Bummer on the open carry. I’m a fan of both open and concealed. I prefer open when I’m out of the city limits, but concealed inside city limits. I’m not as familiar with TX laws, is open carry of handguns completely banned, or banned in certain areas/times?
No open carry unless you are hunting in the woods, or have a license to shoot alligators and I don't know that we have a law about alligators.
Hunting rifles are different as you can carry a rifle - need a Texas hunter to tell us about that.
However, if you are a member of the New Black Panthers you can wear a black ski mask and have a shotgun and stand in front of the Texas Republican State Convention building. Here's the story:
Back several years ago, my husband, who was the Republican County Chairman in a Texas county, and I went to the state convention in Houston at the convention center.
He couldn't walk long distances, so we always had an electric wheel chair for him. Clinton was president and my husband had a cap on that read, “Jail To The Chief”. We were coming back from lunch and went through a park concrete path to get there. Before we got to the street to cross to go inside the center, I went ahead of him so I could go the ladies room and would meet him at our seats.
So, I have crossed the street and am in the center. He is rolling along in his wheelchair about to get to the street. Then, he isn't moving anymore as about 10 New Black Panthers surrounded him. Each is wearing a black ski mask and all have shotguns. My husband was a fearless fighter against Democrats and all evil people. He started chewing them out in a loud voice for being there with guns. Now, he's in a wheelchair but it didn't matter to him.
About this time I realized something was happening because officials locked the doors to the outside. If I had known he was stuck in the middle of the Panthers, I would have used a chair and broken out that window and gotten to him and killed every Panther there with my bare hands.
There were Houston police officers standing in front of the convention center and watching this happen right in front of them across that street. We were told later that the mayor said not to bother the panthers.
Bill couldn't get through the Panthers and kept yelling at them. A reporter showed up and took pictures. THEN, APPEARED ONE TEXAS RANGER. He wasn't a big guy, but he crossed the street into the middle of the Panthers and told them to move away from the man in the wheelchair and to leave there. They didn't mess with the Texas Ranger. They left. My husband crossed the street and entered the building.
That night, we were in a Texas official's party room and the news came on and there was Bill on the TV, yelling at the Panthers from his wheelchair with his cap, “Jail To The Chief” showing prominently.
That story is still told among Texas Republicans.