Opinion

Sharpshooter takes aim at open carry

A gun-rights advocate carries a rifle on his back and a cardboard cutout of pistol on his waist as a group protests outside the Texas Capitol. (AP Photo/Eric Gay) A gun-rights advocate carries a rifle on his back and a cardboard cutout of pistol on his waist as a group protests outside the Texas Capitol. (AP Photo/Eric Gay) Photo: Eric Gay, STF Photo: Eric Gay, STF Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Sharpshooter takes aim at open carry 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

Growing up in Houston's East End in the 1940s and '50s, I learned a lot about guns. My father was a hunter, as was virtually every male on the block.

Safety first - always assume the weapon is loaded. Never play with a gun and never, never handle a gun with magazine inserted or a chambered round in the breech. A firearm, as I learned, is made for one reason only: to kill. And there was swift redress at home if the rules were violated. So I took my gun knowledge with me to the U.S. Air Force and was certified as a sharpshooter.

The mentality of many gun owners today is a far cry from what I knew growing up. What is heard from open-carry fans seems to be a fascination with guns - a swagger-inspired fascination that possessing a pistol in a public forum will make everyone safe. The chutzpah of open-carry advocates: We will be the protecters against the bad guy!

But I wonder: When the bullets fly, will police know who is the good guy? Maybe one will be a hero and then again maybe not when others pull their guns and begin to fire. Hero-seekers are a danger to themselves and others.

What I will not be comfortable with if open carry becomes law in Texas, as some state lawmakers are proposing, is encountering a gun carrier in a restaurant sporting a holstered 9mm with an extended magazine. I will wonder: Is this person really licensed, or is he an unlicensed bad guy casing the premises to commit crime or an act of terror? Is he of a proper mental state or has his mental health changed since he was licensed? Does he properly maintain and clean his weapon as required? Is his weapon housing a chambered round? When was the last time he qualified on a firing range? Can he really be trusted to take on the gut-wrenching task he obviously seeks? Should the business owner check the licenses and qualifications of gun-holstered patrons before allowing them to enter armed?

The open-carry advocate will say he is strapping on heat to protect himself. Doing so in your home or on your property, yes, I would agree we have that right. But when openly carrying a firearm in a public setting, the dynamics include folks like me. And my internal commentary will go something like this: "I don't know you from Adam, so I question your ability. A police officer has the certification that assures some level of confidence that she can safely and appropriately manage her weapon, but I won't know if you do."

So if you're that person openly carrying a gun who sits near me, don't be offended when I ask you a few questions. But something tells me you fail to appreciate the wisdom of the 1890 Texas Legislature, which passed the no-carry law that served us well for 125 years. Lawmakers of the day had the keen understanding about what they were doing and why.

As a retired commercial bank loan officer, I have experienced two armed robberies. I stared down the barrel of a 45-caliber semiautomatic handgun pointed at my forehead. Children were screaming, and no one knew what might tip the scale of tense engagement. We were all forced to lie on the floor. Later, police told us, "Lucky no shots were fired. We know these guys and they are bad dudes!"

Today, I wonder had one of the 12 or so bank customers forced to the floor pulled a weapon, what would have been the outcome? Would I be now residing in a cement box in our family plot at Forest Park for the past 43 years, my just-born daughter never knowing her father and my yet unborn son never to be?

Open-carry advocates are unlikely to have minimal understanding of what I am trying to convey. I just hope our legislators who are dealing with this subject do and vote no.

Michael Wimberly, a former member of the Harris County Appraisal Review Board, is retired from a 46-year career as a bank loan officer.