Texans debate campus and open carry

From the Lone Star State:

AUSTIN — Michael Guzman uses his concealed handgun license to carry a lightweight stainless steel .45-caliber pistol for self-defense.

The 25-year-old Texas State University senior, a former Marine, takes his Kimber Ultra Carry II firearm just about everywhere — except school. State law prohibits him from bringing the firearm on campus.

Guzman would like to see that change this year, and legislators appear to be listening.

Lawmakers are drafting bills — one to authorize the ability to carry a gun on campus and another to allow licensed handgun owners to openly carry their weapons — that likely will be the most hotly debated among several pieces of gun-related legislation to be considered this session. ...

Article here.

Meanwhile, the anti-gunners appear to be on defense:

A couple of interesting things stood out while researching today's story on proposed gun laws.

First: Gun control advocates appear to be doing little this session in terms of pushing legislation they deem favorable.

Marsha McCartney, president of the North Texas Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, said the group might not ask lawmakers to carry two pieces of legislation -- one that would require background checks for all firearm sales at gun shows and another that would limit handgun purchases to one every 30 days -- that the gun control group normally advocates.

"We haven't completely decided if we're going to ask for those bills to be filed," said McCartney. "But probably not if we have the same committee heads."

She added: "We know how things work in Texas and if you don't have the backing, you don't go far."

For now, the Brady Campaign's top priority for the session, McCartney said, will be trying to mount a good defense to the issue of concealed carry on campus.

On that note, there appears to be some hostility brewing between the group advocating for concealed carry on campus and the group backing the push for licensed Texans to be allowed to openly tote their pistols.
...
One last note: While the push to allow students and faculty to carry concealed handguns on campus has garnered the support of the powerful gun lobby, the open carry movement doesn't yet have the official backing of the National Rifle Association or their state affiliate, the Texas State Rifle Association.

Article here. Let's hope both bills pass.

It's a pity the TSRA and NRA haven't gotten behind the open carry movement. I think that's a mistake on their part. While we can debate the tactical merits of open versus concealed carry, every peaceable citizen should have the option to decide which mode of carry to employ at any given time.

In addition, open carry makes a powerful and visible political statement; concealed carry does not. As Americans, we should not be afraid of, or be prohibited from, visibly exercising our right to keep and bear arms in conjunction with our First Amendment right to free political speech. Open carry does both; concealed carry does not.

Open carry serves to rebut the mainstream media's dishonest (and ludicrous) portrayal of guns as evil, and armed citizens as racist redneck nut jobs. The more the non-gun-owning public sees their fellow citizens peacefully going about their business while armed, the more we can begin to rebut this incorrect and tendentious media stereotype. I'm not saying everyone should open carry all, or even most of, the time (I certainly don't). Far from it. I am saying that peaceable free men and women should be able to choose the carry mode that's right for their particular circumstances.