It is long ovedue. There will always be critics, though. " What if someone grabs your gun?". Simple..... fall on it. "The public will be intimidated." Who cares.
Not that I even recommend mandating them, but the obvious solution to that problem is to use a Level 2+ retention holster. Most of them, and heck even the simple holsters like the ones Fobus puts out for $20 are designed such that the gun will only come out of the holster if pulled straight up - an angle that is difficult for anyone but the person actually wearing the gun to achieve.
I do agree though that open carry would make me more comfortable carrying concealed. As it is, 99% of the time that I carry I'm pocket carrying my LCP. While there's a (VERY) slim chance that it might print a bit (which isn't illegal here), there's no chance that anyone will actually see it. With open carry illegal here in SC, I'm hesitant to wear many other rigs simply because of the risk of a shirt/jacket riding up and exposing the gun.
At a MINIMUM, even if "open carry" isn't just universally legal, I think that a "concealed carry permit" should be redefined to a "Carry Permit" that allows you to carry a handgun - be it carried openly OR concealed.