Can someone explain why you want open carry so bad?

[VoteProgressive]

It seems like no advantage over CC and alarms some people. It is just to make a point?

[pipoman]

1. The majority of the open carry push

is in states without concealed carry. It is a civil rights/liberties issue more than a desire to actually open carry I believe. I think you will see the open carry issue die away when the few hold out states adopt shall issue concealed carry.

[TheCowsCameHome]

2. I think it's a "hey, look at me thing"

Not much different that driving a flashy vehicle all decked out, or having the fastest boat on the bay, or generally showing off.

Maybe it's not, but that's how I see it.

[rl6214]

87. You have no fucking clue

NOPE

NOPE

NOPE

[cleanhippie]

103. The problem here is that you are NOT thinking, even a little bit.

But you are projecting...

[jeepnstein]

3. Open carry is kind of useless...

from a tactical point of view. Having openly carried a firearm for years as a Deputy Sheriff I can tell you it's a constant worry. Many days I'm quite serious when I say it's more trouble than it's worth. I often joke about selling a line of Styrofoam firearm replicas for Law Enforcement Use only. And then along comes the inevitable and you really, really, need that .45.

The open carry debate is really about folks pushing back against all the "safe storage" mandates that many would push down our throats. In certain circumstances open carry is an important tool. About the only time we've come close to that was during Hurricane Katrina's aftermath when government basically abandoned it's post for a couple days and left people on their own. I've seen it on a much smaller scale a few times. Open carry is one of those things that aren't "necessary" on a daily basis but there's no way I'd ever want to see it outlawed.

As a means of political discourse I think open carry is about as useful as pitchforks and burning hay wagons. This country is better than the level of behavior I've seen out of many of the political actors lately.

[Bonhomme Richard]

6. +1 n/t

[mvccd1000]

60. Just the opposite, I would think.

At least for the casual person. If I'm on my way home from class or from 2nd shift late at night with a holstered pistol on my hip, anyone driving around looking for an easy target at an isolated ATM or empty 7-11 is probably going to see me and keep in searching.

CC does not give that advantage; if some dude cruising through parking lots at night looking for an easy target sees you and doesn't see a firearm, you're a lot more likely to face a confrontation than I am.

Since I'd rather avoid it in the first place, I don't see where the "advertising" hurts any.


(I'm glad I live in a place that doesn't restrict me from either option, though.) :)

[Indydem]

4. Because the restriction thereof is a violation of the 2nd amendment. n/t

[msongs]

15. "...well regulated..." nt

[LAGC]

18. All "well regulated" means is...

Equipped with the same armaments as REGULAR standing army soldiers -- which in today's case means assault-rifle and open-carry sidearm at bare minimum.

[safeinOhio]

23. if that is what it means,

why didn't it just say that?

[AtheistCrusader]

84. It does say that.

Just like the first says 'speech' and is inclusive of written word on the internet or on your t-shirt.

[jpak]

26. What horseshit - regulated means regulated

The government can regulate the sale and possession of arms and where you can carry them.

and they do

yup

[TheWraith]

63. You really need to revisit your history class.

"Regulated" in the 18th century didn't mean what you interpret it to mean. It meant properly functioning.

[Hoopla Phil]

67. LMAO!!! The ignorance is strong with this one: reg·u·lat·ed

2: to bring order, method, or uniformity to <regulate one's habits>

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/regulate


It just amazes me how open you pontificate with such authority and are so wrong.

:rofl:

[TheWraith]

64. Actually to be technical, it meant properly functioning.

Which meant, at the time, armed, trained, and ready for action.

[WatsonT]

24. Well regulated means concealed?

[Hoopla Phil]

68. It means being equipped with the same arms that the regular's have.

You keep it at home in case the militia is called up. You report with the same equipment that is of "like and kind" as the regulars use. It also, in context, well practiced and in working order.

[WatsonT]

78. I know

I was disputing the retort of 'well regulated'.

It makes no sense to argue against CC based on that line of the constitution.

[RSillsbee]

28. "... Individual Right......" NT

[PavePusher]

43. ...Pertains to the militia, membership in which is not a prerequisite. n/t

[rl6214]

88. You have no clue what well regulated means

NOPE

NOPE

NOPE

[jpak]

22. Can you bring a gun into the Supreme Court?

nope

The Holy 2A has limits

yup

[WatsonT]

25. Can you call a supreme court justice a

douchbag to his face while in court?

Nope.

The holy 1A has limits.

yup

Doesn't mean we restrict what people do outside of the supreme court in the same manner.

[jpak]

35. Good - glad you agree - my point exactly. The Holy 2A is not absolute

yup

[WatsonT]

44. I don't believe anyone ever said it was

Nice strawman though.

Actually it kind of hurts your cause: the places were firearms are restricted represent an unusual and rare portion of our society.

Clearly that means that to limit the 2nd in any way takes a very extreme reason.

[TheWraith]

65. The problem is your logic.

Your logic reads pretty much like this: the right to own a firearm is not absolute, therefore there is no right to own a firearm.

By that same logic, because you can't libel someone under the guise of free speech, therefore there IS no such thing as free speech.

[AtheistCrusader]

85. No one ever said it was.

[rl6214]

90. The Holy 2A

Shtick shtick shtick shtick Shtick shtick shtick shtickShtick shtick shtick shtickShtick shtick shtick shtickShtick shtick shtick shtickShtick shtick shtick shtickShtick shtick shtick shtickShtick shtick shtick shtickShtick shtick shtick shtickShtick shtick shtick shtickShtick shtick shtick shtickShtick shtick shtick shtickShtick shtick shtick shtickShtick shtick shtick shtickShtick shtick shtick shtickShtick shtick shtick shtickShtick shtick shtick shtickShtick shtick shtick shtickShtick shtick shtick shtickShtick shtick shtick shtickShtick shtick shtick shtickShtick shtick shtick shtickShtick shtick shtick shtickShtick shtick shtick shtick

:rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl:

[GreenStormCloud]

5. In certain circumstances it can be helpful. Personally, I would not OC.

However, I would like legal protection against accidental exposure. I prefer to be low-key and not upset the Nervous Nellies amongst us.

[Bonhomme Richard]

7. +1 n/t

[VoteProgressive]

13. See, it amazes me that you are insulting people who do not like guns......

where you would complain loudly about people who insulted you about liking guns.

Classy.

[GreenStormCloud]

53. There is a difference between not liking guns and being afraid when a law-abiding citizen is armed.

They have no reason to be afraid around me.

[VoteProgressive]

57. They know nothing about you....

So how does that matter? If you think people are not scared of guns you have never been to a CC class where people are shooting for the first time.

[TheWraith]

66. Being randomly afraid of the people around you goes against the nature of liberalism.

The fear that just because someone owns a gun means that they're automatically a mass-murderer waiting to happen traces back to the root idea that people are all just barely controlled animals, restrained only by force and the threat of force. That's always been a tenet of conservatism, a "me first, last, and only" approach bordering on an Ayn Rand-style contempt for other people.

[TheCowsCameHome]

72. That sentence is a keeper. I'm going to save it.

[GreenStormCloud]

73. It isn't the gun that they are afraid of. They fear me because I have a gun.

They have wrongfully stereotyped me.

[Name removed]

8. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Glassunion]

10. If that were the case. Why do they sell firearms with 2 inch barrels?

[Upton]

12. What about women who OC?

Are they suffering from penis envy?

[Arkansas Granny]

16. Holsters and heels! Those are some high fashion accessories she's sporting.

[Glassunion]

70. WTF? Come on! Really?

Brown shoes with a black holster?

[WatsonT]

31. Original

:eyes:

[Name removed]

49. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Upton]

9. It's a right..

no explanation is needed..

[VoteProgressive]

14. Well, that is up for debate.....

"bearing" arms can mean different things.

[X_Digger]

40. Let's see what Justice Ginsberg has to say on the matter..

Muscarello v US, 524 U. S. 125 (1998) -

“surely a most familiar meaning is, as the Constitution’s Second Amendment indicates: ‘wear, bear, or carry … upon the person or in the clothing or in a pocket, for the purpose … of being armed and ready for offensive or defensive action in a case of conflict with another person.’ ”

[VoteProgressive]

41. Let's see what Scalia says TEN years later.....

"We find that they guarantee the individual right to possess and carry weapons in case of confrontation." However, Scalia also continued, "Like most rights, the Second Amendment right is not unlimited. It is not a right to keep and carry any weapon whatsoever in any manner whatsoever and for whatever purpose."

Nice try being clever. Research more next time.

Since open carry is not legal everywhere then apparently is is open for debate. Thus I was correct. Carry on.

[X_Digger]

54. Because something is illegal doesn't mean that the law is constitutional.

There were laws requiring permits to pass out flyers- until the SCOTUS ruled that such laws were unconstitutional. (generally Cantwell v Connecticut)

That doesn't mean that the right is unlimited- then again, nobody's claiming it is.

[VoteProgressive]

59. Thus the debate! nt

[X_Digger]

61. The debate is not about whether it is or isn't a right, as your post #14 insinuates.

Right now the debate is about what limitations are constitutional.

[cleanhippie]

104. Actually, its not up for debate. The debate is over and it IS a right, proven over and over.

But hey, if you have a sensible argument backed by facts and realistic expectations, I'm all ears.

But so far, its all been emotional hand wringing, and thats not a debate.

[Katya Mullethov]

11. Now I'm gonna have that song stuck in my-in my-in my-in my-in my head .... all day long

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ipzHglsRSOs

[lawodevolution]

17. From what I've heard it's about desensitizing people to guns

the OC movement is about desensitizing the general public to firearms and reminding them about firearms. It can also be a form of prevention. Look at that lady in the pic open carrying, if a rapist sees her, do you think he's going to go for it? It's also not that great tactically because it attracts attention and a badguy might take you out first. For a criminal open carry isn't something he would want to do because the times I've seen people open carrying, I can still remember what cloths and what colors they were wearing and I can still describe their face and other features--It attracts intense attention. If criminals open carried police would have an easy time solving crimes.

[jpak]

20. No - it will have the opposite effect - people don't want guns in public places

They don't want them in schools

They don't want them in sport arenas

They don't want them in restaurants

The don't want them in libraries

They don't want them at public meetings

The GOP/NRA will lose

yup

[lawodevolution]

27. well, that explains why CHL is sweeping the nation and you're trying so hard to stop

CCW on campus in multiple states where it looks like it will pass.

[jpak]

36. Republican horseshit is sweeping the nation - Dems are going to push back *HARD*

on the whole fucking asshole teabag GOP/NRA agenda

yup

[lawodevolution]

58. Dens will compete with "republics" to be more pro gun

[rl6214]

92. You need to pick your demon

Is it the NRA, GOP, TEABAGGERS or Republicans cuz you're throwing the whole kitchen sink at it and STILL losing.

:rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl:

YUP

YUP

YUP

[WatsonT]

32. Hasn't the last 30 years or so been a total loss for the

anti-gun hysterics?

[Tuesday Afternoon]

74. guns are already in all the places you just named

criminals could not give a damn what you don't want.

[AtheistCrusader]

86. You don't.

Quit projecting.

[rl6214]

91. YUP, that's why there are what, 4 or 5 states left

that don't have some form of open or concealed carry?

You're really carrying that torch for the anti gun crowd.

:rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl:

[NewMoonTherian]

109. You express an intriguing thought...

regarding OC not desensitizing the public, but having the opposite effect. I'm concerned about this as well. I seem to hear stories of businesses putting up new no-guns signs shortly after OC passes in a given state. Some of them come down, but some stay up, in places where they wouldn't if OC hadn't been introduced.

It's a tough call for me, but I'm hoping to see it come to my home state very soon. I just don't patronize places that ban guns. They have every right to their stance, but I certainly won't support their irrational choices with my business.

[aikoaiko]

125. Only a minority of people believe as you do, jpak.

[jpak]

19. It's to intimidate - teabaggers & asshole Free Staters open carry for that reason - period

yup

[safeinOhio]

29. Just like the right to wear a sheet with

a pointy hat. To exercise a right.

[VoteProgressive]

33. But you can't yell "fire" in a crowded theater! Upset about that? n/t

[PavePusher]

45. Under some circumstances, it is not only allowed, but required.

S-t-r-e-t-c-h your mind...

[VoteProgressive]

47. See, nothing is as simple as you wish it were. n/t

[PavePusher]

50. ??? n/t

[Euromutt]

98. Of course you can yell "fire" in a crowded theater

Providing there actually is a fire; you can't falsely yell "fire."

Most people who cite that example don't actually know its origin; they know it was Oliver Wendell Holmes, but they don't realize it's from the opinion he wrote in Schenck v. United States, in which the Supreme Court unanimously upheld the government's position that it could legitimately prosecute Charles Schenck (secretary of the Socialist Party of America) under the Espionage Act of 1917 for distributing leaflets advocating opposition to the draft, and freedom of speech and of the press be buggered.

It's actually one hell of a shitty example.

It should also be pointed out that it would generally not be considered a reasonable limitation to tape up theater-goers' mouths in order to prevent them from falsely yelling "fire."

[lawodevolution]

30. yes, to intimidate criminals. Do you have a problem with that.

Also many non-teabaggers, free staters open carry every day.

[jpak]

38. Intimidate everyone

yup

[RSillsbee]

39. Do you really get your panties in a bunch

just because you see a gun?

[VoteProgressive]

48. Once again insulting people who do not like seeing guns......

some people do not. Think making fun of them will help your cause?

[pickle juice]

89. I see DUers ridiculing people who are afraid of Muslims...

I can't help wondering how they feel about Muslims bearing arms...
:silly:

[rl6214]

94. Seriously, that's the best you've got?

The anti gun crowd are the ones always hurling about the personal insults. The gun rights "cause" is not the one that needs help, we are the ones winning.

YUP

YUP

YUP

[rl6214]

95. See post 52

YUP

YUP

YUP

[cleanhippie]

105. Irrational fears are worthy of mockery.

And getting upset at the SIGHT of a gun is most certainly irrational.

[jpak]

52. No - I see people with guns in the woods all the time during hunting season - they are after game

and not using them to intimidate or inflate their pathetic egos

yup

[rl6214]

93. Now it's the Free Staters?

Make up your mind!

:rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl:

[RSillsbee]

21. In order to CC

I need to pay for a class, then I need to pay for a back ground check then I need to get fingerprinted, then I need to pay for the permit, then I need to wait a couple of months to get approved.

To OC I strap up and go.

Most of the time when I OC people don't even give me a second look.

Why do you get so upset when you can see my gun? Do you think it isn't there when you can't see it?

ETA and to piss off jpak

[Atypical Liberal]

34. I don't.

As I have said before, I am not a big fan of open carry. I believe it causes more problems than the advantages it conveys.

Concealed carry is the way to go.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

37. In some states it is the only option

Unless you are out in the back country when open carry makes sense, most prefer to carry concealed. However some states insist on not allowing it.

[PavePusher]

42. Simplest answer?

The Constitution does not delegate the government to regulate it, and Civil Rights do not require a burkha.

[VoteProgressive]

51. That is debatable.....which is the point.......

"We find that they guarantee the individual right to possess and carry weapons in case of confrontation." However, Scalia also continued, "Like most rights, the Second Amendment right is not unlimited. It is not a right to keep and carry any weapon whatsoever in any manner whatsoever and for whatever purpose."

[safeinOhio]

56. good point

+1

[Remmah2]

46. Not an issue.

If someone open carries it does not bother me.

[spin]

55. Florida is considering a bill that would allow open carry if you have ...

a concealed carry license.

The intent of the bill, explained Sen. Greg Evers, R-Crestview, was to make it so someone with a concealed weapons permit would not get in trouble for accidentally allowing glimpses of his or her gun.
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/state/proposed-gun-clip-bill-facing-long-odds-1310249.html

I can see advantages to this law. Florida is hot most of the year and residents wear lighter clothing. It's harder to conceal a firearm under such clothing. Usually I carry a sub nosed revolver in my pocket but occasionally I will carry a S&W Model 60 revolver in an inside the waste band holster under a light jacket. I have to be far more cautious when carrying with a belt holster to avoid flashing the firearm by accident.

Chances are that no one would notice anyway. People are generally so involved in their own lives and cell phones that they have absolutely no idea of what's happening around them.

Of course, if the law passes some people will open carry in public. It's not a big deal. Criminals don't advertise the fact that they are carrying. There is little to fear from a properly holstered firearm.

[benEzra]

62. I don't. And personally...

I think if CA, IL, and WI had equitable concealed carry licensure, the open-carry movement probably wouldn't have gotten much traction. But they don't, and it did.

There's also the issue that whenever the gun control lobby pushes for new bans, carry laws are a convenient place to push back. The much-hated 1994 Feinstein law was the trigger for much of the concealed carry license reform after 1994, but now that most states are shall-issue, I guess open carry serves for some people as an outlet for that activism.

I don't think it should be a priority---I'd much rather see reform of the "sporting purposes" language in the 1968 Gun Control Act---but I think the foregoing pretty much covers the "why" behind the open carry movement.

[AtheistCrusader]

69. It's easier/more comfortable than open carry. Faster to deploy than a concealed weapon.

Other than that, I see no advantage, and I perceive additional risk, therefore I conceal carry.

[Hoyt]

71. I've asked the same question of OCers where I live. Never received a good answer.

I think I'll get like my father-in-law -- retired military and another roughly 25 with police -- when he encountered a guy wearing dual shoulder holsters in a family restaurant, of all places. The old man, half on his death bed, stood there and called the guy a "silly fool" right to his face.

[David West]

75. For some people it's the only option.

Until I turned 21 at the end of February open carry was my only legal option for the last 3 years. I've now applied for both an Oregon and a Utah concealed carry license, but as I only live about 30 miles from the California border and visit fairly regularly there will still be plenty of times when open carry is my ONLY legal option. There are also some practical reasons for open carry, and because of that I'll still open carry a good chunk of the time.

Unless it's winter and I'm wearing a relatively loose fitting coat, concealing a large handgun (I usually carry either a full sized 1911 or an 8-round .357 magnum) is a real pain. Open carry is much more comfortable if all you're wearing is a t-shirt. There's also the whole crime deterrent factor. Some people think they're going to get stuck in a Die Hard-esque hostage situation where an openly carried handgun will just get them shot first, but the truth is that you are FAR more likely to simply have to fend off a simple mugging. In that case, an openly carried handgun will most likely mean that you don't get messed with to begin with.

And, in the unlikely even that I DO have to use my handgun, I can draw it a hell of a lot quicker from a strong side open carry position than from anywhere else. If someone sticks me up and my gun is concealed, going for it will likely just get me shot. Never mind that the situation probably never would have arose to begin with if I was open carrying; if it DID, I'd be a lot more confident in my ability to draw, dodge, and shoot than if I had to fumble with a jacket or a shirt in the way.

[Hoyt]

77. Actually there is another option -- don't carry all, or most, of the time.

Sounds like you have rejected that for some reason. Good luck with shooting and dodging.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

81. Surrendering to the predators is always an option, but some of us prefer not to.

At home for me it is cougars and rattle snakes. In town they mostly walk on two legs. I have not had to shoot a cougar yet, but warning shots are required somewhat regularly.

[Hoyt]

82. Who said surrender? But you don't need a gun in town. Don't care if folks carry to scare big cats.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

83. I wish that were true for all Americans, but it clearly is not

[cleanhippie]

108. When you become dictator, THEN you can decide what people "need".

Thats really what you want though, right? You're an authoritarian.

[rl6214]

97. "Good luck with shooting and dodging."

Stupid post. Cite where that has happened with concealed carry or open carry and no, you can't cite a derainged moron like Loughner.

Go ahead, I'll wait.

[cleanhippie]

107. You are right, that IS another option, but he chose differently than you, and that bothers you.

Its sad, really.

[rl6214]

96. If that's what gets you off

making yourself a laughing stock by insulting someone out in public, making yourself look like a doddering old fool.

[Hoyt]

99. That's funny, from someone who can't walk out of their house without a gun.

[cleanhippie]

110. Thats funny, from someone who seems to think its ok to publicly insult people.

Yeah, really progressive.

[Name removed]

114. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[PavePusher]

116. Some day, youreally must point us to where you get these rules from....

or perhaps you should write up the list yourself.

"Criteria for being a Real Progressive(tm)"

Then we could have a good ideological purge around here. You know, just like Cambodia or China or the USSR.

[cleanhippie]

106. Wow, he called him a silly fool. He sure showed him!

Showed him what a jerk he was. Does he yell at kids to get off his lawn, too?

[Coyote_Bandit]

76. If the people around me are permitted to carry guns

I'd much prefer they carry them openly.

Reduces the liklihood that I might be shot by when some idiot drops a coat or purse holding a loaded concealed gun.

[ileus]

79. You have a pretty good point...

[cleanhippie]

113. no, he doesn't at all.

I see you share his ignorance about guns.

[Coyote_Bandit]

118. Ummmm......No

You confuse understanding guns with understanding human nature. Unfortunately, some of the people who carry guns - and who do so legally - don't always act in ways that are consistent with the safety of others. They forget they have loaded deadly weapons in their purses and coat pockets - and some innocent ends up injured or dead. Those kinds of events are the result of human behavior. The gun is just the tool.

[PavePusher]

100. You probably have a better chance of winning the Lotto twice in a month....

and your poop turning into gold, than of being randomly shot with a dropped firearm.

But hey, pick your own issues....

[Coyote_Bandit]

101. If people open carry

it can serve as a deterrent to criminal behavior - and it can help cops and other first responders know how to respond to different people in various situations.

Open carry allows you know who around you is packing a frickin gun - so you can choose to avoid them if you want.

IMHO, if someone feels it necessary to carry a gun and is legally permitted to do so then they ought to carry it openly for everyone to see.

Mind you, I'm not advocating open carry - I'm just stating a preference for open carry over concealed carry.

Yeah, I can see how open carry might have a wild wewst feel to it. But I think that concealed carry has a stealthy criminal/vigilante/sniper feel to it. Both scenarios permit the people around me in public places to carry frckin guns. I prefer to know who around me is packing and who isn't. I don't find anything unreasonable about that desire.

[PavePusher]

102. I generally open carry simply for comfort and convenience.

I have a concealment permit mostly to bypass the unconstitutional restrictions and for interstate reciprocity.

[rrneck]

121. I don't find anything unreasonable about that desire.

Except that it's none of your damn business. Until you produce proof that any particular random CCWer is an actual threat to you, you got nothin'.

[cleanhippie]

111. Educating yourself about guns will greatly reduce the chance you post your ignorance for all to see.

Really, before making yourself look like an ignorant cretin who has no idea what they are talking about (as evidence by your ignorant post above) you could instead LEARN about the subject on which you are opining.

Good luck.

[Coyote_Bandit]

119. Ummmm......

I don't think it is the least bit ignorant to want to be able to observe who around me is carrying a deadly weapon.

Perhaps what you consider ignorance I consider a matter of self-preservation.



Welcome to my frickin ignore list.

[PavePusher]

120. So are the people who intend you harm....

really going to observe the law for your mental comfort? Really?

I don't think you've really thought this through...

[rrneck]

122. Actually, it's pretty ignorant...

[Coyote_Bandit]

123. Why

does the gun forum sometimes remind me of church?

Welcome to my frickin ignore list.

[rrneck]

124. It reminds you of church

because you're arguing with your feelings.

Which is also why you seem to think ignoring people somehow makes your point.

[OneTenthofOnePercent]

80. What if, throughout daily citvities, my concealed weapon becomes accidently visible?

Having legal open carry in Ohio means this is not a problem - if my gun becomes exposed. In texas, if your legally concealed firearm becomes even partially visible (or imprints itself underneath thight clotheing) you can be cited in violation of the law.

Plus, what I'f I'm dressed lightly but want to carry a nice big 1911 or .44mag?
100% concealment may not be an option.

[oneshooter]

115. Actually in Texas the accidental exposure of your CC weapon is

no problem. It is not considered to be brandishing.

Oneshooter
Armed and Livin in Texas

[Kennah]

112. I think it's a matter of choice

For me personally, even if there were zero social stigma associated with open carry, I would still likely carry concealed in almost all circumstances.

For the person who projects a "Just Don't Fuck With Me" attitude, I think open carry works well.

I've been told I project an image that borders on mentally imbalanced, but that's not the same thing, IMHO.

[YllwFvr]

117. Some of it yes

To make a point. Several of them really. That concealing is a privilege, not a right. In my state OC is the only real way to make use of the 2A, or Art 1 Section 21 of my states constitution. That a firearm or an armed citizen isnt something to fear. Best way to do that is simply going about your day like its not even there. Of course being aware of your surroundings is a must, like paying attention. I wouldnt carry to a sporting event or anywhere that had a large crowd.
For comfort. I wear tightish t shirts, I can cover the pistol but its extremely obvious what it is. Not much point in pulling my shirt over it, it sticks out the bottom usually too. I dont "dress around the gun" as they say. Its far more comfortable. Having the plastic or rubber against your skin is usually pretty hot. My frame has grip tape, or sandpaper tape on it for a good grip and it will tear my side up in a few blocks walk if its under my shirt.
Faster access. Also if I were to conceal in different types of shirts each one can be different to pull out of the way to draw, I dont worry about any of that. Also retention is a must, but thats just my opinion. The holster grips the gun and it wont come out unless a button is depressed. Very natural for me, rather awkward for a grab though. Retention training is another good idea, and these are good for concealed carry as well. You need to know how to fend off a grab.
Honestly people dont seem to care. Its only gotten to be a big deal with these guys going to the obama meetings. Ive OCed for perhaps three years and while ive had lots of people ask me about it out of curiosity Ive only ever had one guy confront me about it making him uncomfortable.
That said I havent been allowed to carry since I have started school for quite some time. The police run our building though so its unlikely our school would have a nut come in. There seems to be more cops than students there. I see few advantages with CC over OC myself. I guess its a different point of view coming from opposite ends of the issue.

[aikoaiko]

126. I don't want to openly carry, but I am opposed to restrictions against it.

[Dash87]

127. I almost thought it was a macho thing about intimidation

They have a bullying/inferiority complex, so they want everybody around them to be afraid. If I saw somebody with a gun out like that I would get out of there pretty quickly because I would think that person was nuts. :bounce: :)

[cleanhippie]

128. At least you can admit that you have an irrational fear and that you are ignorant on the subject

But not to worry, there is help available...

http://www.changethatsrightnow.com/hoplophobia/

[Dash87]

130. Why? Because I don't want people around me waving guns around?

What's the point? Wouldn't they be in more danger because the bad guys know that they have a gun, so they would just sneak up and shoot them?

I would question the sanity of something who has their gun in plain view, showing it off to everyone. It's a form of intimidation. They want people to be afraid of them. That's a little sick, imo. :bounce:

[cleanhippie]

131. Oh. so NOW its only if they are "waving them around" and not simply carrying them?

Your first post implied that you are fearful of someone simply HAVING a gun. Now you clarify that it is "waving around" which is an entirely different, and illegal, matter.


ANd most people open carry because concealed carry is NOT allowed. I think if you polled gun owners, MOST would prefer concealed carry.

Instead of calling people sick for doing something you don't understand, learn about what is going on and then you can post intelligently, instead of posting your ignorance for all to see.

:bounce:

[DissedByBush]

129. It's the principle, think of when a cop asks to search your ar

When a cop asks me if he can search my car, I won't have a practical reason to say no. I have nothing in my car that's anywhere close to illegal.

Quick and easy would be to say sure, go ahead and search, you'll find nothing.

It'd be over and I'd be on my way.

But I'd say no because of principle, you don't search me without a warrant, period.

Most people who open carry in the city are probably doing it because of the principle.