Pros And Cons Of Open Carry

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The open-carry crowd says now people can better protect themselves, they don't have to bother with concealing a gun and, anyway, it's already legal in 44 other states, so why not in gun-loving Texas? For Michael Cargill and Trina Spells, handgun instructors and firearms enthusiasts who both openly carry handguns, they couldn't wait to take advantage of the law. On a recent walkabout in an Austin Wal-Mart, no one really seems to be paying attention to the guns on their hips.

Personal safety can cut both ways. Open carry is controversial among gun owners. Some say displaying a weapon in public discourages troublemakers. "An armed society is a polite society," they're fond of saying. Others say it invites trouble.

Say, for example, a bad guy