You’ve probably seen this photo. It’s of two idiots who OC’d long guns into a Chipotle in Texas, which has resulted in Chipotle effectively banning guns from all their establishments nationwide. Sweet move, OC a-holes.
The thing is, this isn’t the first time that OC guys from Texas has been in the news, and not even in the last four weeks. Not too long ago, a bunch of Texas guys OC’d their rifles into a Jack in the Box, resulting in another media outburst. It’s gotten to the point where I just assume that there will be an OC event in Texas, and it will result in another gun free zone. Because that’s what has happened the last two times. OC rifles in fast food joints…get those fast food joints to ban all carry.
To understand what’s wrong with OC in Texas, you have to understand that they actually don’t have great carry laws. The open carry of handguns is actually illegal under Texas law, so the attention seeking OC types that would normally be carrying a Hi-Point around in a piece of shit nylon holster have to carry SKS rifles around that look like the Tapco catalog threw up all over them. So just because some guy didn’t get enough hugs growing up, he now has to seek attention in a way that messes with everyone else’s gun rights.
See, this is important to understand: carrying a handgun around openly is relatively normal. Hell, half the time people don’t notice. You’re just carrying a gun and going about your business. Carrying a rifle openly is totally not the same thing because absolutely notice you carrying a rifle. It’s not normal. In fact, it’s so not normal that 100% of gun shops I’ve been to frown upon it, and it would absolutely get you booted out of a gun show.
So what exactly is wrong with open carry in Texas? I’m half expecting them to show up OC’ing long guns at a Catholic Church next and get the Pope to ban carrying in all church properties.
Guys, if you’re in Texas and you OC a long gun, this message is for you: JUST KNOCK IT OFF. YOU’RE NOT HELPING.
YES. THIS.
What a couple of asshats. The anti-gun types don’t need any more assistance in causing us all problems and these clueless idiots are providing them with plenty.
If those morons didn’t exist, Michael Bloomberg would hire actors to play the parts. Maybe he already did.
Stop. Just Stop.
Nope. First of all: Chipotle hasn’t banned any guns in its Texas stores until it posts the proper signage.
Second: you can open carry a rifle in a Texas gun show all you want. It just can’t be loaded.
People like the guys in the picture would have no agenda to do this sort of thing if the rest of us would quit offering them up as sacrificial lambs in order to play nice with the gun grabbers.
Comments like this just lead me to believe people have no idea how the world works. Just because you’re from Texas does not require you under law to defend the morons from your state.
First, you are correct about “banning” and signage. They’ve just said “If we see it we’ll take action”.
Second, don’t care about the gun show thing.
No one is offering them up as sacrificial lambs other than themselves. “Demonstrating” in a language the untrained or uneducated to do not understand does not equal a new convert. It equals a frightened citizen who either becomes a grabber or falls victim to the grabber.
Reward stupidity by making excuses for their actions you are only asking for more stupidity.
Knowing how the world works and changing how it works are separate mentalities.
In a world (movie trailer voice) with mass shootings, feeling a certain concern at the approach of this pair is not hoplophobia, it’s a rational response to the situation. I’ve carried for 15 years and if I were eating in that restaurant I’d be alarmed and checking my options.
Ive never seen a service pistol open carried in maine. Its rather a j frame or subcompact auto that would be easy to conceal, or an ar15. There never just going about their business. They have phones ready to record ” confrontations.” When a cop asks why theyre walking around in front of the same gas station for 3 hours. They then go online and show off how they” stood up for their rights.” Ill stay with concealed carry.
I right abused is a right taken away… or something like that.
Just because you can do something, it doesnt mean you should… what was the goal of this episode that these two attention starved individuals were aiming to accomplish? Do we know thet werent anti’s trying to sabotage RKBA?
Well, Soup Sandwich on the right has his finger off the trigger, which is something that an anti probably wouldn’t do. Beyond that though it’d be hard to top the asshattery on display here even if one was staging the photo for that purpose.
This open carry activism has had both the Republican and Democrat candidates for governor openly state that they’d sign any open carry of pistol legislation that crosses their desk, and has the legislature actively trying to pass laws allowing open carry.
Open Carry is not only a bad tactical choice, but also a sign of a narcissistic personality disorder. “Look at me, look at me.”
People open carry rifles at Gun Shows in WA, of course they have to be zip-tied and empty, but how else do you sell them there as an individual . . . . personally, I have no problem with what they are doing: it isn’t against the law, soo what’s the problem Mr Bloomberg Jr?
Every time these clowns have an open carry event, another corporation issues a press release saying “hey, please don’t bring guns into our stores.” That is a loss, and it’s happened twice now in less than two months.
What have you lost? The ability to open carry a rifle into a Chipotle’s…?
From what I understand, these two mall ninjas are part of the “militant”/attention whoring arm of the Texas open carry movement that has been doing its level best to pitch a fit and stir up stink at every opportunity. These guys have been disavowed by the more conservative, mainstream OC activists here in Texas. They were responsible for the city of Arlington (a suburb between Dallas and Fort Worth) passing a new leaflet ordinance which says you can’t step out into traffic to handout literature because these yahoos were OC’ing their EBRs while trying to distribute leaflets and handouts on street corners. They are apparently planning another outing to Granbury (southwest of Fort Worth) over the Memorial Day weekend, and you can already see bright orange “NO GUNS ALLOWED” signs sprouting up all over town (which, by the way, do not comply with section 30.06 signage requirements and are really nothing more than the chamber of commerce members saying “Leave us the hell out of it.”). Frankly, the whole thing makes me tired. Texas has been slowly (thanks to our legislature that meets every two years) making progress on gun issues. OC will come here in due time without the drama these people think is necessary to “educate” people about their rights. For most, it will just mean that we don’t have to worry so much about our cover garments and can get on with life.
They should have arrested those idiots! Legal to carry, yes. Motivation behind the carry, no one knows. But from the looks of these young men, I would have kicked them out of Chipotle immediately. Like you stated…this helps no one. One step forward, TEN steps back, thanks to these cranial deficient individuals.
What they have done is “disturb the peace.” They should have been arrested.
If indeed they went out of their way to disturb the peace then yes they should be charged, however, there is exactly ZERO reason to believe that they disturbed the peace. Now, what would you have said if a “black person” entered a white restaurant in the 60’s? What would you have said if to gay guys openly came in the restaurant during the 70’s?
Many of these issues are civil rights issues and only the right that is being deprived is different in 2014. So, yes I can agree that some of these demonstrations have caused some establishments to openly declare their position against civil rights.
I have a concealed handgun license. If I saw these two walk into my local Chipotle, I would be very nervous. I’d for sure have one hand under my shirt, and on my gun. First choice, escape, second choice, hide. If those weren’t an option, and if they raised the rifle to a firing position and pointed at or near me, I’d for sure draw and fire at them.
I completely agree that these clowns are jerks and are more concerned with being seen than with exercising their rights. But, I think a couple of things need to be clarified.
First, if you don’t have a CCL, the only way you can carry legally is open carry. In Texas, you cannot do that legally with a handgun, only with a long gun. So if you haven’t gone through the CCL process, this is your only legal option.
Second, my understanding is that these guys in the photo are not part of OC Texas, but just a couple of guys doing this on their own.
But, I reiterate that I think they’re being asses. As Will said on Tam’s post, The IDF manages to open carry long guns without freaking everybody out. Part of the reason is the IDF still looks professional and pretty much ignore the gun. These guys are making the gun the focus and are not just going about their business.
These two asshats are NO HELP to our cause!!
I don’t like it when the left forces us to like their agenda, so I think there are better ways to convert the indecisive!!
THIS IS NOT THE WAY!!
I carry, if I see these characters go into a store with these rifles, I will be very uncomfortable!!
These two are like the guy with the crappy Pistol on the Floppy Nylon Gun Show Holster on the Floppy Leather Belt who has NEVER practiced Drawing from the Holster that OPEN Carries just to show how macho he is!!
And yes, I have seen THAT GUY!!
What’s up with the “hi-point hate”? I’ve seen lots of assholes carrying glocks.
These two knuckleheads are fortunate someone didn’t shoot them. Here’s the scenario: Two guys walking with rifles towards the restaurant and another law abiding citizen arrives to pick up a family member who cooks there. Citizen shoots Two guys. Jury verdict, not guilty.
These two knuckleheads are fortunate someone didn’t shoot them. Here’s the scenario: Two guys walking with rifles towards the restaurant and another law abiding citizen arrives to pick up a family
member who cooks there. Citizen shoots Two guys. Jury verdict, not
guilty.
I’ll go so far as to give TOC some other options:
Wear an empty holster.
Sling an AR lower receiver.
Carry an obviously fake gun ( cardboard, BB, obvious Airsoft, etc).
If you must carry a gun: no magazines, flag your chamber, remove your bolt if possible, zip tie the action, and keep it slung behind you.
I agree with almost all the comments and I refer you to michaelyon.com for more on the leader of this bunch of yahoos. Michael Yon is on our side and writes eloquently and sanely on this subject and many others. Dennis Miller calls him the Ernie Pyle of our time.
Living in Texas, I feel the urge to declare my IQ is in fact in the triple digits.
In reference to OCing a long gun at a gun show i’ve seen it here in Texas before. The have it zip tied and usually have a for sale sign on it.
A few more life tips from “The Rabid OCer’s Guide on How to Win Friends and Influence People”:
-Romance- nothing wins the heart of the fair maiden like shouting “Oooh Baby!” followed by a few obscene toungue gestures. A long, creepy stare is an acceptable alternitive.
-Music- If you want people to appreciate your taste in music, be sure that all your sound reproduction apprati are loud enough to be heard at least 1/2 mile away. People tend to be more apprecitive at night, so the later, the better!
-Service- For the best service at a resturant, you need to make it obvious who’s the ‘serve-er’, and put the staff in their place, early and often! And remember, tipping is for hoplophobes!
Sunglasses there is technically afoul of the law: open carry of a long gun is legal if not done in a manner calculated to cause alarm.
Both hands on gun? check.
Holding the rifle in a ready position? check.
I don’t think most people have fully contemplated the long term effect of OC, especially long gun OC. Short term, the wannabe couch ninjas get their jollies from toting around their ARs and AKs in public. What’s the point? Long term, every other prepared, responsible gun owner and citizen becomes aclimated to OC long guns… The result is that no one notices when a dirt bag OCs into an establishment with ill intent until he starts unloading rounds. It’s called desensitization and in this case it’s a very bad thing.
Is it possible these types are actually gun control shills?
Later im going to chipolte. Without my mosin. Because I just want a tasty burrito. Not attention.
These guys piss me off more than anti gunners sometimes. If they had used their damn sense, we wouldn’t have the companies calling for banning all carry. Another case of a few bad apples spoiling the bunch.
Though I kinda wish Chipotle and others’ responses would have been more like a request to just not OC there anymore.
“Attention seeking OC types that would normally be carrying a Hi-Point around in a piece of shit nylon holster have to carry SKS rifles around that look like the Tapco catalog threw up all over them.”
Entries like this are why I love this blog.
Your WISH was granted, Quote: “Because of this, we are respectfully asking that customers not bring guns into our restaurants, unless they are authorized law enforcement personnel.” They did Not say they are banned, they Asked you to Respectfully Not To. This issue is just as much about people doing what some deem as ridiculous or asinine as it is about ridiculous (non-existant) carry laws in the state of Texas.
Are we certain these idiots are really on out side. Could be a false flag opp.
We either have the rule of law or we don’t. If carrying long arms is legal, then it is legal. Why would anyone complain about people doing things that are both legal and no one is hurt or threatened. I can’t believe the negative reactions being professed here.
There is open carry, and open carry. And there is a huge difference between slinging a rifle over your shoulder an walking in the way robbers would. Most states have laws against ‘brandishing’.
One thing is Legal and another thing is COMON SENSE!!
These ASSHATS are there for one thing only, SHOCK VALUE and looking for attention!!
There are two kinds of attention, Good attention and BAD attention!!
These two retards are NOT doing us and the Pro Second Amendment Cause any favors.
I’m all for the Texas open carry guys to take their whole pill, but let’s not overreact to the dorky pictures of these two guys(?). Recall that the media will always choose the prettiest of picture of those with whom they agree (Angelina anybody?) and dufus pictures of those they want to trash.
Well, their sartorial sense is lacking, but the are not brandishing, so far as I can tell. I welcome the day when anyone can carry a gun and no one notices. That only starts one way. The only way this endangers anything is when fellow gun enthusiasts act like they’re embarrassed to see firearms in public.
And here is another bad ending to this story. “Fellow gun enthusiasts’ (I am one) are now disagreeing. Why are we disagreeing? Not because there has been some carefully crafted consensus, but because these yahoos threw everyone’s hat over the fence with their unwise and ultimately unhelpful behavior.
I am not obliged to go over the fence after their hat.
To clarify: I support concealed carry because discretion is the better part of valor.
To further clarify: there are people who honestly disagree with the presence of more guns in society. I don’t agree with them, but they have their sensitivities too and their political clout. We have to play the real-life political and PR game with them – or we will loose.
EXACTLY!!
By the way – the big guy, isn’t he Michael Moore?
The diminutive fellow on the right has a firing grip on his rifle. That’s the part that gets my SA hackles up. It’s loosely akin to someone walking around with a drawn pistol.
Exactly right.
Yup, the Little Dipshit with the Tapco Special has an aggressive Stance, If I found his ass facing me like that, I would take it as an Imminent threat to my life and act according to Arizona State Law!!
Yeah, explain that to a jury! Good grief.
NOT hard to explain, Dipshit with a SKS< Decked out in All Tactical Shit, with a 30 Round Mag with an aggressive stance, I don't know who he is, If I tell him to put it down and he doesn't, he gives me Lip, I draw down on his scrawny little ass!!
Law in AZ States "If you are in reasonable fear for your life, and others life you can act accordingly"
This as swipe does NOT need to bring that to a eatery!! He is trying to extract a reaction!!
HE IS AN ASSHOLE!!
BTW, Doubass is in “Low Ready” position, How do I know what his intentions are??
Easy to explain. Hand at trigger. Only miliseconds to react. Stand your ground.
The cluelessness of txJM is mind wobbling. . .
Dude, it’s not a game based on legal wins — it’s a hearts and minds game. And this crap is costing us hearts and minds of otherwise neutral people.
TexTopCat May 22, 2014 at 12:41
The Tapco Kid is standing in a low ready position with a loaded rifle — for all anyone can tell, he is preparing to fire with no apprant legally VALID reason to do so.
His body language and actions are no different than someone who draws his pistol from his holster and takes a firing stance, while holding the gun in a high compressed hold.
Yeah, I’d take a swing at convincing a judge it was “disturbing teh peace” or “brandishing” (which, apparantly Texas actually does have a law against – most states don’t use that term).
And I’m a guy who thinks that an 18 year old should be able to walk into 7-11, buy a Glock 18 cash-and-carry, and walk out the door with it legally concealed. . . and not a scrap of government paperwork involved.
What do you think the “reasonable man” standard is, considering it’s based on Suzi Soccermom and Elmer Fudd, not militant “Shall not be infringed” types?!?
Sure is good to see so much Mature Adult behavior in some of these replies . . . . .
What you’re seeing is frustration when some that claim to be our own behave like Petulant Children and set us back years in our fight to re legitimize Gun Ownership in America!!
What I am seeing is children doing the same as they are attacking, acting unprofessional; if you want to be honest about it.