I think the OP means if you are at a business and you keep your mouth shut about the fact that you are carrying, you more than likely will not be asked to leave as they will never know you have a gun on you.bronco78 wrote:Agreed, mostly.. it SHOULD be concealed, but not in the same level as implied by the term “Secret”03Lightningrocks wrote:I ask that question every time a thread like this pops up. I never seem to get a good answer. I suspect there are some who talk quite a bit to their friends and relatives about the fact that they carry. I never have these issues because I don't feel the need to advertise the fact that I have a gun on me.texjames wrote:If your talking CHL carry is supposed to be secret and nobody should know you have a handgun so how can they even ask. (?)
I have a differencing opinion on your choice of words.. the weapon is required to be concealed ("Concealed handgun" means a handgun, the presence of
which is not openly discernible to the ordinary observation of a reasonable
person.) Not a secret as some have implied.
I may have a different perspective of the word “Secret” then some others, as a Senior Non Commissioned Officer in the army for the last 24 years.. the word secret, top secret and my current clearance have a much higher stated and implied intent of keeping knowledge or info from someone then the laws and definitions concerning carrying a concealed handgun W/CHL IMHO,, Of course IANAL
UNLAWFUL CARRYING OF HANDGUN BY LICENSE
HOLDER. (a) A license holder commits an offense if the license
holder carries a handgun on or about the license holder's person
under the authority of Subchapter H, Chapter 411 , Government Code,
and intentionally fails to conceal the handgun.
(b) A license holder commits an offense if the license holder intentionally,
knowingly, or recklessly carries a handgun under the authority
of Subchapter H, Chapter 411, Government Code, regardless of
whether the handgun is concealed, on or about the license holder's
person:
To me, that means we are required to make a reasonable attempt to conceal our weapon. But nowhere near the standard of keeping it a secret .. again IMHO, and IANAL
I too am one that will choose when and where to disclose that I have and CHL and places I will or won't disclose that I am carrying. My family all know I carry, but they never really know when I am or not, including my wife. I don't keep secret the fact that I have a CHL, and if I think there is interest in it from a positive nature, I will actually bring the subject up to break the ice. Where that discussion takes place is a different matter. If I am in a gun store, Wal-Mart in the sporting goods department, or back in the gun section at Academy I will openly discuss CHL and carrying, but probably won't disclose if I am actually carrying at the time or not. If I am at a business where I think being overheard could lead to a anti squawking about someone maybe having a gun (they won't know if I am carrying or not), then I will not openly talk about CHL at all there. Kinda like being at the Baptist Church on Sunday morning and telling someone you had a beer last night with dinner; there are places you just don't bring up some subjects to talk about.
