The Pros And Cons Of Open Carry

Open carry

Imagine walking into a convenient store just minding your own business, unarmed, when someone with bad intentions comes in wielding a firearm what are you going to do?

Even though firearms have been given a bad name, due to mass shootings and other unfortunate events, the open carry law will lower crime in Texas. A person who open carries is carrying to protect themselves and others, incidentally statistics show that other states that have legalized open carry have lowered their crime rates.

States that have legalized open carry have shown lower crime rates through the year of 2012

“It is important to note that in states that have legalized the open carry law, violent crime was twenty three percent lower”. (Joshua Gillin)

Crime in states that have not permitted open carry have actually shown a significant

“A 1985 Department of Justice survey of incarcerated felons reported that 57 percent of the felons polled agreed that "criminals are more worried about meeting an armed victim than they are about running into the police."(Larry Pratt)

Researcher Gary Kleck found that 92 percent of criminal attacks are deterred when a gun is merely shown or, rarely, a warning shot fired. This means that open carry would have the effect of deterring crime in the same way that a thief might choose another restaurant when he sees police eating at his intended target.

There isn’t really any danger for a fire arm to fall into the wrong persons hand if it is bought legally. Firearm retailers are required by federal law to do background checks on anyone trying to purchase a firearm. “The National Instant Criminal Background Check System, or NICS, is all about saving lives and protecting people from harm by not letting guns fall into the wrong hands. It also ensures the timely transfer of firearms to eligible gun buyers.” (The