lives". We were glad to have you in our home and I was honored to have you meet my family, friends and fellow gun rights friends in AZ. You are welcome back any time.

Goes to show ya, just one day, in a place that OC is normal and you feel right at home. You don't really even think about it. I remember the first time I OC'd in a AZ bank. I had not even realized it until I walked out. NO ONE ever even looked at me twice. I had to stop and look back, just to make sure.

Texas would get use to it very fast, as well. Once it is legal, it would be the same as AZ. No one panics, no one pays attention to it.

 

[SC-Texas]

I talked to a state senator today and he stated that pen carry didn't have the votes to even make it tot he floor.

This sucks but is not unexpected!

 

[randmplumbingllc]

I talked to a state senator today and he stated that pen carry didn't have the votes to even make it tot he floor.

This sucks but is not unexpected!

Not surprised, figured this session would be a wash. We are hoping to let them folks know who we are before next session. Once we get the bugs worked out, 2012 will be the year for change in Texas. (so long as a lib don't take over Austin first).

I really think the LSCDL group has promise and has potential for big things !

 

[MR Redneck]

I talked to a state senator today and he stated that pen carry didn't have the votes to even make it tot he floor.

This sucks but is not unexpected!

The issue with that is its not being pushed hard enough. The TSRA's loddyest" Allis Tripp" said she doesnt like open carry, so she wont support it.
Other than them, What does Texas have?
You get a organization such as what were forming who will go for less restrictions for the honest citizen, then yea, something will be done.
The problem with Legislature is there not being pushed! People vote and people will represented without special interest.

 

[Wolfwood]

I talked to a state senator today and he stated that pen carry didn't have the votes to even make it tot he floor.

This sucks but is not unexpected!

gah, cant even carry PENS anymroe
! what is the world coming to

 

[Fisherman777]

Everyone that's against open carry should take at least a weekend trip to a state where open carry is allowed and try it themselves. They just might learn that open carry isn't as eeevillll as it's made out to be.

True. When I lived in Louisiana, I open carried. Sometimes it was a 1911 and sometimes it was a Ruger Super Blackhawk in a western rig. Sometimes it was my Blackhawk 45LC. It was very comfortable compared to stuffing a big piece of plastic in my pants with a few pounds of gun in it and tucking a shirt over it. Most of the time I would conceal depending on what part of town I was in but other times I would open carry. Nobody said a thing except one time. I was getting something to drink after work at a convenience store in Alexandria and the lady behind the counter asked, "What's the gun for?" and I said it was for big bad bugger bears and that it was perfectly legal in LA. She seemed okay after that. That was the only time anyone said anything about my open carrying in public.

I didn't do it everywhere. In the middle of town in Lafayette, I would surely get arrested for disturbing the sheep's peace but on the edge of town and out towards my house, I carried openly and it seemed okay.

 

[matefrio]

I started this poll and thread as a place where I thought everyone could just vote and leave their opinion. If you read the first post I didn't intend for debate, personal attacks or call outs. The poll has run it's course and I think shows a good representation of what people think.

70% for Open carry permitted without a license.
Even here 2.67 were for not allowing open carry.

The rest are for some type of restriction before someone may open carry.

 

[MR Redneck]

I started this poll and thread as a place where I thought everyone could just vote and leave their opinion. If you read the first post I didn't intend for debate, personal attacks or call outs. The poll has run it's course and I think shows a good representation of what people think.

70% for Open carry permitted without a license.
Even here 2.67 were for not allowing open carry.

The rest are for some type of restriction before someone may open carry.

It would be great if the percentages reflected actual voting.
The " Restriction" issue is something I will never support. Why restrict people that have not done anything wrong. We dont have enough restrictions in Texas for the crap that has done everything wrong and thats the crap that people want to defend themselfs against.

 

[Charlie]

If, in my opinion, open carry is allowed (which I feel it should be!) there should be no "restrictions" on NON-CRIMINALS as to where you can carry (bar, school, courthouse, etc.) unless it's private property and the owner doesn't agree with someone carrying on their property. When you start putting restrictions on carrying (concealed or open) then you start saying some people/groups/areas are more important, etc. than others. We CANNOT keep criminals from carrying, regardless of all the laws put in place. The Darwin theory works well if it is left alone long enough regarding idiots possessing firearms. Jut my two bits.

 

[samloopy]

ehh....moved to tx years ago from a open carry state IA they learned long ago open carry + consumed alcohol = bad bad juju

but works great as it is there now . no carry on "premises that are licensed for consumption" and courthouses other than that,carry on.

i too am one that hates restrictions,but mankind has shown a constant inability to function intoxicated we do not allow you a car when intoxicated so id say yeah no gun when intoxicated too, that being said so the only real option is no carry for all while drinking as what do ya do ?

ask the bartenders to refuse to serve more than 1 drink a hr to the ones carrying?breatherlizer em before they buy?....i see lots of shot bartenders if this wer the case dont think id like to be in any bar that was like this, not that i can stand em as it is lol

 

[MR Redneck]

ehh....moved to tx years ago from a open carry state IA they learned long ago open carry + consumed alcohol = bad bad juju

but works great as it is there now . no carry on "premises that are licensed for consumption" and courthouses other than that,carry on.

i too am one that hates restrictions,but mankind has shown a constant inability to function intoxicated we do not allow you a car when intoxicated so id say yeah no gun when intoxicated too, that being said so the only real option is no carry for all while drinking as what do ya do ?

ask the bartenders to refuse to serve more than 1 drink a hr to the ones carrying?breatherlizer em before they buy?....i see lots of shot bartenders if this wer the case dont think id like to be in any bar that was like this, not that i can stand em as it is lol

Im more of the supporter of the designated driver being able to carry in bars. Everybody needs a designated driver, right?
Actually, I wouldnt complain at all if we hada law passed that wouldnt allow you to drink in public if you didnt have a designated driver!
Im not a legislature though, so my ideas would just be stooopid!!

 

[M. Sage]

Im more of the supporter of the designated driver being able to carry in bars. Everybody needs a designated driver, right?
Actually, I wouldnt complain at all if we hada law passed that wouldnt allow you to drink in public if you didnt have a designated driver!
Im not a legislature though, so my ideas would just be stooopid!!

This. Just make it illegal to consume alcohol while you're carrying. Very.

 

[randmplumbingllc]

This. Just make it illegal to consume alcohol while you're carrying. Very.

Here is the problem with open carry in bars. Any drunk might want to either pick a fight or try to disarm you. I like the way Arizona passed their law. Only concealed carry in bars and you cannot be under the influence. Plus, Arizona makes their money on their permit, that way.

If a drunk does not know you are armed, they won't try to grab a gun they don't know is there. Heck, there are gonna be people armed legally or not. Only law abiding citizens care about breaking the law.