In early April, advocates for tighter restriction on guns assembled at Austin City Hall to discuss gun regulations. A small group of opposing gun carrying members of Open Carry Texas rallied outside of the building to protest against the stricter gun laws with their long guns and signs captioned, "Come and Take It." C.J. Grisham, the founder of Open Carry Texas, wants lawmakers to allow Texans to openly carry their handguns as they do with their long fire arms. He commented on the protest at city hall, "You've got a group of people who are carrying firearms, kids and women, smiling and waving. If we truly mean to hurt anybody, would we draw attention to ourselves by waving flags and smiling? If you think about it logically, the fact that someone is alarmed is unreasonable."
The law in Texas states that "it is illegal to openly carry handguns, and a license is required to carry a concealed handgun." But, "it is legal to visibly carry a long arm--shotgun or rifle-- so long as it is not done in a 'manner calculated to alarm.'" Kevin Lawrence, the director of the Texas Municipal Police Association, concerns, "There's a certain point where law enforcement has a right to step in and say, 'You've crossed the line.'"
These demonstration are not just occurring up and down the streets. People are carrying their weapons in public places such as the mall, parks, and restaurants. The armed men exercising their right to bear arms know they have good intentions. As on-lookers of these gun carrying men, how are we to know if we are truly safe?
