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To open carry, or not to open carry. This controversial issue has been debated by pro-gun advocates and anti-gun groups for years.
When the issue was to be decided by Texas lawmakers, the law was passed. The law, which took effect Jan.1, permits licensed gun owners to publicly display their guns. This decision was expected to cause trepidation and even endanger the public.
A spokesperson for the group Moms Demand Action stated that every mother dreams her child will grow up safe, healthy and happy. Unfortunately, too many American mothers will see their dreams for their children shattered by gun violence.
As for the effect of passing the law in Texas, the outcome has not been as predicted. One fear expressed by the open carry opponents was the idea that people seeing someone carrying a firearm would panic and call law enforcement. In Tarrant County, which includes the cities of Fort Worth and Arlington, there were no such incidents in January.
In an interview with the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Cpl. Tracey Knight, a spokeswoman for the Fort Worth Police Department, said there have been no issues from her department’s perspective. “We do not have anything interesting to report,” Knight said. “Two calls so far, no issues. We have no concerns and we have had no problems.”
Tarrant County Sheriff Dee Anderson told the Star-Telegram, “I said before this became law that I thought it was going to be much ado about nothing, but I didn’t know it was going to be this much nothing.”
While Texas has the reputation of being a gun-toting state, the reality is its gun laws are considered to be some of the strictest in the nation. Based on figures from the Texas Department of Public Safety, only 3.4 percent of the state’s 27 million residents currently have a license to carry a weapon.