Meanwhile In Texas: Celebrating The New Open-Carry Gun Law
As reported previously, in addition to celebrating the new year, starting January 1, Texans also celebrated a new open-carry gun law which took effect in the new year. Handgun license holders in Texas will now be allowed to carry their guns in visible holsters on their hip or shoulder.
Previously, Texans wanting to carry a handgun had to obtain a concealed handgun license and conceal their weapon. With the new law, the more than 826,000 state license holders will be allowed to openly display their handguns in most public places.
Proponents of the new open carry law say making guns more visible will deter mass shootings. The bill became law after a spirited debate.
However, not everyone was in favor of the idea to discourage violence through demonstrating weapons: a majority of the state's police chiefs opposed it.
"The question is: Does it make sense and is it good judgment to have a bunch of people running around with guns visible? And I think the answer is: Absolutely not," said Chief Art Acevedo of Austin.
Others are for it: Perkins owns Dallas-based The Slow Bone, a barbecue spot, and Maple & Motor, which specializes in burgers. He says his weapon of choice is a Glock 43, and he frequently carries it in his front pocket. He doesn't object to customers bringing concealed weapons into his restaurants.
"Carrying a concealed weapon is all about eventualities — things that might happen, and protection in that case," he says. "There's a lot of cash in my business. I have employees too. Restaurants get robbed, businesses get robbed, and I have employees that I would like to protect."
"Carrying a gun outside, on your person where it's visible, is at least an implied threat," he says. "If deadly force is your final threat, you're making it right away, visibly. ... I just really don't want that kind of threat feeling in either of the restaurants."
Even with the new state legislation, the number of people with handgun permits makes up only about 4 percent of Texas' population of more than 27 million. Out of these, Perkins thinks the number of people who want to openly carry weapons is pretty small.
Furthermore, private businesses are allowed to ban guns if they choose. In response, chains including Starbucks, Jack In The Box, Chili's, Sonic and Chipotle have asked customers to leave weapons at home.
If private businesses want to prevent people from bringing weapons inside, they are required by the law to display a sign with 1-inch block lettering. Separate signs are required for banning open carry and concealed carry. Perkins says he plans to put one up, but he doesn't foresee it causing any issues. "I don't think it's going to be a problem for us," Perkins says. "I don't think we're going to have confrontations."
Hopefully he is right and openly displayed weapons will indeed deter violence.
In the meantime Texans should get accustomed to sights such as this one which over the coming weeks and months will become increasingly recurring.
(18 votes)
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They are both good if you know how to use them. I prefer 9mm myself with an AR - 15 at home.
It sucks. Its a relic. Its 100 years old.
http://www.thetruthaboutguns.com/2010/12/yankee-gun-nuts/the-1911-sucks/
It is amazing to see so many "experts" who profess their infinite knowledge acquired from the internet.
Please do tell us of your extensive experience..
GhostOfDiogenes : "It sucks. Its a relic. Its 100 years old."
Otherwise known as a proven design by some of the top firearms experts and competitive shooters on planet Earth.
The .45 is preferred, but as I age I need two hands. A 9 mm pistol I can fire one handed. May have to get one soon.
Don't go to a gunfight without a weapon sized at .4+
Even the Feds get this.
I think the 1911 has too many parts for it's own good, but certainly it can be a reliable and trustworthy sidearm.
I much prefer the tavor over the ar-15. Have both.
As a libertarian, I'd leave the choice of sidearms to the owner, no matter how much I'd question their judgement.
For CC use in the city/urban area, a small/discrete 9mm (Walther PPK) does just fine for my needs. With an extra clip with my EDC* items. People forget that skill trumps caliber or clip size, and that we are conditioned by the marketing shills that you want high calibre (high cost) bullets.
In the car, I keep a small baseball bat and small crowbar handy for "roadside problems", and the 9mm near me (no, not in the glove box). Of course I keep a small BOB in the trunk, along with 20 other prudent Emergency items (if stranded remotely or in bad weather for several days). Better safe than sorry, and makes for more relaxed driving.
*Every-Day Carry: Wallet, Keys, Phone, SwissArmy Knife or Multi-tool, Lighter, 6-tool Compass (Compass, Whistle, Thermometer, LED, Magn. Loupe, Reflector), Petroleum-based lip balm, Nail Clippers, Pocket and Tactical LED light, Altoid Tin (with numerous items), Granola Bar, Area Map, spare AA and AAA batteries, compact Pepper Spray, Tactical Pen, Bandana, Headgear, Gloves, Wrap-around Shades. Wearing clothing with many pockets is best, to avoid carrying man-bags or backpacks. If I did carry a backpack and expected to be in a 'trouble' area, I'd consider inserting a Body Armor Plate, and pack a second 9mm, with larger capacity, longer barrel and laser sight (CrimsonTrace).
Hey Cap'in let's do a Scooby Singalong? OK? Let's go!
Scooby Dooby Doo where are you?
I'm hanging on The Hedge with my prepper friends.
And Scooby Dooby Doo why do you do that?
I dunno.
Ruh roh Shaggy that didn't rhyme.
shit, kirk.....i don't even carry that much gear for a one week backpacking trip in the sierra..... you expecting to be scooped up by aliens and dropped in the yukon to fend off bears and wrassle wolves for a bite of moose?
Heaven forbid you should ever leave that lip balm at home. Or that "tactical pen" (what the fuck is a tactical pen?).
Kirk, too many gadgets. The right mindset is more important.
Why not search for the term 'Tactical Pen?'
You think too linearly. The petroleum based lip balm burns well to assist as a fire starter.
If I said that packing condoms counts, you're likely to think of its use for sex, right? Wrong! Non-lubricated condoms work great as emergency water bags, that weigh nothing and take up no space. Learned that from Bear Grylls.
"I keep a small BOB "
I'm not clear on what that means. Bug Out Bag?
Yes, Bug Out Bag. 18-20 lb.
My philosophy is this: You need the side-arm to get to to your car, and your BOB to get you back home or back to your hotel, if stranded remotely for 2-3 days and need to do a 'self-rescue' (a la Dual Survival or Bear Grylls).
I'll teach you gun toting Yanks how to spell correctly if its the last thing I do God damn it.
Note: 'Be spending to much time....' should read,
"Be spending too much time....", stant!
Get over your self you fucktard or is it that you are fucking retarded.
Yourself is one word, FUNCTIONAL ILLITERATE, nscholten.
Ok that was funny. In my opinion it would have been funnier if you'd left out the additional insult, but it was still funny.
Stant be spending to much time typeing a post 3 times because it crashed mid way thru. Or reloading to finish reading a post. And fighting g spell check. This reply froze for a good while. So sometimes I just leave it the way it is instead of fix it
Yeah right, stant.
And crime drops to zero. imagine that.
Without crime, who needs the prison industrial complex, the courts, judges, attorneys, jails, slave convict labor, poverty activists etc etc?
This is a good example of how supply creates demand.
"The Truth about Crime" by stefan molyneux. Crime has less to do with open carry and concealed carry, than it does have to do with race.
Isnt that the same jew scumbag (his mother is German jew) who said this nonsense?
http://youtu.be/0o2eKaELGMY
Its amazing how many lying jews I see talking every day in the alt media.
You'd think it was a conspiracy or something.
Yes. And it's the lawyers who become politicans that fuel crimes.
It is safe to say that big gummamint/liberals are the enemy.
I know of many countries, for example Guatemala, Honduras, etc. that have open-carry, concealed-carry, whatever carry. Everyone owns a gun. They also have the world's highest crime rates. Could you please explain that?
Cuz they're good for nothing spics who'd rape their grandma for a nickel. Us white people are better behaved.
Look at the muder rate by demographic group in the Us if you don't believe me.
Also, remember that the FBI pumps hispanics with whites in the statistics!
What about knives? And big rocks? how do their prevalence impact crime?
It is sad that we have only experienced high rates of violence since the advent of the gun.
Them Texan boyz are so baaaaad that maybe now they'll scare the bad guys while they sleep:
http://tmzbeg.com/man-arrested-for-breaking-into-homes-and-tickling-buttholes/
Oh, wait . . . whut if he's the open carry beneficiary? Uh ohhhhhhhh . . .
But just imagine: No longer having to lie there suppressing your laughter until he stoppppps!
Priceless.
Good ole progress.
Let him break into my home. I'll gladly give him a butthole tickling with my glock 30.
Kinky! While you're at it put the fear of God in him and say, "you got a purdy mouth, boy."
I think that you are refering to the buckwheats?
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=buckwheats
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N3MMUSR1s7s
And yet again I have this craving for milk after seeing your avatar.
Couldn't have happened to a nicer state!
CNN is now referring to Obama's pending gun control regulations as Gun Safety regulations.
George Orwell's "newspeak" is on full display by a liberal press intent on undermining the constitution.
Death insurance = life insurance. Gun control = gun safety. Who could be against life and safety?
Agenda much?
our 2nd Amendment rights are in serious jeopardy because of the ghetto rats
Its a zionist thing. Dindus are not the issue. http://thegreateststorynevertold.tv/portfolio/part-1-adolf-hitlers-child...
If you are not willing to take responsibility for your own safety, are not willing to arm yourself and prepare, then you have little choice but to live in fear and in dependence on government.
Throw ya guns up in the air and wave em around like ya just don't care!
I was reading an article on the HuffPo this morning on this very subject. The denizens of that place were fucking exploding. Seemed to think there'd be a mass shootout at every grocery store. The poor little things don't realize they'll be the first to die when the SHTF.
But of course those who fear competition, the necessity to fight for survival, will seek protection from the State through the disarming of their perceived threat. Especially when that threat is exaggerated by the very benefactor of that protection.
I don't recall anything in the Bill of Rights second amendment that says anything about permits.
I don't recall anything in the Bill of Rights second amendment that says anything about permits.
Gov can't read.
Why do you think they never read the legislation before they pass it into law.
Serious gun control started in the 1960's, causing the crime wave that followed. Now that they've murdered, jailed, disarmed or bribed into submission most blacks, the crime rate has fallen. But not back to pre 1963 levels.
"I don't recall anything in the Bill of Rights second amendment that says anything about permits."
Yup, its stupid to beg the government for a "right".
But the xtians think they are "free", so why would the .gov care?
As long as the sheeple in texas keep there guns aimed at each other they wont be aimed at the .gov.
And remember, JFK was murdered by his wife in Dealy Plaza, and covered up by a texan president and head of the fbi who grew up next door.
Texas. Full of christian idiots.
"Its the american dream, because you have to be asleep, to believe it"--Carlin
Fuck you Texas. A dirty pollutrd desert shithole of state. Zero enviornental laws. Trash everywhere.
In my area we had over 120 inches of rain in 2015. How do you call that a desert? Texas is a great place to live, other states are as well but you will never get me back in Cali, or NY.
The "good parts" of texas are the size of Alabama, or east texas.
The rest is a shithole.
And the drug laws are silly. Talk about christian repression.
There are those who preferred to been seen as rational, and there are those who do NOT. And then are are just plain idiots who have absolutely no choice in the matter.