Posted on May 28, 2014
What do you think of Open Carry Texas and other gun groups trying to carry firearm in public places?
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Honestly, I have never had a strong view on carrying firearms in public concealed or not. I own several firearms but don't feel the need to walk around armed even though I do have my conceal license and have been to several shooting course. Weapons are part of my job and I enjoy shooting them, I don't really consider them as a means of home security. But when I see groups like the Open Carry Texas trying to goto restaurants with not only pistols but assault rifles and shotguns a few things go through my mind. First, I see people that are looking for attention which they clearly get, as they act childish and smug when confronted. As soon as someone disagrees with them they throw out the 2nd amendment which was for self protection because our country was at war when it was written so common sense should be applied that carrying weapons is asking for trouble. When I say trouble I am talking about negligent discharges, confrontation, lack of training, and knowledge of weapons. What's the purpose other than causing a scene and getting attention. I love weapons and we should be able to own them but carrying them around in public. I mean there are plenty of countries where it is social acceptable to carry firearms in public, here are just a few: Nigeria, Algeria, Cote d’Ivoire, Zimbabwe, Sudan, Yemen, Sri Lanka, Gaza, Palestinian Territories, Pakistan, Democratic Republic of Congo, Iraq, Afghanistan, and Somalia just to name a few. What do all these places have in common they are really dangerous places, have little to no government, homicide rate is high, economy is terrible. Before we start preaching that we should be able to carry weapons in public areas think about how many safety accidents we have in the military where we train constantly proper weapons safety on a daily basis.
Concealed Carry
Gun Control
2nd Amendment
Firearms and Guns
Safety
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 73
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I am Stationed at Fort Huachuca andthe law here says that you can have a concealed carry permit but you don't have to. you can't carry in any place that serves alcohol and I respect that. I personally open carry my pistol when not at work I live out away from any town and don't have any close neighbors with some of the people that are crossing the border down here I'm not coming home empty handed. Most people here carry in some way. So I don't have a problem with someone carrying open or other wise if you are trained and doing it for a reason besides cause you can.
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CDR Michael Goldschmidt
What's wrong with "cause you can"? When you don't exercise your rights, you lose them. We've been seeing that a lot, lately, with all kinds of rights. The 2nd Amendment makes all of the other Bill of Rights rights possible.
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SGT Anthony Bussing
so, please, sir...explain to me in great detail and with specifics...exactly WHAT rights we, as American citizens, have lost....you see people saying this all the time...and yet, no one can give me a specific answer as to WHICH rights we have "LOST"....
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I don't necessarily believe they are looking for attention (not all of the folks that open carry are anyway). It would depend on where they are and what they are doing. Some of these groups do go out to see if it catches peoples attention. The best thing to do is to just ignore them (within reason).
I'm from Alabama (Open Carry state) and it was very common to see people openly carrying everywhere they went. I personally believe its better to have a gun and not need it than to need a gun and not have it.
I'm from Alabama (Open Carry state) and it was very common to see people openly carrying everywhere they went. I personally believe its better to have a gun and not need it than to need a gun and not have it.
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Sgt Jason West
Alabama and other open carry states are a completely different issue than what we face here in Texas. Here we can concealed carry (with permit of course). We can open carry pistols not considered firearms (pre-1899 (?) black poweder and black powder replicas of those firearms) and we can open carry rifles and shotguns. So for those that want open or Constitutional carry are basing it on how moronic our current laws are. Why is it that I can legally carry any long gun just about anywhere, I can wear a black powder revolver, I can concealed carry whatever I can conceal, but I cannot open carry a pistol? The open carry movement started as a way to highlight these laws and bring up the question of why it is legal to open carry an AR, AK, deer rifle, shotgun, whatever but not a pistol and to attempt to gain more support for the calls on our state legislature to pass an open carry law.
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I think that groups like this are bastardizing the intent of the 2nd amendment, which was that Americans should have the right to bear arms in the defense of the country and themselves, and as a last resort to "protect themselves against tyranny in government"(Thomas Jefferson) I do not believe the founding fathers intended for Americans to walk around carrying assault rifles and shotguns as if they were walking sticks or umbrellas. The guys in Texas are being ridiculous. I see no issue with concealed carry of pistols, except that law enforcement officers have to be much more careful when approaching a subject. Is that really making things better for us? I do agree that states that allow concealed or open carry most probably see a decrease in violent crime. The biggest problem with concealed carry, open carry, and the 2nd amendment in my opinion is the fact that the regulations that govern who can purchase firearms are not stringent enough. We just had another guy with a history of mental illness, who legally purchased a gun or guns, go on another shooting rampage in California. Columbine, Sandy Hook... how many of these things do we have to live through before something changes? Kids and young adults are desensitized to gun violence thanks to violent movies, TV shows, video games, etc. A small premium is placed on human life anymore. Every punks first reaction is to shoot someone. Sad days in America.
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I think we need to get used to it. We've become a nation of pansies.
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CWO2 Richard Rose
I grew up on a farm and own one now. Back when I was in school and hunting season was open the school parking lot was full of cars and trucks with guns in them. Most were unlocked with windows down. Boys in shop class couldbring their guns in to work on. They rode the bus to school, too. Nobody ever threatened anyone with any weapons period. At 12 years old I walked into a OTASCO store and purchased a new Remington bolt action .22 rifle. I also bought a box of 22LR at the same time and proudly walked out of the store with my new squirrel rifle. What has changed in this country?
I am also a former police officer. I fully support the right to keep and bear arms. If a person wants to look odd, that's their right. I have carried concealed for many years. When on my property I always carry openly which is generally a S&W .44 Rem Mag. As a police officer I never felt the least bit bothered by a person with a CHL, because 99.99% will come to an officer's defense.
We need to quit coddling those breaking laws and holding the criminals accountable. Saturday morning necktie parties on the county square would be a good start.
I am also a former police officer. I fully support the right to keep and bear arms. If a person wants to look odd, that's their right. I have carried concealed for many years. When on my property I always carry openly which is generally a S&W .44 Rem Mag. As a police officer I never felt the least bit bothered by a person with a CHL, because 99.99% will come to an officer's defense.
We need to quit coddling those breaking laws and holding the criminals accountable. Saturday morning necktie parties on the county square would be a good start.
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CDR Michael Goldschmidt
It's all about values and boundaries. When you teach people that boundaries exist, that people need to respect them, and that all rights are individual rights, you have safe and productive societies. Take away those boundaries and values and all hell breaks loose, which is what we've seen around the world for a very long time, and are now beginning to see here at home.
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I support the cause they promote, but I think they go about it the wrong way.
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Sgt Jason West
I disagree with some of the idiots that jumped on the bandwagon just to take selfies at Starbucks with an AK, but not the general idea of the movement. And for what it's worth, it seems to have worked.
http://www.kbtx.com/home/headlines/Gov-Elect-Greg-Abbott-Pledges-to-Sign-Open-Carry-Bill-286151931.html
http://www.kbtx.com/home/headlines/Gov-Elect-Greg-Abbott-Pledges-to-Sign-Open-Carry-Bill-286151931.html
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A Rifle, Carbine, or shotgun is a weapon you either carry for hunting, or when you are expecting armed confrontation. Unless you threat assessment shows a probability of a terrorist attack at the local Country Buffet leave the long guns at home. If you want to carry openly, carry your handgun in a quality holster with some sort of retention device, and keep it secured unless you need it (by need I don't me taking pictures to impress the people of Walmart).
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Sgt Jason West
That is the point of the open carry movement in Texas though, we can't legally open carry a handgun in public. I don't agree with the way things have gove with the movement (too many attention seekers and selfie addicts), but the original point was to push for open carry of handguns and point out the asinine current law which basically says I can go to Country Buffet with an AR, shotgun, deer rifle etc, but I CANNOT legally do so open carrying a pistol. Many here in Texas have been pushing for open carry for years, and hopefully soon we will have it. Abbott has promised to sign a bill if the legislature will put one on his desk. After that, you can expect to see Open Carry Texas and other groups fade away....at least until some idiot passes a new law infringing upon our rights.
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You bring some very viable points to the concept of open carry. I agree assault rifles would not be the weapon of choice I would have. The weapons pictured above would not be thought of in Texas (I believe) as anything but showy and crass. Given that, if open carry passes in the state of Texas, they would in fact be legal. I do not think that the Open Carry Texas group would be carrying this type of weapon though. Most are doing it now to illustrate the point that it is legal to carry openly shotguns and rifles so why not pistols? I have lived in open carry states and have not seen any increased open aggression. In fact the opposite seems to be the case. Because of this, I believe that open carrying would help cut down things like road rage and open affronts. Unfortunately it will not stop them as there are always idiots that will push the envelope and think they have the right because their ---t doesn't stink. The only thing I would require or want is that even open carry requires a permit. That way we would have the knowledge that the person has had some training and is not incapable of handling the weapon. I have not read any open carry proposal but would hope that stipulation would be included. 75 years ago, I would doubt you would be able to find a majority of Texans who were not proficient with weapons. Today I am sure the reverse is true.
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Based on my knowledge of the situation, the Open Carry demonstrators are too overzealous for my taste. I am a firearm owner, and will one for the rest of my life, but these people make it difficult for common sense firearm owners.
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CDR Michael Goldschmidt
The only problem I see about open carry is that it marks the carrier as a target.
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