Texas set to allow Open Carry of handguns

[Bebe 17,289]

​Just playing devil's advocate here (because I'm a pretty big proponent of gun regulation in America when it is sensible), but would you rob a bank (assuming you're a bank robber) in Texas when you know over half of the Texan population carries guns on them at all times? Just a thought. 

​Well with the security most banks have, it would be near impossible anyway. If I would be willing to rob a bank with the security already in place and with a police force that has guns I don't think that statistic would really faze me much either.

The idea of this sort of vigilante state where untrained civilians have taken it upon themselves to enforce justice upon criminals and bank robbers seems to be far more frightening.

[MJHolland 12,725]

​"Right but fact of the matter is, at least in America, there isn't a place where no one​ has a gun." Yeah that's the overarching problem. America has this weird, disturbing fetish with guns. 
Like I said before: Statistically, gun owners are more likely to use their gun against themselves or their family than on an intruder. It's more than just good guy vs bad guy. 

If Texas has a low crime rate, it only makes the question bigger, why the hell does everyone need a gun? If you are more likely to shoot yourself or family than an intruder, then a gun isn't very good protection.

There is nothing sensible about having people walking around openly brandishing guns, that's not the sort of environment people should want to live in. To an outsider it makes America seem extremely paranoid. It's just not normal, or at least it shouldn't be.

​Thank you for that one, it made me laugh lol.

Again, when this country was founded by our founding fathers, the second (SECOND) right that made sure to write in our Constitution was the right to bear arms. It's not a "fetish" to own a gun, it's your constitutional right as an American. 

​Well with the security most banks have, it would be near impossible anyway. If I would be willing to rob a bank with the security already in place and with a police force that has guns I don't think that statistic would really faze me much either.

​Fine, make it a convince store then. Or a 7/11. Or a resident's home. It really doesn't matter, you're dodging my question. 

[MJHolland 12,725]

If Texas has a low crime rate, it only makes the question bigger, why the hell does everyone need a gun? If you are more likely to shoot yourself or family than an intruder, then a gun isn't very good protection.

​For all we know Texas' low crime rate could be contracted the the fact that criminals are afraid to commit a crime knowing that most of the citizens have a gun and that very well could be true.

This would only be made more likely by the fact that most of Texas is better-off and wouldn't be committing crimes of desperation (like robbery or grand theft auto).

[Bebe 17,289]

​Thank you for that one, it made me laugh lol.

Again, when this country was founded by our founding fathers, the second (SECOND) right that made sure to write in our Constitution was the right to bear arms. It's not a "fetish" to own a gun, it's your constitutional right as an American. 

​Fine, make it a convince store then. Or a 7/11. Or a resident's home. It really doesn't matter, you're dodging my question. 

You constitution has been amended before. It isn't this immaculate, infallible document that is free from error. Great, you have a constitutional right to bear arms. That doesn't make it any less crazy to live in a place where people can walk around openly brandishing guns. 

Plenty of safe places exist where it isn't your constitutional right to carry weapons capable of instantly killing your fellow citizen.

I assure you, I'm not trying to dodge your question. There is an armed police force in Texas, If I'm willing to take my chances with them I would assume I would be willing to take my chances with a population of other people with guns. I mean in this case I would live in a state where I could buy a gun and walk around openly with a gun. In the place where I live, people would have a hard time stumbling across a gun in the first place so it might be harder to walk into a convenience store or a home with a gun pointed at my victims face.

[Bebe 17,289]

​For all we know Texas' low crime rate could be contracted the the fact that criminals are afraid to commit a crime knowing that most of the citizens have a gun and that very well could be true.

This would only be made more likely by the fact that most of Texas is better-off and wouldn't be committing crimes of desperation (like robbery or grand theft auto).

​Again there are many places without guns that have a low crime rate. If Texas is filled with crazy ass people that would rob, steal and murder if it wasn't for other people carrying weapons than fine. I can see why you live in such a paranoid society. 

That's probably the main fear, if I went to Texas and saw a bunch of people carrying guns I would be like "WTF is happening in this place?? Why the hell does everyone need a gun?? Is this place insane??" In your version the answer is "Yes. Without half the state carrying guns Texas would be a dangerous and lawless place."

Either Texas is ****ed up because of it's paranoid gun tottering society, or it's ****ed up because it's a state where people genuinely need to carry around guns at all time for their personal safety.

[Goosey 3,017]

Excellent news, and Texans can already concealed carry so I don't see why anyone would be opposed to adding open carry. 

You constitution has been amended before.

​Tell me when it's been amended to REMOVE rights.

Oh.

[MJHolland 12,725]

You constitution has been amended before. It isn't this immaculate, infallible document that is free from error. Great, you have a constitutional right to bear arms. That doesn't make it any less crazy to live in a place where people can walk around openly brandishing guns. 
Plenty of safe places exist where it isn't your constitutional right to carry weapons capable of instantly killing your fellow citizen.

I assure you, I'm not trying to dodge your question. There is an armed police force in Texas, If I'm willing to take my chances with them I would assume I would be willing to take my chances with a population of other people with guns. I mean in this case I would live in a state where I could buy a gun and walk around openly with a gun. In the place where I live, people would have a hard time stumbling across a gun in the first place so it might be harder to walk into a convenience store or a home with a gun pointed at my victims face.

You're ignoring the fact that in suburban areas gun ownership is inversely proportional to crime rates.​ Meaning when more people have guns, less people commit crimes (in suburban areas. This statistic is thrown off when you look at things on a national scale because of all the urban crime we have but you really have to break down statistics farther).

Obviously you don't think like a criminal (thankfully lol, probably a good thing) because they are afraid of getting shot by anybody, not just police, more than they want to rob a store or a house.

And okay, I'll entertain your idea of (somehow through a miracle) we pass a Constitutional Amendment banning all guns. What happens next? Do all the guns in America simply dissolve? Do we instantaneously solve our violent culture in poverty stricken inner cities? You can't ignore the practicality of gun reform, you'll just end up sounding ignorant and idealistic and losing. You have to look at these things in a real-world fashion, not banking off the idea of a perfect world where no body owns guns and the police are able to stop all the bad guys from committing crimes. Those two things will never happen.

[Bebe 17,289]

​Tell me when it's been amended to REMOVE rights.

Oh.

Tell me how that makes the document INFALLIBLE.

Oh.

[Bebe 17,289]

You're ignoring the fact that in suburban areas gun ownership is inversely proportional to crime rates.​ Meaning when more people have guns, less people commit crimes (in suburban areas. This statistic is thrown off when you look at things on a national scale because of all the urban crime we have but you really have to break down statistics farther).

Obviously you don't think like a criminal (thankfully lol, probably a good thing) because they are afraid of getting shot by anybody, not just police, more than they want to rob a store or a house.

And okay, I'll entertain your idea of (somehow through a miracle) we pass a Constitutional Amendment banning all guns. What happens next? Do all the guns in America simply dissolve? Do we instantaneously solve our violent culture in poverty stricken inner cities? You can't ignore the practicality of gun reform, you'll just end up sounding ignorant and idealistic and losing. You have to look at these things in a real-world fashion, not banking off the idea of a perfect world where no body owns guns and the police are able to stop all the bad guys from committing crimes. Those two things will never happen.

​You do what other nations have done.
I haven't suggested once that the answer is to immediately ban all guns. Obviously that won't work.

Tighter gun control is the first answer and incentives for people to hand over their guns, is the next.

I can go into more detail later, but there is a footy match on right now so I'll be taking my leave.

[MJHolland 12,725]

Tell me when it's been amended to REMOVE rights.

Oh.

​Prohibition?

[MJHolland 12,725]

​Again there are many places without guns that have a low crime rate. If Texas is filled with crazy ass people that would rob, steal and murder if it wasn't for other people carrying weapons than fine. I can see why you live in such a paranoid society. 
That's probably the main fear, if I went to Texas and saw a bunch of people carrying guns I would be like "WTF is happening in this place?? Why the hell does everyone need a gun?? Is this place insane??" In your version the answer is "Yes. Without half the state carrying guns Texas would be a dangerous and lawless place."

Either Texas is ****ed up because of it's paranoid gun tottering society, or it's ****ed up because it's a state where people genuinely need to carry around guns at all time for their personal safety.

​Okay once again they don't carry around guns because their state is unsafe.

Their states IS safe because people DO carry around more guns. It's just common sense when you're dealing with suburban communities. The vast majority of those people don't commit crimes and they will never need to use their gun because criminals are too afraid to commit crimes there. 

And people aren't paranoid in Texas. People own guns BECAUSE it makes then feel more safe and less paranoid.

America has an extremely violent culture, or at least urban-America does. Getting rid of guns won't solve this problem and it will only allow thugs and criminal who do still down guns after they've been outlawed to commit massive crimes because it is ignorant to believe blackmarkets for guns and assault rifles wouldn't become more prevalent for people wanting to commit large-scale crime. 

[MJHolland 12,725]

​You do what other nations have done.I haven't suggested once that the answer is to immediately ban all guns. Obviously that won't work.

Tighter gun control is the first answer and incentives for people to hand over their guns, is the next.

I can go into more detail later, but there is a footy match on right now so I'll be taking my leave.

​No country on planet earth has been so entwined with guns as America. It is not gun's fault that we have such a violent culture either.

America will never been a place like the UK or most of Europe in respect to guns. Never. It's impossible because of so many reasons I don't have the time nor patients to explain and go through. Anybody with a basic education on American history and political history would understand that gun's aren't going anywhere in this country and it's foolish to say otherwise. 

[Bebe 17,289]

​Okay once again they don't carry around guns because their state is unsafe.

Their states IS safe because people DO carry around more guns. It's just common sense when you're dealing with suburban communities. The vast majority of those people don't commit crimes and they will never need to use their gun because criminals are too afraid to commit crimes there. 

And people aren't paranoid in Texas. People own guns BECAUSE it makes then feel more safe and less paranoid.

America has an extremely violent culture, or at least urban-America does. Getting rid of guns won't solve this problem and it will only allow thugs and criminal who do still down guns after they've been outlawed to commit massive crimes because it is ignorant to believe blackmarkets for guns and assault rifles wouldn't become more prevalent for people wanting to commit large-scale crime. 

​I don't think they carry guns around because they feel unsafe, I think they carry guns around because of their fixation or fetish of guns.

Their state isn't more safe because of more guns and again, these gun owners are more likely to shoot themselves or a family member than a criminal.

"People own guns BECAUSE it makes then feel more safe and less paranoid." Haha yeah. That's exactly right people are buying guns because they are so ****ing paranoid that they are going to have to defend their homes, or the government is going to take their guns. Buying guns make them feel less paranoid.

Nobody is mentioning banning guns completely. That won't work in a country like America. You have to start smaller.

 

​No country on planet earth has been so entwined with guns as America. It is not gun's fault that we have such a violent culture either.

America will never been a place like the UK or most of Europe in respect to guns. Never. It's impossible because of so many reasons I don't have the time nor patients to explain and go through. Anybody with a basic education on American history and political history would understand that gun's aren't going anywhere in this country and it's foolish to say otherwise. 

​
Luckily, nobody here has said anything otherwise.

[Morphine Prince 110,019]

I live in Texas in a big city so I don't think this will affect me much. Concealed carry was already allowed. And contrary to what most ignorant non-Texans and especially non-Americans think, we WERE the minority in this country with not allowing open carry. I would have preferred if it had stayed that way but no sensible person in my city would openly carry a gun like that. Maybe in the rurual areas it will be more widespread. 

That being said I agree with points some of you have said from both sides. 

[mcoop 628]

Excuse me but why did you put "right" in quotes?​

In the United States of American you have to equal right to own a gun the same way you have to right to free speech/press/assembly/petition/religion. 

I'm going to ask you a question and it really isn't mean to be condescending or patronizing but have you ever read the United States Constitution?

Well in my country, the U.S., we have this document called the Bill of Rights which makes up the first ten amendment to our Constitution which is the basic document that gives all citizens their basic rights and protections. From this document you might remember the second amendment to the document that my country is FOUNDED on, and that is the right to bear arms.

The Constitution IS the supreme law of the land whether you like it or agree with it and in this country people DO have the right to own guns.

As an American, I think the U.S Constitution is trash.