The article is a crock. I open carry a handgun frequently, it isn’t a problem. No one really cares except some hyperventilating journolists.
The issue in Texas was organized protests involving open carry of rifles since the horrible carry laws in Texas at the time prohibited open carry of handguns, even for permitholders. Texas carry laws still suck mightily, but they were changed recently so you can open carry a handgun with a permit. So, the rifle carry isn’t so much an issue as the underlying reason for the protests was corrected.
Contrary to what this journolist asserts, open or concealed carry is not an issue with businesses unless they choose to make it one. Open carry is still relatively unusual (I’m sad to say) and concealed carry is by its nature not seen. So unless the business management or ownership is hoplophobic or is under political pressure from the grabbers, it just isn’t on their radar.
I do not plan to open carry but a good thing about the new law is that I cannot be arrested for accidentally exposing my weapon anymore.
If you think Texas carry laws still suck mightily, please visit some of the large dark blue states. If Texas' carry laws suddenly appeared here, we'd all think we had died and gone straight to heaven.
There was a lot of Texas-style kabuki theater regarding open carry when Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick first took office at the beginning of the year. He ran, of course, on open carry but then flipped it off the radar by saying things like Don’t have the votes, Not top priority, etc. I can only imagine the cold fury of the base and the pressure on the politicans. (I actually thought the rifle protests were quite clever in getting the point across.) Patrick did a 180, put it in gear to save his reputation, and got the bill passed. I’m not sure when Texans got to be such kittens about gun carry. I remember seeing filled rifle racks in nearly every pickup I passed on the road when I was in college and never thought anything of it.
Just FYI for those who may not know, the new open carry laws in Texas don’t take effect until January 1, 2016.
The issue in Texas was organized protests involving open carry of rifles since the horrible carry laws in Texas at the time prohibited open carry of handguns, even for permitholders. Texas carry laws still suck mightily, but they were changed recently so you can open carry a handgun with a permit. So, the rifle carry isn’t so much an issue as the underlying reason for the protests was corrected.
Contrary to what this journolist asserts, open or concealed carry is not an issue with businesses unless they choose to make it one. Open carry is still relatively unusual (I’m sad to say) and concealed carry is by its nature not seen. So unless the business management or ownership is hoplophobic or is under political pressure from the grabbers, it just isn’t on their radar.
Yep - Mississippi rules have become pretty good over the last couple years but most of what you said is spot-on from my own experience and habitual carrying - usually concealed in establishments and reserve the open carry for when out of doors. Only had one person comment on how scary guns can be, but I pointed out that if he was so dang scared he wouldn't have dared confront me with his "fears"....
Unless it is significantly inconvenient, I expect that I will usually (for both tactical and social reasons) continue to conceal when in public.
I will appreciate, however, freedom from the asinine requirement to conceal. (For one thing, I have never liked to wear a shirt with the tail not tucked in -- and, in Texas, sometimes a T-shirt is almost too warm....)