TexasCHLforum.com

seamusTX wrote:

cyphur wrote:... I do believe that a pro-active attitude and habits can work wonders.

Criminals are like water, they follow the path of least resistance.

I agree, for the typical street thug.

Lunatics and desperate criminals are another story. Look at that moron who ran into the U.S. Capitol yesterday. (Talk about homeland security.)

Fortunately, such incidents are rare.

- Jim

Very true, my comments were directed more to the day to day stuff. In any event, situational awareness is key, and in the worst case, thats why we carry.

I am usually not one to shy from a fight, or to keep my voice down - you can ask anyone that knows me and they will typically concur. But with the power the media has in the form of their widely distributed soapbox, and their feeling that they have the duty to spew forth absolute garbage, often completely unsubstantiated and wholehearted biased - I would rather not poke that hornets nest.

Do I feel slighted that I have to re-justify my Constitutionally granted right to carry? Dang right, especially after serving in the Army in a combat arms MOS. But that doesn't mean we have to take the hard road to get things right in the world.

I think we could really push the CHL issue with the Gov race candidates, especially under the guise of Homeland Security concerns, increased illegal immigration, rising crime rates, etc. There are many reasons to relax concealed carry as there is no immediate overwhelming problems to deal with, like dealing with public reaction. I think it will be easier for the politicians to agree on that without having to bit and piece the legislation together. I'd rather have the perfect CHL laws than have hacked up open carry laws that open up even more restrictions against concealed carry. Sometimes it is best the leave the sheeple in ignorance.


I am not worried about having open carry to give off an image of a difficult target - I already do. I'm not a small guy, almost 6 feet, broad shoulders, got some meat on me. I keep a very watchful eye and a no-nonsence attitude about me. People notice, and they don't do things they might have otherwise. This includes cutting me off in grocery stores, mouthing off to start issues, trying to "pull one" on me, et cetera. I know for a fact this approach has kept me out of bad situations before, as the BGs walking up on me in a parking lot saw it would be no walk in the park. However, never once did I need a firearm even on me, let alone in plain view, to achieve this. I know I am not superman, and that if it were my time, it'd be my time, but I do believe that a pro-active attitude and habits can work wonders.

Criminals are like water, they follow the path of least resistance.

If open carry becomes approved, I think that there should be a distinction between prohibiting concealed carry via 30.06 and prohibiting open carry.

I too think open carry would turn more businesses to investigate banning licensed carry. However, there should also be a provision that if you ban any type of carry, you have to provide secure facilities while in that store/establishment.

In previous posts of mine I've said I would open carry in certain situations - and thinking a bit harder on this, I can't really pinpoint where or when.

I too think it should be a License to Carry a Weapon, or a License to Carry a Handgun - not unlicensed open carry. At a time when good people were obvious and BG's were too, an inalienable right to carry however you wanted wasn't probably a bad thing. But these days there are a lot of sick individuals or psychopaths that look just like respectable human beings, and I think expanding the CHL class to cover a day of practical training, would deter most of the "because I can" folks. I would have no problem with a 2 day intro class, and a full day renewal class, if most of it is practical training. Watching a video doesn't cut it, even for CHLs.

However if you make open carry, you change the dynamics of a situation. I think the requirement to retreat would need to go away at the same time for licensed individuals(as they should be the only ones carrying aside from LEOs).



Inherent constitutional rights are great, and I wholly support the constitution, but it was written in a time when you could take a sick man out back and kill him for the sake of community safety. Now they get to roam the streets, see "therapists" or at best, get 3 square meals and watch TV on my tax dollars.

KBCraig wrote:

Chris wrote:i would never support open carry. by policy, i can carry openly, but you would never catch me doing so. on duty, i have to carry openly. i've had people jump me, and try and take my gun, and it's in a retention holster. people who think blatantly displaying a firearm is protection in and of itself, are only fooling themselves.

Just curious... in those cases where you were jumped and the BGs tried to take your gun, were you just bee-bopping down the street when someone said, "Hey! There's a guy with a gun! Let's take it away from him!"

Or, were the cases you cite ones in which you, in your capacity as a LEO, were already in official contact with someone who was about to be taken into custody, but who not-so-politely declined your offer to wear the steel bracelets?

It is a significant difference. Weapon retention drills are very important for anyone who carries openly. But those who openly carry in uniform tend to elicit a different response from the critters of this world, versus those honest citizens who have no arrest authority.

Keep things in perspective: just because you're had to wrestle over your duty weapon while fighting a do-bad, doesn't mean that Joe Q. Gaspumper should have to throw on a cover garment at an empty gas station in the wee hours.

Very Well stated. I agree completely.

I vote yes. I'd open carry in many instances.