Jose Romero
editor-in-chief
CORRECTION, Sept. 17: There are two sentences that need clarifying. Long-rifles have been legal in Texas for years, and HB 1927 allows law enforcement to stop people with handguns.
Texas is now the largest state to allow open or concealed carry in public without a license. That’s freaking horrifying.
Constitutional carry went into effect Sept. 1, and no matter which way I look at it, it seems like a terrible idea. I can’t think of any way this benefits Texans. The only outcome I can perceive is an increase in gun violence or gun-related crimes. The last thing Texas needs is people walking around populated areas with a lethal weapon holstered to their hip.
It’s just way too dangerous. It’s shocking that it passed. We really shouldn’t be following a 200-year-old piece of writing, just saying.
It doesn’t seem like a law that would prevent violence, so why did it pass? Other than pushing agendas, it seems as if it will encourage more shootings since walking around with a weapon will no longer be a reason to stop someone. It’s such a terrifying thought. Imagine going to run some errands and having someone walk in front of you with a handgun attached to their belt. If they’re having a bad day, everyone will know it.
One argument I’ve seen for constitutional carry is that it could potentially prevent shootings because people would be armed, ready to take down an assailant. This could be true, but it wouldn’t be necessary in the first place if there were stronger gun laws.
That’s the most frustrating part about it. Shooting after shooting, elected officials offer their condolences then continue to do nothing about it. They sign laws like this into place, shoving a middle finger into the face of families who’ve lost their loved ones to a gung-ho terrorist.
In June, there was a shooting in Austin that left one person dead and 13 injured. Nothing changed. Just offered condolences. This isn’t just a Texas issue, though. This is a U.S. issue.
Around 1,800 people have been injured or killed in mass shootings this year, according to The Washington Post. Each shooting could’ve been prevented with proper gun laws.
It’s disturbing how Texas’ response toward guns is to allow people to walk around with them unlicensed.
Any time I see a news headline about a shooting, I tell Google not to recommend it to me because I know there won’t be any changes.
I can’t believe that some politicians will read about a shooting at a school and not even take the time to consider that maybe guns are the issue.
At least now people can shut up about their freedoms being taken away. They can freely walk around with an unnecessarily large killing machine strapped to their back as they buy their weekly groceries. That’s what Texas stands for.
