Open Carry In Texas - For or Against?

...in Austin I have the right to walk around with my breasts out if I wanted but what's the point? Originally Posted by Ebony Jasmine Love Austin

And we both support your right and encourage it, often.
Regarding; what's the point?; wouldn't that be two points? Just doing the math...

...You happen to turn around and notice that the last individual joining the ticket line has an AR-15 semi-automatic rifle strapped across his chest... Originally Posted by The Allnighter

So it wasn't the rifle that had the individual wrapped around it. Right? Just want to be crystal clear we all understand that. The rifle did not load itself, strap itself onto a person and make the person walk into the airport. Can we at least all agree on this point?

And we both support your right and encourage it, often.
Regarding; what's the point?; wouldn't that be two points? Just doing the math... Originally Posted by Why_Yes_I_Do

Who am I to judge!

You all can open carry all you want...

but if you come around me I WILL cock and squeeze your pistol.

You've been warned.

Didn't see that on your menu. What rate does it go for

... I WILL cock and squeeze your pistol. Originally Posted by Ebony Jasmine Love Austin

Very nice OPINIONS. You do not have the right to choose whatever weapon you might want. No M-16. No AK-47. No hand grenades. Even without those weapons available to you, I'm sure you have enough firepower available to you to defend yourself effectively in any situation. In the state of Texas, the right to defend yourself with a handgun on the streets requires a CHL.

If you choose to break the law, that is certainly your right. But the rights you stated simply do not exist in Texas. Originally Posted by SpeedRacerXXX

I don't care what the law is in any particular country or state or city of whatever the fuck. Every person has the right to defend themselves and no government has the moral authority to regulate what a person can possess or not possess. Governments which do so are following a terrible folly.

As for the Second Amendment it states clearly that the entity which must not be prohibited from possessing weapons is THE PEOPLE, which is clearly meant to mean that the people and their regulated organizations of citizens composed of ordinary armed citizens is one and the same.

Let's remember that America is a society borne in violence and in which violence is and has been commonplace. This is not Finland or Switzerland or Korea or someplace where everyone is everyone else's cousin or relative and everyone cares about everyone else. America is a jungle and that's what makes it what it is (which is an interesting and never boring rat race).

I don't care what the law is in any particular country or state or city of whatever the fuck. Every person has the right to defend themselves and no government has the moral authority to regulate what a person can possess or not possess. Governments which do so are following a terrible folly.

As for the Second Amendment it states clearly that the entity which must not be prohibited from possessing weapons is THE PEOPLE, which is clearly meant to mean that the people and their regulated organizations of citizens composed of ordinary armed citizens is one and the same.

Let's remember that America is a society borne in violence and in which violence is and has been commonplace. This is not Finland or Switzerland or Korea or someplace where everyone is everyone else's cousin or relative and everyone cares about everyone else. America is a jungle and that's what makes it what it is (which is an interesting and never boring rat race). Originally Posted by pussycat

Do us a favor and name a country that does not regulate to some degree the kind of weapons a person may own to defend themselves. Maybe some 3rd world country. The majority have laws to protect ALL the people, not just those that feel the need to own a weapon to defend themselves. You certainly have the right to defend yourself and the laws in Texas allow you to do so. You have all the firepower at your disposal to defend yourself. You can carry a rifle openly on the streets. You can carry a concealed handgun on the streets with a CHL. Not enough???

Again, your interpretation of the 2nd Amendment carries no weight in the real world.
Neither does mine. As long as you think your opinion matters on this issue, the more you will continue to live in your make-believe world.

BTW, your characterization of Finland, Switzerland and Korea is downright stupid. America is hardly a jungle. I have lived in this country for 6+ decades and never once been the victim of a violent crime. Never needed a handgun or other weapon for my protection. My wife has visited all 50 states and around 100 of the approximately 200 countries in the world and never needed a handgun for her protection.

All adults with a valid drivers license should be issued hand guns when boarding a plane.

All adults with a valid drivers license should be issued hand guns when boarding a plane. Originally Posted by harkontume

I'm not even going to respectfully disagree....... what an idiotic thought! And yes, I LOVE GUNS!

I don't see the need to openly carry. I can visualize a bit of tension while shopping at Walmart if a group of people are walking around with weapons on their hip.
I know weapons are not allowed at schools and sporting events but if a store owner doesn't agree with open carry can he just post a sign not allowed?
Like mini skirts and short shorts, it took a little getting used to at first, we all appreciate them now.

I have lived in this country for 6+ decades and never once been the victim of a violent crime. Never needed a handgun or other weapon for my protection. My wife has visited all 50 states and around 100 of the approximately 200 countries in the world and never needed a handgun for her protection. Originally Posted by SpeedRacerXXX

That's because the bad guys know that their victim might be armed and are more reluctant to attack.

Only partly kidding.

Do us a favor and remind us which country you live in. Maybe why even ?-)

Do us a favor and name a country that does not regulate to some degree the kind of weapons a person may own to defend themselves. Originally Posted by SpeedRacerXXX

The ironic twist in all of this debate is that we all took it up the ass pipe a bit on this. Whether you are for open carry or against it, whether you are for 2nd amendment or against it or even for or against guns at all - we all took it up the pooper a little bit more than expected.

You see, they slipped in a concession that allows LEO to detain you, question you and ask to see your papers - for being noticed open carrying a weapon, handgun pressumably. Maybe that doesn't sounds so bad to some of you, but it clearly stepped upon the 4th amendment and grants ye olde - "Shows me yer papers pleaze!" to the powers DeJour.

Maybe it won't result in a slippery slope. Although, a journey of a thousand miles always begins with that first step. So maybe it's safe and isolated, maybe even minor infraction. Oh, wait - nearly forgot. The President's latest proposal regarding guns is to ban discussion of them on the internet, forums, blogs and YouTube etc. altogether. Yup, any public discussion or instruction would be illegal. (I'm already a freak'n violator of it, sheeze!)

Fuck that 1st Amendment thingy. We weren't really using it much these days. Leastwise, not since the media became incompetent, lazy and corrupt. So you take out the 1st and 4th to get to and remove the 2nd. Good math, brilliant plan. BAtting 3 for 3 and we're just getting started.

So you say; "Meh. I don't care about guns". But what about sex? You see, sex kills. I saw some CDC related death tolls. Something like a total of 150,00 female deaths between 1973 and 1992, with nearly 30,000 total (men and women) in 1990 alone. Rates have hovered similarly since, but the cause rates switch around. Some more deadly now, than in the past. Regardless of the finite numbers, sex can kill.

So what's that BS leading to? A female walks into the corner store to purchase some condoms. There are two cops paying for their doughnuts and coffee as she puts the condoms on the counter. "Excuse me miss. Are those condoms for yourself? Are they for exclusive use with your lawful husband? Why do you need condoms with your husband?" etc., etc. etc. Similar if it's male purchasing. Or you posting on this sight asking about which is the better condom. Bing! you're a violator. Who knows.

FWIW: I agree with what Ben Franklin paraphased; Those that would give up liberty for perceived security, deserve neither.

Do us a favor and name a country that does not regulate to some degree the kind of weapons a person may own to defend themselves. Maybe some 3rd world country. The majority have laws to protect ALL the people, not just those that feel the need to own a weapon to defend themselves. You certainly have the right to defend yourself and the laws in Texas allow you to do so. You have all the firepower at your disposal to defend yourself. You can carry a rifle openly on the streets. You can carry a concealed handgun on the streets with a CHL. Not enough???

Again, your interpretation of the 2nd Amendment carries no weight in the real world.
Neither does mine. As long as you think your opinion matters on this issue, the more you will continue to live in your make-believe world.

BTW, your characterization of Finland, Switzerland and Korea is downright stupid. America is hardly a jungle. I have lived in this country for 6+ decades and never once been the victim of a violent crime. Never needed a handgun or other weapon for my protection. My wife has visited all 50 states and around 100 of the approximately 200 countries in the world and never needed a handgun for her protection. Originally Posted by SpeedRacerXXX

How can anyone be as parochial as youself? You ignore all crime statistics and history because you personally have not yet been a crime victim?

It's nice that you live in a bubble of ivory tower middle class American idiocy in which you are totally ignorant of the violence of American history or violence today. I've been the victim of violence. I've had friends murdered. I've known girls who've been raped. Read the newspapers. Read a book of history. LOOK AT THE CRIME STATISTICS AND COMPARE IT WITH FINLAND OR KOREA OR SWITZERLAND.

In the 1920s, 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, and until the 1980s the city of Dallas had over 300 homicides a year! That was the same in Houston and San Antonio and most cities in America. What was the homicide rate in Los Angeles County in the 1980s? It was like 3,000 !!!!!!!!!

If you think people need weapons because "they feel" (emotion implied) than you don't know the first thing about this topic. People must be able to defend themselves if they live in a violent society and there's a real risk of having to defend themselves.

You're a dreamer. And you're focus on the legalistic aspect of this topic shows you're a hopeless legalistic idealist. Society doesn't really work that way unless you're a lily livered middle class rule follower with your head in the sand whose never been more than ten yards beyond the safety of your middle class enclave.

These are some of the cases I personally know about in addition to my own. I know a guy who's mother was stabbed to death in south Texas while his father was at work and he and his brother were at school. I know another guy and both of his parents were murdered at home when he was six years old and he was hiding in a closet. That was in east Texas. In 1991 when I was living in LA two security guards were killed within ten months at the marshal arts club I used. Then a few months later the owner of that club had to sit on the roof with a rifle to defend himself and his family from mobs after the Rodney King event because the police were cowards and hid in their stations leaving the citizens to fend on their own! When I lived on Enfield road years ago somebody broke into the apartment next to mine and raped the girl who lived there for two days and strangled her and left her for dead. She wasn't dead but the whites of her eyes were dark red from the strangulation. This kind of stuff has always happened in this country and the crime figures bear this out.

Every day many serious crimes are prevented when concealed carry gun owners draw their weapons in defense, thereby ending what would otherwise be another dark entry into the book of criminal deeds. Because of the consequences of pulling the trigger few if any of these events actually lead to the gun owner shooting the assailant. There are very few shootings of anyone by concealed carry owners, even when they are being drawn down on by an assailant, or threatened with a knife. In contrast, in similar situations in which police find themselves they always go ahead and fire because they've been trained that way and they know there will not be serious repercussions (unless the policeman is Detective Kleinert and he shoots the guy in the back of the head). But for citizens the taking of any life, even if in clear self-defense, is so serious that they almost pull the trigger.

Although a church isn't the typical place to openly carry, it would've been nice to have access to one in this case.

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/19/us...macy.html?_r=0