Is there something in the water in Texas?....

[ChattanoogaPhil]

That was the chant in Kalifornistan til they outlawed OC.
Scaring the **** out of the sheep will not work out in our favor.

Well... Let's put things in perspective. What did these California OC demonstrators have to lose?

It's near impossible in most of California to get a concealed carry permit. OC of a handgun was prohibited unless the gun was unloaded anyway. So what should have been the rationale? Better not make a fuss or jeopardize losing the right to OC an empty gun? its absolutely insane what California gun owners have put up with all for so long.

If couch potato gun owners in California got off their duff and went out en mass and stood with the OC guys to support Shall Issue that might have made a difference. Who knows...

On the plus side, there is progress in the courts. Shall Issue in California may be possible. Nothing to do with OC events one way or the other. Best hopes to those in California.

 

[Thunderhawk88]

Well... Let's put things in perspective. What did these California OC demonstrators have to lose?

It's near impossible in most of California to get a concealed carry permit. OC of a handgun was prohibited unless the gun was unloaded anyway. So what should have been the rationale? Better not make a fuss or jeopardize losing the right to OC an empty gun? its absolutely insane what California gun owners have put up with all for so long.

If couch potato gun owners in California got off their duff and went out en mass and stood with the OC guys to support Shall Issue that might have made a difference. Who knows...

On the plus side, there is progress in the courts. Shall Issue in California may be possible. Nothing to do with OC events one way or the other. Best hopes to those in California.

What the OCrs in Calif. had to lose has nothing to do with it. And except for some coastal counties, CCWs are not that hard to get.
Kalifornistan gun owners had to put up with all that **** because it was/is the law.
Your comment on "couch potato gun owners" was ignorant. Have you been there over the last 30 years to see what kind of fight those "couch potatoes" put up? Everyone I knew/know who owned guns was very involved in fighting the idiot liberals, both monetarily, and time-wise.
And it is thanks to Calguns that they have a chance to beat the libs in court.

 

[ChattanoogaPhil]

What the OCrs in Calif. had to lose has nothing to do with it. And except for some coastal counties, CCWs are not that hard to get.
Kalifornistan gun owners had to put up with all that **** because it was/is the law.
Your comment on "couch potato gun owners" was ignorant. Have you been there over the last 30 years to see what kind of fight those "couch potatoes" put up? Everyone I knew/know who owned guns was very involved in fighting the idiot liberals, both monetarily, and time-wise.
And it is thanks to Calguns that they have a chance to beat the libs in court.

Uh yes... I lived a great deal of my life in Contra Costa County, specifically-- Walnut Creek, Concord, Danville.... not ocean front property for me . I have family there and regularly visit. Contra Costa County has a population of about a million. There were about 200 CCW holders during 2013. Do the math.

Reality check--> There's an estimated 7 million gun owners in all of California... one of the largest in the country. Last I read around 55k have a CCW. Less than 1%.

""And except for some coastal counties, CCWs are not that hard to get. ""

LOL! Now it is true that some rural counties in California are easier to obtain a CCW. So yes, if you toss out most all the high population centers you could say that getting a CCW is less difficult in some rural counties, but that rings hollow for millions of California gun owners. 55k out 7mil gun owners tells the story.

The problem has been of course "May Issue" and Sherrifs who simply say no, period. Hopefully that will be changing with continued favorable court rulings. In fact there are more folks applying and getting CCW permits than in the past.

Now back to Texas gun owners...

 

[zx9rt1]

I'm for open carry as well and the perception of the folks carrying their rifles openly is not helping the cause. Their intentions are good but not received as such. Just my opinion as others will vary I'm sure. Be safe out there!

 

[Old TexMex]

You do not have a civil right to carry a gun on private property against the owners wishes anymore than we have a first amendment right to discuss politics on this forum against Handejector's wishes.

Again these peope are not helping to advance our cause. if you want to change the law in Texas start writing letters to your state reps letting them know that your continued support depends on their stance regarding the second amendment and Texas Open Carry.

That will change the law a lot faster than carrying an AR at the Waffle House

When did I say they should, or were, trespassing?
I understand trespass and property defense law in my state, it's my job.

Thanks for the advice, really. I'll go tell these legal owners of long guns what you think they should do. I'm sure they (being from Texas, and thus not entitled to think for them selves) will appreciate it.

They aren't breaking any law.

They aren't trespassing unless asked to leave, and no one has filed charges against them. Stop criminalizing innocent citizens, and leave that to the anti gun crowd, please.
Lastly:
You don't know whether they are helping or not, it's a state issue here. Frankly,what you are reading is media, do you believe it is honest regarding this issue? Really?

 

[Old TexMex]

Funny.

Ya know... after all the insults and smears are washed away, the only thing left are fact-based arrguments against open carry. I haven't seen many. Have you?

This thread started off (the title alone) as an insult. Free advice is seldom worth it, and a whole lot of it has come from residents who have NEVER had to even ask for an open carry allowance in their home state. They already had it.

Seems like a couple of people carried long guns legally (however inappropriate....I keep reading here "at the ready")
but still legally, and the panic merchants go to work.

Having not had the experience before, very little practical advice comes from those who profess "the right way to go about it".

Having no statistically verifiable argument, the topic changes to the means, rather than the end, and the anti gun method comes in...to mock, ridicule, and divide.

No one in Texas is trying to make open carry compulsory. No one is trying to repeal Trespass Law.

All the citizens of Texas want is to be treated the same way those who never had to argue for open carry in their state, and it should be pretty obvious that as a state in the U.S.A. That equality under the law is the issue.

I can remember U.S. Servicemen being condemned for the actions of a very minute number of their comrades.

I hear LEOs being condemned for the actions of a very few bad apples.

I see, on this forum, advocates of a right recognized in 44 states being condemned for a tiny number of persons who haven't even broken a law by their actions.

 

[ChattanoogaPhil]

You don't know whether they are helping or not, it's a state issue here. Frankly,what you are reading is media, do you believe it is honest regarding this issue? Really?

Yup... that's where the hype comes in.

Someone reads about a couple businesses telling folks not to bring OC rifles on their property and all of sudden this somehow translates into a fact that most everywhere an OC rally has taken place the business has banned firearms on their property. The sky is falling...

 

[Smoke]

My apologies the last thing I want to do is be involved in a pissing contest here.

 

[Biginge]

Boys,

I'm afraid we are losing sight of the big picture here. I am on the Board of Directors of my Homeowners association. Trying to keep the attendees at the meetings focused on the "big picture" (i.e. the entire community betterment) very often gets swallowed up by the individual concerns of a single, or two, or three homeowners individual concerns about an issue only of concern to them. They demand, and in most instances attention to their issue (s). However, most of the "meetings" become somewhat less than counter productive. Is this happening here?

I think we all, here, want all the freedoms allowed by law for gun rights. It is just a little odd to me the way some folks want to get their "individual" point across while still working for the big picture.

Whew. Just had to say that.

 

[phantom9]

Just read that some people in texas are walking around with empty holsters, holding a carrot or pocket constitution. Ironically, people are smiling and laughing at this and asking more about why they are doing this (instead of banning them from the premises). There is always more than one way to skin a cat.

 

[JJEH]

I don't care if you OC or CC. Be responsible! That's what I expect from people! If you OC in a restaurant and people don't like it be prepared for consequences. If you do it just to poke people in the eye and say "haha, gotcha" don't expect to get away clean.

Like I said in my proposal to Senator Tom Coburn M.D. (R-Okla.); leave it up to the people if they want to OC or CC.

But unfortunately knuckleheads are everywhere and can ruin everything.

 

[Faulkner]

I support the right for folks to open carry, but just because you have the right to do something does not mean it's the right thing to do. I think open carry for the sake of open carry is just bad manners, kinda like sagging britches.

 

[thebeamanater107]

I support the right for folks to open carry, but just because you have the right to do something does not mean it's the right thing to do. I think open carry for the sake of open carry is just bad manners, kinda like sagging britches.

Kinda like indecent exposure laws cite the reproductive organs, but women don't go topless.

When carrying rifles, all you do is scare people. Scared people vote new laws. You can reason your way into carrying your revolver on your belt, but if you feel the need to have that loaded ar15 with you all the time something is wrong.

They're not educating people, they're scaring them.

the original point and click interface, by Smith & Wesson

 

[ladder13]

Great thread, reminds me of a Billy Preston song

Billy Preston - Will It Go Round in Circles - YouTube

 

[zeke]

1-Does Texas law prohibit open carry during hunting seasons, or on your own property?

Hard to imagine there isn't some kind of common sense exceptions?

Wisconsin is an open carry State, not many do in town, while not hunting or when in public.

 

[cyphertext]

I think so.

The NRA would do well to offer help in organizing and lead these OC groups in the right direction. There's obviously some energy in the OC movement but equally obvious is a lack of professional guidance.

Phil, the problem is that these folks want to do it their way or no way... they won't listen to the Texas State Rifle Association, who has the ear of our legislators. TSRA has asked them to knock it off, as the legislators are starting to get nervous. TSRA and the NRA both believe we are well on our way to open carry in Texas, but these public displays by OCT and the like are bringing the issue to the fore front, and causing more negative reaction than positive. Now legislators are getting calls from folks who don't support "open carry" because of what they have seen on the news about the open carry groups here in Texas, where as before, most of the calls were asking to support OC...

 

[cyphertext]

1-Does Texas law prohibit open carry during hunting seasons, or on your own property?

Hard to imagine there isn't some kind of common sense exceptions?

Wisconsin is an open carry State, not many do in town, while not hunting or when in public.

You can carry any way you want on your own property. I can openly carry my handgun while I mow the lawn if I want to, just better make sure I don't step onto the easement.

This does not apply to your vehicle though. If you are carrying in a vehicle, with a chl or not, the firearm must be concealed.

 

[hatt]

Phil, the problem is that these folks want to do it their way or no way... they won't listen to the Texas State Rifle Association, who has the ear of our legislators. TSRA has asked them to knock it off, as the legislators are starting to get nervous. TSRA and the NRA both believe we are well on our way to open carry in Texas, but these public displays by OCT and the like are bringing the issue to the fore front, and causing more negative reaction than positive. Now legislators are getting calls from folks who don't support "open carry" because of what they have seen on the news about the open carry groups here in Texas, where as before, most of the calls were asking to support OC...

So why didn't the legislators pass OC back when everything was good? I hear a lot of double talk and excuses. If the NRA/TSRA is anything like the NRA/USF in FL they are the sole reason TX doesn't have OC. While blaming OC supporters. We've seen this before. No one outside of the NRA payroll is buying it anymore.

 

[FTG-05]

Good for them. OC in TX will never come into fruition unless someone is willing to just start doing it.

Good luck TX!

 

[ChattanoogaPhil]

Phil, the problem is that these folks want to do it their way or no way... they won't listen to the Texas State Rifle Association, who has the ear of our legislators. TSRA has asked them to knock it off, as the legislators are starting to get nervous. TSRA and the NRA both believe we are well on our way to open carry in Texas, but these public displays by OCT and the like are bringing the issue to the fore front, and causing more negative reaction than positive. Now legislators are getting calls from folks who don't support "open carry" because of what they have seen on the news about the open carry groups here in Texas, where as before, most of the calls were asking to support OC...

According to the OC guys, in the years they have been organizing the NRA has never even been to an OC rally. Doesn't surprise me. I don't believe I have heard of the NRA organizing or participating in an OC event anywhere in America, ever. Have they? However, recently the NRA did take the time to lash out at OC organizers and then end up apologizing.

LadyT posted a short article about NRA and Texas gun rights lobbyists surprised that they are now involved in lobbying for OC.

-----

For the first time ever, the main gun-rights groups in Austin -- the NRA, the TSRA, and the Texas Firearms Coalition -- will be making a concerted push for open-carry legislation, and they say it has a very good shot at passing if open carry demonstrators like the ones outside the GOP convention don't screw it up.

It boggles the mind, but this wasn't even an issue in Texas a decade ago, despite the fact that the public display of handguns has been illegal in Texas since some time around Reconstruction and that only four other states explicitly ban open carry, making Texas a laggard on this particular front.

The big gun-rights battle in Texas, waged in the early to mid-1990s, was over concealed carry.

"Open carry was literally not on the radar screen," says Charles Cotton, an NRA board member and president of the TFC.

What changed, Tripp says, was the Internet. A critical mass of people suddenly realized what a rarity Texas' open-carry ban was, and they began mobilizing to change it.

-----

It has been the push by OC groups organizing on the Net and rallies that has forced it upon their agenda. Otherwise, these gun rights groups you just cited would be happily doing nothing with their minds not "boggled" nor bothersome OC blips on their radar screen.

It gets rather tiresome hearing the whining class blame the OC folks for somehow jeopardizing that which the whining class had no intention of fighting for.

Yeah sure, some people are offended by seeing guns in the open. The 2A offends many people.