Doesn't it suck how the open carry Texas folks ruined it for everyone?

I heard this many times on this site over the past couple of years. I argued that they were a huge part in helping regain our gun rights, and was called an idiot, many many times. (Btw, I've never open carried a rifle out in public, but vehemently supported the rights of Open Carry Texas, as well as their methods)

Anyone want to admit they were wrong about Open Carry Texas? Or are some of y'all still worried about blood in the streets? Lol.

http://www.thetruthaboutguns.com/2015/07...en-carry-texas/

I think you're getting a couple of groups mixed up. There were two large groups responsible for demonstrations and lobbying associated with these bills: Open Carry Texas (OCT), and Open Carry Tarrant County (OCTC). If I remember correctly, OCTC splintered off from OCT because of a dispute about how they should behave in public. News article here that mentions it: http://beforeitsnews.com/alternative/201...eo-2952196.html

Open Carry Texas is cool. Open Carry Tarrant County is pants-on-head retarded, and are responsible for most of the negative publicity associated with the bill. They're the guys that carried SKSs and such at the low ready in a Chipotle, and tried to intimidate a legislator into passing open carry legislation. They nearly single-handedly had the bills declared DOA.

Chipotle:

Intimidating Legislator:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MbfxRQRQOTY

Open Carry Texas, however, maintains a much more positive image, and hasn't been responsible for any big news stories about how aggressive they are, or how poorly they represent the movement. Whenever people mention idiots carrying guns openly to support the bill, they're talking about OCTC.

Which group is CJ Grisham a part of? Whichever it is, that guy is bad, bad news and a bad representative of open carry, the second amendment, the US Army (of which I am a Veteran), and sane people everywhere.

He is Open Carry Texas.

And I will vehemently disagree with everything you said about him.

No, I know which is which. As the post above states, people here have negative opinions of OCT, even though they have accomplished so much.

Doan, you're suffering from a little revisionist history.. The majority of the posts on this subject have supported the ultimate goal of OCT, but were certainly critical of Kory w/ OCTC and his ridiculous tactics.. There was obviously disagreement from THF'ers on whether they would OC or not, but few actually said that the right to OC was a bad idea..

You can thump your chest & yell "I told you so" as loud as you want.. Our issue was w/ Kory Watkins & OCTC, which did nothing to help your cause..

We were open caring long before these idiots damn near got it shut down, I'll give them no credit. As far as CJ goes my opinion of him is very low.

Anyone who throws on tac gear and an AR-15 to go into Chipolte is not trying to help
anybody who cares about gun rights IMO.

I will second that motion. He has done much more harm than good.

There was an OC bill introduced into the house in the 82nd & 83rd sessions, which were both before OCT & OCTC were formed.

And how far did those get?

That is an opposing opinion to mine... Care to elaborate and perhaps provide a few facts to support your opinion? Can you point to one example of "harm"?

I personally believe that extending gun rights to include open carry of handguns in addition to allowing campus carry are GOOD. Perhaps you believe it is harmful for Texas citizens to have increased gun rights?

Open carry passed in spite of OCT and CJ Grisham, not because of him. I find it hilarious that the OCT folks have such a short memory and forget that they did not support the OC bill that passed. Their bill was for unlicensed OC and it was dead on arrival.

Let's also not forget that CJ Grisham badmouthed both the TSRA and the NRA for wanting to pull the Dutton amendment when it appeared that it could jeopardize the passage of the bill. He made them out to be enemies of the constitution, blah blah blah, and then ended up supporting the removal of the amendment to pass the legislation... just as TSRA and the NRA had been advising all along.

Also, isn't it ironic that CJ tried to distance himself and OCT from Kory Watkins? While CJ agreed with Kory on the message, he disagreed on tactics... much like most here disagreed with OCT tactics.

Seeing as how HB700 was the precursor for HB910 and the NRA & TSRA decided to push for passage in the 84th session (where it passed) before the 83rd was over (again, before OCT & OCTC were formed), quite far indeed. The TX leg only meets for a few months every other year, so like a lot of bills, they don't make it to the floor on their first go-round.

You see, there's a big difference between a bill getting voted down and a bill dying in committee because there's no time to get to it. Of course, anyone who actually understands how the legislature works knows this, just like they know OCT basically jumped onto a winning horse as it was crossing the finish line.

Hmm... So the increase of thousands of emails, letters, and calls from voters that were organized by OCT had no effect.

Law-abiding citizens performing a lawful action (open carry) led many here to state that these open carriers were "harmful" to gun rights. They exclaimed that in addition to impeding the path of the open carry bill, these guys would also cause the open carry of rifles to be deemed illegal. Neither happened.

But, screw facts. You "feel" like these guys are bad, and have a negative effect. Although you have absolutely zero factual evidence to support this position, your "feelings" comprise the totality of your reasoning.

Quite expected from the majority of the members here.

Marijuana is bad, because federal law says so!!!!

But federal government forcing a Christian couple to bake a cake for a homosexual couple is wrong.

So much hypocrisy. So much back and forth. This site is full of pure entertainment for me.




I suppose the open carriers of Colorado had no effect on the recall efforts, either.

And I know how the Texas legislature works. Bills die in committee when the elected officials believe them to not be important to their constituents. Bills get worked on when constituents speak up.


But you're right. Probably just sitting around and waiting would have gotten it done. It's a "process".


Some of yall should read some books.

So, did OCT support licensed open carry? Did OCT members write letters to their reps for licensed open carry? Was the little demonstration that made our legislators want panic buttons in their offices helpful to the cause? You didn't address any of my comments. Licensed OC passed in spite of, not because of the OCT groups.

You've built a lot of strawmen there, CDoan.

Whataburger isn't allowing the tacticool operators in their stores

Funny thing is Whataburger has stores in Oklahoma and other states that have open carry and it hasn't been an issue. I'm not sure if it was OCT or Mom's Demand Action that poised this question to Whataburger and basically forced them to take a position.

Yeah. I'm sure you'll look like Clint Eastwood packing your piece around. But really, who do you expect to intimidate. I think as far as furthering our rights it was good but the practicality of it is limited imo.

I think you put thus post up to incite another argument or pound your chest declaring you are the only smart guy in the room. For those of us who have a CHL and want the ability to protect ourselves. That is what is the most important issue. No I do not support open carry, because there is a segment of the population that are not comfortable with strangers carrying guns. My mom fits in this catagory. I guess that my views are stupid and liberal to you!

My god...what a gang of idiots.

I am all pro guns but when I see this it feels like not everyone should be allowed to have weapons.

As you say this is what ruins it for the rest of us. If they ban online ammo sells it is due to knuckleheads like this.

Funny comment from the youtube video comments:
"Do all ammosexuals sound like they've been inhaling helium?"

Haha, he is so right.

Michael Yon sums up the OCT guys nicely:
http://www.michaelyon-online.com/be-a-palm-tree-tobacco-rebel-flag-2nd-amendment.htm

TSRA did a great job of getting some good legislation passed this year despite all the OCT shenanigans.

A guy I work with has a brother in Arizona where there is open carry. He says that when he goes out to visit he hardly ever sees anyone open carrying. I have seen some of the open carry guys demonstrating in Waco and they were definitely tacticool operators. The ones I saw looked more ridiculous than something that you would WANT to see. I know the open carry rifles is a bit different than open carry handguns, but I personally feel that an unknown threat is more intimidating than a known one. If I were gonna knock off a store and saw a guy open carrying, I know who my first point to control would be, but if you don't see any open carry guns, you have no clue what law-abiding CHL carrying is in the store and is gonna draw down and smoke you. Of course, that's just my opinion, I could be wrong.

The one on the left looks like Michael Moore. Could it be a liberal stunt to ruin it for us?

You know these dudes don't have a clue on how to really use these weapons. I can see why dudes like this make some people want more and/or better gun control legislation. But the fact of the matter is, it won't keep guns out of the hands of douchebags. It will just make it harder for the rest of us.

I doubt those guys are liberal agitators.. look like Call of Duty super operators, probably has a xbox controller in his back pocket.