Open Carry, Part Tres

It's been nearly a year-and-a-half since I last wrote about Open Carry.  The last time, a petition was floating about to be presented to the 2009 Legislature to look at some form of open carry of firearms as an adjunct to concealed carry, in Texas.  I don't think it ever got any traction, and very few column-inches of press.

Now comes our neighbor across the Red River, whose Representatives by a 3-to-1 margin have passed a bill to allow open carry by those who are already permitted by the concealed carry provision, and it appears it will be signed by their Governor.  Not surprisingly, other states are watching, and considering similar measures.

This morning, WBAP's Mark Davis devoted much of his program to discussion of the possibility of an open carry provision in Texas.  Interestingly, some of the callers, CHL permittees themselves, opposed the notion of open carry in Texas, citing the deterrence factor of the uncertainty criminals face from concealed, not open, carry.

I don't understand their position, though, as it's not being suggested that all carry would be open.  If similar to Oklahoma's provision, people who possess CHLs would have the option of open carry, but would not be mandated to do so.  The petition that circulated in 2008 in Texas was done, I believe, with a view to easing the penalty for inadvertent display of a concealed handgun.

In my over three decades of adulthood, I've only had occasion to carry on my person (under circumstances other than hunting or target practice) a handful of times.  Still, if Texas got the open carry provision, I can't say I wouldn't maybe strap the ol' single action on, complete with a tooled leather gunbelt and 24 cartridges.

And, of course, Stetson, [batwing] chaps and spurs...