In Texas, and several other states, anyone can buy a gun without a license or background check. A person can carry a gun in open view so long as it is in a holster. These are known as "open carry" laws, enabling the person carrying the weapon to have it readily accessible—like Gary Cooper in "High Noon". Unless you are in law enforcement or have similar status, "open carry" is illegal in New York. "Concealed carry" in New York is also illegal unless someone has a special license—and in order to obtain such a license the applicant has to prove that they have "proper cause." Not just a vague fear of violence—it has to be a genuinely credible threat against your life. For New Yorkers, that's all about to change.