Can you guys open-carry and also have firearms concealed in your vehicle?
We can, here. I figured Texas wouldn't be very far off. Not compared to a place like California or something.

I'm not sure, exactly. All I really know about gun laws here are that they're very much lax when it comes to ownership, less so about what constitutes self defense.

If I remember correctly, Texas is not an open-carry state. However, a person can carry concealed firearms in vehicles and on their person.

I was in the supermarket the other day and some little man had a giant glock around his waist. He was not a cop, I was a little taken aback and alarmed. Why not cover it up?

He is probably one of those types that wants to support open carry laws even though i'm pretty damn sure you aren't allowed to open carry in your state.

Well, if you cover it up, you'd need a concealed-carry permit. Whereas with open-carry, some states don't require one. Maybe he just doesn't have a concealed-carry permit?
I think PA and Louisiana are in the same category for open-carry. It's in a gray area, not illegal, not legal sort of thing.

All i know is if I had a gun on me all the time I would want the element of surprise. To let the world know you have a handgun on you (and not to mention exactly what kind) seems like a big flaw if your that worried about yours or others saftey.

The only place people carry guns here is on Svalbard (because of polar bears) or when hunting. People in Oslo generally do not carry guns, not even the police. Despite the fact some people do have guns, the general feeling is that society is relatively free of them and I think that increases everyone's sense of security. Do you really feel safer when you go over to your neighbour to complain about something and he has a big ass gun strapped to his waist? People owning guns not meant for hunting, but for scaring and shooting people, seems paranoid to me and a little like you're preparing for the zombie apocalypse or something when you'll have to defend yourself. How useful is a gun really? On average, is owning one going to extend you or your family's life? When everybody in society can easily obtain and own them, does that increase the life quality of society's people?

i quote Robert A. Heinlein - "A polite society is an armed society"

i'm no rightwing nutjob, but some fucker wanting to hassle me would probably get the message if I flashed my revolver at him

You have too much faith in the kindness of human beings and society in general.

owning a gun does create a sense of security because if some random nutjob decides that they are fed up and goes on a spree you are able to defend yourself and protect others that would have been victims if you were some carebear that didn't think owning a gun would do any good.



I'd rather be in a position where I could defend myself. Survival of the fittest and all that jazz than to be in a position where I let others have the final say over my final moments.

Even if you made it extremely difficult for people to obtain firearms there will still be a black market where those firearms could be obtained.