It's already a crime to use a firearm in the commission of a crime.baldeagle wrote:I'd rather have licensed CC and unlicensed OC. If someone OCs you know they're carrying. You can see it. If someone CCs, you don't know they're carrying. All the BGs CC, so requiring a license for CC makes it a violation of the law for them to CC, which is what I would want.
It's already a crime for a felon to be in possession of a firearm.
Whey do we need to make it extra illegal?
It hurts law-abiding citizens. For instance, let's say someone from another state comes to visit, and they have a permit where they live, but Texas doesn't recognize the permit. If we had unlicensed OC and licensed CC, they would have to OC everywhere to stay within the law. And, they would risk getting kicked out of businesses that don't want weapons out in the open.
Now the criminal is going to carry concealed regardless. He doesn't care about licenses. Sure, it will be another bullet on the criminal's rap sheet, but the criminal doesn't care. It's not stopping him from doing it. However, it is stopping the good guy from doing it.
It's kinda like the 51% law. I know their intention. Their intention is to keep people from carrying while drinking. But the thing is, it's already a crime to carry while intoxicated. There's no need to make it extra illegal. What if you're the DD and don't drink an ounce of alcohol? What if you're going somewhere else after? Do you not deserve the same right of self-protection?
My point is, we're attacking the wrong thing. If we just want harsher penalties on criminals using guns, let's do that. Let's increase the penalties for felons possessing weapons and for weapons being used in the commission of a crime. Let's not reduce the rights of the law-abiding, restricting their ability to defend themselves.