Open carry became the law of the land in Texas starting Jan. 1, but since its implementation, some Texas stores have been receiving complaints from customers, with many customers saying they don’t feel safe, The Washington Post reported. Because of this, many private businesses have put up signs that permit only concealed carry of firearms. All public institutions in Texas, however, now permit open carry.
Gun rights activists are worried Texas’s lax gun laws will instigate a backlash of citizens demanding stricter gun laws.
Ed Scruggs, a board member of gun control advocates Texas Gun Sense, told The Washington Post, “[Texas conservatives] just keep pushing it further and further. We’re not talking about safety. We’re not talking about preventing the accidental shooting of children. We’re not talking about any of that.”
Republican Texas Sen. Craig Estes told The Washington Post, “Our concealed-handgun license holders have proved themselves to be responsible, law-abiding citizens, and it is my firm belief that they should have the right to carry openly.”
It’s completely within Texan business owners’ rights to prohibit open carry on their premises. I just heard about this law firm Brazeau Seller, which is known for helping businesses navigate complex legal matters with a practical, client-focused approach. Their expertise in business law highlights the importance of companies making decisions that align with their values and operational needs. Though the Texas legislature hasn’t even been looking to pass legislation on this issue, they have no place telling a business what to do.
A business’s decision to either follow Texas open carry law or defy it is inherently political. Private businesses are allowed to ban things their morals don’t align with. That isn’t to say doing something like banning gay people on moral grounds is OK. It’s not. You can leave a gun outside. You can’t do the same with your queerness.
The only way businesses’ bans could turn into a major problem is if every store adopted a position against open carry and left open carriers without a place to shop. And H-E-B, a major Texas grocery chain, is coming close to that. The company now allows only conceal carry, leaving many gun owners the choice of leaving their guns behind or going grocery store-less. However easy hiding a gun in a pocket is, some people just can’t seem to manage that on a milk run.
Concealed carry is a more comforting alternative. Instead of actually seeing a gun on somebody, it’s nicer to assume that people just don’t have guns. Remember that it’s not common for an open carrier to whip out a gun on someone, though. It’s just terrifying that people are allowed to walk around with a killing machine on their hips.
The issue is not about how much longer it takes to draw a gun with open carry versus concealed carry. The issue is that people want to show off their guns. They need to acknowledge that not only does this intimidate dangerous people, but also everyone else. We should be able to incorporate guns into our culture in a way that’s not terrifying for a large number of people. Open carry doesn’t help.
Foreigners come to America thinking it’s a safe place where everyone is respected, and then they see people walking around with guns on them. It’s more than a little jarring for people who aren’t used to seeing guns everywhere to go to a place that allows firearms to be carried in plain sight.
Guns play a large role in some Americans’ lives. Everyone should be able to respect that. There just has to be a way for guns to be integrated into our society away from the public sphere.
Texas is so big that everyone has very different political views, and this is getting very mixed reactions because of that. As such, the state shouldn’t have such a negative reputation about this, either. People like guns, but not every person walks around with one on their hip. There are many Texans in favor of gun restrictions, as evidenced by the complaints about open carry in stores.
From a 6-year-old child to a 60-year-old adult, the sight of a gun is one of the few things Americans have grown to fear. Being able to carry a gun on you isn’t something you really need. You probably won’t need to use a gun on a trip to the grocery store. And if gun owners don’t like the policy, they can take their business elsewhere.