Interesting OC in Texas news article

[VMJade]

Mostly putting this up because It's a surprisingly balanced article about OC.


http://www.star-telegram.com/804/story/715977.html

[unix_slayer]

That's funny... because when I lived in Houston back in 85..... most everyone I saw were OC'ing. It was an everyday occurrence. They had a gun shops on every block. A lot of people had the 12 gauge on the dash board hooks.

[VMJade]

Yeah, I've heard about that- and then it was also less of an issue.

Unfortunately, at present Houston is a crime-riddled cesspool, and the other cities are starting to slide that way.

It's sad, really.

[Pa. Patriot]

That's funny... because when I lived in Houston back in 85..... most everyone I saw were OC'ing. It was an everyday occurrence. ....

???

According to people in Texas, OC has been outlawed since reconstruction.
They claim it was only selectively enforced up to 1973 when Section 46.02 (TX penal code) was passed. After which OC was strictly a no-no for everyone

http://opencarry.mywowbb.com/forum51/12477.html

Section 46.02 of the Texas Penal Code (Unlawful Carry of a Weapon) is the law that prohibits open display of a weapon. The oldest reference of this law as it currently exists comes from the codification of the Texas Penal Code in 1973 by the 63rd Legislature. Before this time, the laws were organized differently and were not stored electronically, so there is no revision history readily available before this time.

I can tell you that the prohibition of open carry dates back to Reconstruction; laws forbidding weapons carry were passed and then selectively enforced by the "good ol' boy" lawmen against free blacks and carpetbaggers. This behavior continued through much of the early 20th century; I would guess as recently as the Civil Rights Act of 1964, officers were still enforcing this and other laws only as they saw fit. After the CRA passed, the law had to be applied evenly, and as President Kennedy had just been assassinated 6 months previously, followed very soon thereafter by Jack Ruby walking up and plugging Oswald, it would not have been very good PR for Texas to repeal their carry prohibition. So, the majority of the chapter, including handgun law, was left largely unchanged until a major overhaul of the Penal, Government and Beverage Codes between 1995-1997 to institute concealed carry licensing. Since that time we've been chipping away at 46.02 and similar provisions; the next major step was in 2007 with the strong Castle Doctrine law and specific exception to 46.02 in the case of a weapon kept concealed in a car.

More somments at:
http://opencarry.mywowbb.com/forum51/12477.html

[Charlie B]

I lived in Houston from ’79 – ’85 and the only people I ever saw OC were uniformed licenced Security and Police.

[unix_slayer]

???

According to people in Texas, OC has been outlawed since reconstruction.
They claim it was only selectively enforced up to 1973 when Section 46.02 (TX penal code) was passed. After which OC was strictly a no-no for everyone




More somments at:
http://opencarry.mywowbb.com/forum51/12477.html

Then they might of had permits, because they were OC'ing. In their pickups, and on their persons. And nobody looked at them the wrong way what-so-ever.

[Pa. Patriot]

Then they might of had permits, because they were OC'ing. In their pickups, and on their persons. And nobody looked at them the wrong way what-so-ever.

No OC permits (LEO cert security only)

Transporting a long gun in a vehicle is not the same as OC of a handgun (in most states, TX included)

[tourrider]

Being born and raised the first 10 years of my life in West Texas, I thought OC was manditory as I always saw my father, and the other farmers OC'ing 24/7. Mostly for the rattlers that lurked about

[unix_slayer]

No OC permits (LEO cert security only)

Transporting a long gun in a vehicle is not the same as OC of a handgun (in most states, TX included)

Then actually they might have been carrying illegally than, because some of them sure didn't look like law enforcement.