H-E-B bans open carry in Texas stores

[TexasBill]

San Antonio-based H-E-B has announced it will not allow state-licensed individuals to open carry in its stores in Texas.

Open carry, which has been illegal in Texas since 1871, becomes legal for those with a Texas Concealed Handgun License (CHL) on January 1, 2016.

Due to a change in the law passed in the last session of the Texas legislature, the Texas license has changed from a CHL to a License To Carry (LTC) and permits open carry in a belt or shoulder holster.

H-E-B will continue to allow licensed individuals to carry concealed in its store.

H-E-B joins Whole Foods and Randall's, a subsidiary of Safeway, in prohibiting open carry.

The announcement leaves only Kroger as the only major supermarket chain in Texas that has not announced a ban. Cincinnati, Ohio-based Kroger has not made an announcement one way or the other except to say it will comply with all state and local laws.

Incidentally, it was Kroger stores in the Fort Worth area that allowed the Tarrant County Open Carry group to bring rifles onto the premises. Michael Bloomberg and Shannon Watts spent big bucks on protests, boycotts and other activities to try to blackmail Kroger into banning all firearms on the premises. Kroger was the only national chain to resist Bloomberg & Co. despite the fact Bloomie spent over a million dollars on the campaign.

However you might personally feel about open carry, the fact is that this has been an option denied to Texans for more than 144 years. Furthermore, it's not like these stores are going to be flooded with open carriers; only about 4% of adult Texans have a carry license.

 

[X-Rap]

I've shopped at the HEB stores when I'm in Texas, it seems they are the dominant brand in some areas but I will be looking for the Kroger stores and in their absence there is always WalMart.

 

[jerkface11]

There are always the smaller local chains.

 

[GetmeoutaCT]

Texas Bill-

I don't know where you and the other good folks down in Texas come down on open carry; living as I do for at least a while longer in gun-hating CT, I look very fondly on more reasoned, logical states such as yours.

That being said, I personally view open carry as a bad idea, for both tactical and political reasons, with a few exceptions.

First, open carry warns the bad guy(s) who is armed. That means, in a mass shooting situation (assuming the gun does not disuade; I'll grant you that) you'll be the first target.

Second, an open - carrier who (for example) is leaving the local grocery or anywhere else with arms full, had best have a good retention holster. I'd hate to have my gun stolen while I'm distracted with my burdens. That same retention holster could be a problem, though, if you need to draw quickly under stress.

As for politically, here in CT we have a lot of folks who are nervous around guns, having not grown up with them and who believe all the nonsense being spewed in these parts by the lefty gov't and media. The ones in the middle, who are on the fence about guns, might join the haters if they see open - carriers left and right, particularly if they are doing so to make a point; i.e., walking around with long guns slung down their backs. Furthermore, if a cop has to show a badge when carrying openly out of uniform, I see no reason why a civilian doing the same should not show some indicia of his or her permit, so as to ease folks' minds.

As I noted above, I have a couple exceptions to this. If I'm pumping gas after dark in a sketchy area, I may let my (gun) butt show, as I see this as one time and place where you might want to persuade a punk to find easier prey, as your hands are occupied and your eyes are busy. Same perhaps on a dark street in a sketchy neighborhood. ON the other hand and as others here have noted, there is something to be said for avoiding such situations if you can - a carry permit doesn't mean you should feel invincible and adopt an attitude of "I can go wherever I want whenever I want" as bad situations often go other than how we think they might.

Bottom line - I seldom show and think for the most part that's the more prudent course. Of course, your mileage may vary. Respect to Texas.

 

[buckhorn_cortez]

That being said, I personally view open carry as a bad idea, for both tactical and political reasons, with a few exceptions.

Tactical and political? Well who could possibly argue with speculation like that? We've had open carry in New Mexico for as long as I've lived here. You live in a part of the country where you think it's a problem, and I live in a part of the country where we know it's not a problem.

I fail to see any political reason to not allow open carry. Tactically? Whatever you can rationalize for yourself...

 

[Frank Ettin]

No need to turn this into another "open carry -- good or bad" discussion.