On Jan. 1, Texans were allowed to openly carry handguns in most public places throughout the state.

This new right was the result of gun rights advocates who believe that openly carrying weapons can make themselves and even others around them safer. Supporters of the law passed by the Legislature in 2015 say that openly carrying weapons can also help deter potential mass shootings that have happened frequently across the country this year.

However, not everyone has been happy about seeing weapons openly carried, and some businesses have displayed signs by their doors that explain that openly carrying weapons inside is prohibited. There is going to be confusion and unease if someone sees someone openly carrying a gun in a place where they are not often seen.

It is still illegal to openly carry holstered handguns in some other public places, including schools and certain parts of college campuses. However, legislators also recently passed a “Campus Carry” law that will require state universities to allow people who possess a concealed handgun license the right to carry weapons onto college or university buildings.

There are simply not enough limitations to open carry and campus carry to  to ensure that these new rights do not cause even more problems of gun violence in Texas.

For 2015, the numbers of gun deaths are 13,371, and of those, 1,951 are from accidental shootings last year, of which occured from 330 mass shootings.

I think that the more people that possess guns in public will only add on to our problems, and fear that the increasing presence of firearms in life will only lead people to believe that brandishing weapons is the only way to stay safe.  With so many cases of mass shootings in recent years it’s understandable that people would be nervous about seeing someone openly carrying a handgun who is not a police officer or working in some other type of law enforcement capacity.