Open Carry Under Attack

[Hawkeye638]

Let me get this straight. This is a forum for gun enthusiasts yet the top three forums in the Open Carry section (at least at the time of this post) seem to be open carriers under attack, not by the gun grabbers but by other members of this forum who for their own reason do not support open carry. I get it, you don't like open carry and that is fine. Just stay out of this section and let us be. We have not, as one person suggested, gone over to the concealed carry section and confronted them about how wrong they are for carrying concealed as they have done to the open carriers because that would be rude.

I open carry and I conceal carry. When I open carry I do not feel as if I am making up for any lack of size of my manhood nor do I carry myself like John Wayne. My firearm is just another accessory, period. It is not a political statement that I thrust into unsuspecting crowds looking to cause a panic or a confrontation.

I exercise my freedom of religion as I openly attend church and not hide in some basement meeting where I fear offending someone of another faith. I exercise my freedom of speech as I frequently submit letters to the editor in my local paper and not in whispers to my neighbors as I worry about offending others who think differently than I do. And I exercise my right to keep and bear arms by carrying a firearm, sometimes openly.

It is hard to effectively advocate our mutual respect for gun rights if we are too busy bickering amongst ourselves about who is morally superior as determined by our chosen method of carry.

I really do not care if you like open carry or not but I ask that you respect my right to carry as I choose and do not lump me into some stereotypical image you have predetermined I must fit into so that you can feel better about yourselves. We get that enough from the Bloombergs, Bradys and the main stream media.

 

[schadenfreude]

I agree with you, Hawkeye. I, too, enjoy the exercise of my right to OC and CC.

It seems that many of those opposed to OC do so based upon a personal agenda that presumes that those of us who choose to OC only do so in order to satisfy the immature need of drawing attention to ourselves. Often those with such an agenda will point out that those of us who OC will be the target of attempt to grab our gun as if they have some sort of altruistic concern for us ("You'll shoot your eye out, kid."), but proper training makes such an occurence a problem not for me, but for the fool who attempts such an idiotic act. I know. I've successfully defeated three such attempts; one while CCing, the other two while OCing.

Given that no one making such claims against those who OC can know the true intent and character of those who do OC, I'd suggest that what we are seeing here is a demonstrable case of "projection" where those accusing others of acting immaturely suffer from that affliction (or some other insecurity) themselves and accuse others of it having no other basis from which to draw.

OC requires maturity, intelligence, discretion and the ability to comport onself well since we are identifiable as gun carriers and our behavior is judged in that singular light.

For that reason, perhaps it is just as well that those who oppose OC, don't.

 

[Lakeland Man]

I support the right to OC. I'm not allowed to do so here in Florida though. I agree that OC'ers should comport themselves with maturity, and good sense. I think the few who do not shed a bad light, not only on all other OC'ers, but on gun owners as a whole. They are much more visible than CC'ers or those who do not carry at all. Some of them either forget that fact or just don't care.

 

[rifleshooter474]

We will have OC in November here in Oklahoma.

 

[schadenfreude]

I support the right to OC. I'm not allowed to do so here in Florida though.

Now see, that sucks. I hope that Florida is able to rectify that soon. It's part of your 2A rights- no reason that Floridians should be deprived of it.

I agree that OC'ers should comport themselves with maturity, and good sense. I think the few who do not shed a bad light, not only on all other OC'ers, but on gun owners as a whole. They are much more visible than CC'ers or those who do not carry at all. Some of them either forget that fact or just don't care.

Just as there are folks who manage to screw up while OCing, there are those who manage to screw up while CCing. Just had a CCer here the other day that tried to "mediate" a neighborhood dispute- the participants told him to get lost (he was uninvolved until he injected himself into the fray) and he drew his concealed pistol to convince them that they needed to listen to him. Jail.

Neither side is immune from idiots and both, when they behave poorly, do us a disservice.

 

[Shoobee]

There is a time and a place for everything.

OC is most appropriate without question when --

- you are responding to a potential but not confirmed crime

- you are hiking in the national forests or BLM lands

- you are hiking in a state park that permits it

- you live in a wilderness area like Alaska.

For everything else there is CCW.

The fundamental issue has nothing to do with 2A. As Scalia himself has pointed out, he and the other 4 who are pro-gun have decided that the states may decide on their own what their laws will be, as long as they do not violate in-home possession duly loaded.

Read it yourself if you do not believe me.

http://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/07pdf/07-290.pdf

 

[silvia0073]

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2

 

[wmodavis]

Well said Hawkeye! I concure.

 

[schadenfreude]

There is a time and a place for everything.

OC is most appropriate without question when --

- you are responding to a potential but not confirmed crime

- you are hiking in the national forests or BLM lands

- you are hiking in a state park that permits it

- you live in a wilderness area like Alaska.

For everything else there is CCW.

The fundamental issue has nothing to do with 2A. As Scalia himself has pointed out, he and the other 4 who are pro-gun have decided that the states may decide on their own what their laws will be, as long as they do not violate in-home possession duly loaded.

Read it yourself if you do not believe me.

http://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/07pdf/07-290.pdf

It's also most appropriate when you wish to exercise a right enumerated in the Constitution- the Second Amendment has nothing in it that prohibits OC.

You forgot that, but I am always happy to help you keep it real.

 

[sig p6]

This subject has come up before In other forms. Here In the land of cheese we can do both!, I tend to blend the two together.I don't go over board with trying to cover up with what I wear, but then again I don't let it all hang out either.Someone may see my gun when I'm at the store when I reach for something on a shelf or bend down to pick something up. I will not worry if I am spoted, because I am not breaking any laws. As a LAW ABIDING CITIZEN! I follow the rules as to where I may carry in my state and where not to!.
As far as O.C. VS CCW I don't care , It is what works best for you and know one else!!! how you carry is up to you JUST CARRY!!!!

 

[CharlesMorrison]

Oh come on, everyone knows as soon as a criminal see a person with a openly carried fire arm, they instantly have only two possible choices.

1. Grab the gun!
2. Shoot the guy first!

Its how all criminals think!

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Be off with you!
Link Removed

 

[Hawkeye638]

Oh come on, everyone knows as soon as a criminal see a person with a openly carried fire arm, they instantly have only two possible choices.

1. Grab the gun!
2. Shoot the guy first!

Its how all criminals think!

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Actually case studies show that when the BG's see an open carrier, they go look for easier targets.

 

[Gen John Hausken]

There's an open carry, and a concealed carry section of USA CARRY??? Where? I only see Carry USA and give my input to add MY Ideas on how I carry. It was not supposed to be taken as a forcible command that takes away anyone's choices or rights, but a sharing of My viewpoints, That's all. Gee, sorry if I upset somebody with my Ideas. Under attack?...Not from Me.

 

[NavyLCDR]

We have not, as one person suggested, gone over to the concealed carry section and confronted them about how wrong they are for carrying concealed as they have done to the open carriers because that would be rude.

Well.... to be fair.... we do poke fun in their sub forum every now and then:

http://www.usacarry.com/forums/concealed-carry-discussion/29023-element-surprise.html

http://www.usacarry.com/forums/concealed-carry-discussion/28753-reasons-not-open-carry.html

 

[Shoobee]

It's also most appropriate when you wish to exercise a right enumerated in the Constitution- the Second Amendment has nothing in it that prohibits OC.

You forgot that, but I am always happy to help you keep it real.

You really need to read the USSC case and thus educate yourself with facts to dispel your own superstitions about 2A.

I cannot make you read it (I would read it to you if I could and make you listen) but here is another chance:

http://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/07pdf/07-290.pdf

 

[Shoobee]

Actually case studies show that when the BG's see an open carrier, they go look for easier targets.

There is a major advantage in drawing speed with OC over CCW.

You can probably shoot two CCW's in the time it takes them to draw on you from the CCW position. But if there were 3 of them the third would probably gun you down. So numbers is always the bottom line as in any war.

 

[Firefighterchen]

We have not, as one person suggested, gone over to the concealed carry section and confronted them about how wrong they are for carrying concealed as they have done to the open carriers because that would be rude.

Well.... to be fair.... we do poke fun in their sub forum every now and then:

http://www.usacarry.com/forums/concealed-carry-discussion/29023-element-surprise.html

http://www.usacarry.com/forums/concealed-carry-discussion/28753-reasons-not-open-carry.html

True, maybe this time instead of going into the cc forum, we can start anti cc threads in this forum, and then tell them to stop trolling the oc forums...again...

 

[Shoobee]

There is no hunting like the hunting of man, and those who have hunted armed men long enough and liked it, never care for anything else thereafter.
Ernest Hemingway

That was the opening theme of Coppola's movie Apocalypse Now.

He exemplified it in Sheen's opening soliloquy.

There eventually also comes a war weariness afterwards, as the movie shows too.

I guess it all depends on the nature of the psychotic development. Serial killers cannot stop killing. But after awhile even they seem to be want to be caught and stopped.

 

[NavyLCDR]

Anybody want to bet that the most avid anti-OC people like trollbee, I mean Shoobee, have never open carried a minute of their life except for their cap guns when they were playing cowgirls and Indians? Yet, they consider themselves to be open carry experts.

Let me explain the real world to you, Shoobee and to your minion followers:

For every negative interaction I have had regarding my openly carried firearm (most of those from the concealed carry only snobs), I have 5 or 6 positive interactions. 99% of the time there is no interaction about my gun at all. So, how can you claim that open carry in places like Seattle and SEA-TAC International Airport is "inappropriate" when the majority of comments I get are positive and supportive or inquisitive and educational and most of the negative comments come from concealed carrying self proclaimed open carry experts?

 

[Sir Diealotz]

Well said Hawkeye,

Couldn't have said it better myself.