What I will not be comfortable with if open carry becomes law in Texas, as some state lawmakers are proposing, is encountering a gun carrier in a restaurant sporting a holstered 9mm with an extended magazine. I will wonder: Is this person really licensed, or is he an unlicensed bad guy casing the premises to commit crime or an act of terror? Is he of a proper mental state or has his mental health changed since he was licensed? Does he properly maintain and clean his weapon as required? Is his weapon housing a chambered round? When was the last time he qualified on a firing range? Can he really be trusted to take on the gut-wrenching task he obviously seeks? Should the business owner check the licenses and qualifications of gun-holstered patrons before allowing them to enter armed?
Boom.
The open-carry advocate will say he is strapping on heat to protect himself. Doing so in your home or on your property, yes, I would agree we have that right. But when openly carrying a firearm in a public setting, the dynamics include folks like me. And my internal commentary will go something like this: "I don't know you from Adam, so I question your ability. A police officer has the certification that assures some level of confidence that she can safely and appropriately manage her weapon, but I won't know if you do."
BOOM.
As a retired commercial bank loan officer, I have experienced two armed robberies. I stared down the barrel of a 45-caliber semiautomatic handgun pointed at my forehead. Children were screaming, and no one knew what might tip the scale of tense engagement. We were all forced to lie on the floor. Later, police told us, "Lucky no shots were fired. We know these guys and they are bad dudes!"
Today, I wonder had one of the 12 or so bank customers forced to the floor pulled a weapon, what would have been the outcome? Would I be now residing in a cement box in our family plot at Forest Park for the past 43 years, my just-born daughter never knowing her father and my yet unborn son never to be?
BOOOOOOOOOOOM.
The whole article is Boom Goes The Dynamite.