Mike
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http://www.beaumontenterprise.com/opinion/editorials/pro_con__should_texans_be_allowed_to_carry_guns_openly__12-03-2008.html
PRO/CON: Should Texans be allowed to carry guns openly?
By ENTERPRISE OPINIONS
December, 3, 2008
PRO: Let Texans carry guns openly
Texas has a reputation as a gun-friendly state, and for the most part, it is. But many Texans might be surprised to learn that they lack a right enjoyed by residents of 44 other states - the right to carry a gun openly. The Legislature needs to fix this in the coming session.
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There is no reason why law-abiding Texans shouldn't be able to wear a weapon in plain view. It's hard to imagine a better deterrent to crime. A robber or rapist is not going to tangle with an openly armed citizen - unless the punk has a death wish.
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The namby-pambies who whimpered about the approval of our state's concealed carry law a decade ago will make the same hollow arguments: Shootouts will soar. Kids will have access to guns they couldn't get otherwise. Big companies will be leery about relocating here.
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Hogwash. That stuff didn't happen with concealed carry. It won't after open carry.
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If you don't like guns, fine. Don't own one. Most Texans do. They shouldn't be restricted from carrying a firearm openly when they think they need to.
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CON: Keep guns hidden
This proposal is crazy. It is 2008, not 1808. Texans do not need to be wearing six-shooters like Wild West gunslingers.
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How in God's name will anyone know if a pistol-packer is licensed and law-abiding or one of those thugs that gun lovers are always warning us about?
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What happens if some bozo with an open gun sits down at a restaurant and his piece falls out of his holster - and sends a bullet ricocheting across the room?
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People who think they need to prove how tough they are should lift weights. Real men and women don't have to carry around a hunk of steel to impress other folks.
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The concealed carry law lets people carry weapons without unduly worrying others. When it was being debated, supporters assured nervous Texans that the change wouldn't affect people who didn't like guns. Now they are escalating the gun issue to a new and ridiculous level.
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Concealed carry is enough. The Legislature should stay away from this legal and cultural mess.
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READERS: What do you think?
http://www.beaumontenterprise.com/opinion/editorials/pro_con__should_texans_be_allowed_to_carry_guns_openly__12-03-2008.html
PRO/CON: Should Texans be allowed to carry guns openly?
By ENTERPRISE OPINIONS
December, 3, 2008
PRO: Let Texans carry guns openly
Texas has a reputation as a gun-friendly state, and for the most part, it is. But many Texans might be surprised to learn that they lack a right enjoyed by residents of 44 other states - the right to carry a gun openly. The Legislature needs to fix this in the coming session.
.
There is no reason why law-abiding Texans shouldn't be able to wear a weapon in plain view. It's hard to imagine a better deterrent to crime. A robber or rapist is not going to tangle with an openly armed citizen - unless the punk has a death wish.
.
The namby-pambies who whimpered about the approval of our state's concealed carry law a decade ago will make the same hollow arguments: Shootouts will soar. Kids will have access to guns they couldn't get otherwise. Big companies will be leery about relocating here.
.
Hogwash. That stuff didn't happen with concealed carry. It won't after open carry.
.
If you don't like guns, fine. Don't own one. Most Texans do. They shouldn't be restricted from carrying a firearm openly when they think they need to.
.
CON: Keep guns hidden
This proposal is crazy. It is 2008, not 1808. Texans do not need to be wearing six-shooters like Wild West gunslingers.
.
How in God's name will anyone know if a pistol-packer is licensed and law-abiding or one of those thugs that gun lovers are always warning us about?
.
What happens if some bozo with an open gun sits down at a restaurant and his piece falls out of his holster - and sends a bullet ricocheting across the room?
.
People who think they need to prove how tough they are should lift weights. Real men and women don't have to carry around a hunk of steel to impress other folks.
.
The concealed carry law lets people carry weapons without unduly worrying others. When it was being debated, supporters assured nervous Texans that the change wouldn't affect people who didn't like guns. Now they are escalating the gun issue to a new and ridiculous level.
.
Concealed carry is enough. The Legislature should stay away from this legal and cultural mess.
.
READERS: What do you think?