Does Open Carry make you nervous, uncomfortable, fearful?

[IOC]

The following is the text from a flyer that I will be distributing at next month's gun show in Boise.
I'd appreciate input from all OC and CCers.

Does the thought of Carrying Openly in public make you nervous, uncomfortable or fearful?
If so, then learning these few facts may help to settle your nerves and alleviate your fears.
• Anthropologist Charles Springwood defined it well when he said that Open Carriers are trying to “naturalize the presence of guns, which means that guns become ordinary, omnipresent, and expected. Over time, the gun becomes a symbol of ordinary personhood.”
• Open Carry is the first line of defense against the anti-gun groups and its first casualty in states where it is not practiced. If you don’t use it, you lose it. 95% of Idaho residents do not know you can Open Carry without a permit and we will lose our rights when we remain ignorant of them.
• Finally, but equally important, we Open Carry for our defense – and - it allows criminals to make well informed decisions, which are unavailable to them when they are around those who Conceal Carry.
The projected crime rate this year for the city of Boise will be:
408 Aggravated assaults
938 Burglaries
109 Forcible Rapes
8 Murders or Manslaughter
74 Robberies
It is unlikely that Open Carriers will experience the rapes, robberies, murders or assaults.
“Open Carry is the beautiful bold face of the 2nd Amendment
and the ultimate symbol of American freedom”

*Please read the conversation with a felon on the reverse side
This was posted on our forum recently:

Spoke with a Convicted Felon Saturday about OC.
I ran into a kid at the carwash this past Saturday, I remember him and his brother from church when they were ankle-biters. Sadly both this guy and his brother ended up doing time in the state pokey (His brother is actually back in) while he has turned his life around. He recognized me and came up to start chatting- saw my sidearm and asked what I was carrying these days. Spent a few minutes talking about my firearm and he says, "you know, guys like my brother fear people like you."

I asked, "Armed people?"

He said, "No, armed people who don't bother covering it up."

I asked, "Why not just regular armed people?"

He said, "can't tell who is strapped and who isn't. Someone carrying concealed looks just like everyone else. See, when guys like my brother case a joint, they make sure that everything is in place. As soon as they see someone with a piece hangin' off their belt it messes with their rhythm. That throws them off and makes them shaky."

Then he said something that has stuck with me since, "my brother said it took him almost a week to get the picture of a guy with a gun out of his mind before he got the nerve up to go rob another store. It really freaked him out because it reminded him that there were people out there with guns that could shoot back."

I said (in my most sarcastic voice), "You can't tell me a hardened criminal is actually scared of a private citizen with a handgun."

His answer! "Thugs ain't no heroes... too lazy, and it takes a lot of energy to get nerve up to go somewhere and do it. If you mess with that flow, they gotta wait until they get jacked up enough to do it again. Could take a few minutes or a few days, but they won't go back to where they know somebody's packin”.

That is a poignant conversation and one that identifies a primary reason why we Open Carry.
AND WHEN YOU CAN’T OPEN CARRY - CONCEAL CARRY, BUT ALWAYS CARRY!

[email protected]
Open Carry is the Beautiful Bold Face of the 2nd Amendment

 

[TacticalPirate]

OK, personal opinion here. Why would you produce a flyer stating in effect that you want to make people nervous, uncomfortable, and fearful? I understand that's not the message you want to send, but read and look at it from an anti-gunners stance.

Not a proponent of open carry myself, but I understand what it is you're trying to accomplish and the message you're trying to send. I don't know exactly what wording I'd use for something like this, but I'd try to emphasize that only criminals should feel "nervous, uncomfortable, and fearful."

You might try pointing out that an armed police officer provides a sense of security rather than fear, and that an armed citizen should engender the same feelings. My 2 cents anyway.

Best of luck to you in your efforts.

 

[jhodge83]

i agree with tactical. remove "That is one of the three primary reasons why we Open Carry" and it would make more sense and not seem like you are aiming to put people off.

 

[TlWheatley]

I open carry on ocassion. Never have I felt any fear nor feel as though someone around me is threatened.I certainly never felt threatened by the site of seeimg some carrying ( in a holster)

 

[Bikenut]

The following is the text from a flyer that I will be distributing at next month's gun show in Boise.
I'd appreciate input from all OC and CCers.

Does Open Carry make you nervous, uncomfortable, fearful?
That is one of the three primary reasons why we Open Carry.
Our visibility educates the public about the purposes of Open Carry and its legality
• Anthropologist Charles Springwood defined it well when he said that Open Carriers are trying to “naturalize the presence of guns, which means that guns become ordinary, omnipresent, and expected. Over time, the gun becomes a symbol of ordinary personhood.”
• Open Carry is the first line of defense against the anti-gun groups and its first casualty in states where it is not practiced. If you don’t use it, you lose it. 95% of Idaho residents do not know you can Open Carry without a permit and we will lose our rights when we remain ignorant of them.
• Finally, but equally important, we Open Carry for our defense – and - it allows criminals to make well informed decisions, which are unavailable to them when they are around those who Conceal Carry.
The projected crime rate this year for the city of Boise will be:
408 Aggravated assaults
938 Burglaries
109 Forcible Rapes
8 Murders or Manslaughter
74 Robberies
It is unlikely that Open Carriers will experience the rapes, robberies, murders or assaults.
“Open Carry is the beautiful bold face of the 2nd Amendment
and the ultimate symbol of American freedom”

*Please read the conversation with a felon on the reverse side
This was posted on our forum recently:

Spoke with a Convicted Felon Saturday about OC.
I ran into a kid at the carwash this past Saturday, I remember him and his brother from church when they were ankle-biters. Sadly both this guy and his brother ended up doing time in the state pokey (His brother is actually back in) while he has turned his life around. He recognized me and came up to start chatting- saw my sidearm and asked what I was carrying these days. Spent a few minutes talking about my firearm and he says, "you know, guys like my brother fear people like you."

I asked, "Armed people?"

He said, "No, armed people who don't bother covering it up."

I asked, "Why not just regular armed people?"

He said, "can't tell who is strapped and who isn't. Someone carrying concealed looks just like everyone else. See, when guys like my brother case a joint, they make sure that everything is in place. As soon as they see someone with a piece hangin' off their belt it messes with their rhythm. That throws them off and makes them shaky."

Then he said something that has stuck with me since, "my brother said it took him almost a week to get the picture of a guy with a gun out of his mind before he got the nerve up to go rob another store. It really freaked him out because it reminded him that there were people out there with guns that could shoot back."

I said (in my most sarcastic voice), "You can't tell me a hardened criminal is actually scared of a private citizen with a handgun."

His answer! "Thugs ain't no heroes... too lazy, and it takes a lot of energy to get nerve up to go somewhere and do it. If you mess with that flow, they gotta wait until they get jacked up enough to do it again. Could take a few minutes or a few days, but they won't go back to where they know somebody's packin”.

That is a poignant conversation and one that identifies a primary reason why we Open Carry.
AND WHEN YOU CAN’T OPEN CARRY - CONCEAL CARRY, BUT ALWAYS CARRY!

[email protected]
Open Carry is the Beautiful Bold Face of the 2nd Amendment

I also would drop the part in green in order to present the message you want to convey without confusion.

 

[wallyb]

Re: "when guys like my brother case a joint, they make sure that everything is in place. As soon as they see someone with a piece hangin' off their belt it messes with their rhythm. That throws them off and makes them shaky"

Read that a couple times and you will realize that it is contrived, at best unnatural, lol..

"piece hangin' off their belt" - give me a break. The guy whop wrote that nonsense has obviously never known a bad guy.

 

[Wyldekard]

This is what stands out for me about this flyer. It contains a lot "scare" tactics statements with no valid references that would allow a person who receives the flyer to the verify claimed facts for themselves. The anecdotal story sounds like an old black and white gangster movie dialogue.

 

[jhodge83]

This is what stands out for me about this flyer. It contains a lot "scare" tactics statements with no valid references that would allow a person who receives the flyer to the verify claimed facts for themselves. The anecdotal story sounds like an old black and white gangster movie dialogue.

didn't even pay attention that the conversation was actually on the flyer...that's definitely gotta go.

 

[Firefighterchen]

The question about nervous, uncomfortable, fearful is confusing. Are you asking how others feel about people who do OC? Or asking if those are the reasons why they personally don't open carry?

 

[nogods]

His answer! "Thugs ain't no heroes... too lazy, and it takes a lot of energy to get nerve up to go somewhere and do it. If you mess with that flow, they gotta wait until they get jacked up enough to do it again. Could take a few minutes or a few days, but they won't go back to where they know somebody's packin”.

Yes, that must be the reason banks with armed guards are never robbed and no one ever tries to holdup an armored truck.

Unless it is just one thug against two armed security guards.

Link Removed

Authorities say two armored car guards came under fire shortly before 3pm Tuesday as they were making a delivery at the gas station. They exchanged gunfire with the robber. Stray bullets struck tires in the parking lot, but no one was hurt and the suspect managed to get away with the prize.

 

[Tucker's Mom]

I am not nervous about open carrying though I only do it at home and in and around our property. My husband is the same but it is hard with different county legislation around here when one county approves it and then the next doesn't, so we CC instead. What is there to be scared of and nervous about open carrying? It is the people who feels icky about seeing a gun on your person who are scared, not us...just common sense here.

 

[TlWheatley]

I carried open today at a new doctors office. No one seemed to care. Even the doctor seemed fine with it and no forms asking me if I feel depressed etc.....never been to this doctor.

 

[sgtyoung85]

Thought that bad guy conversation on the flyer was not authentic. I live in Philadelphia and this place can be a warzone sometimes. The bad guys here shoot at the police, and some cases when someone or a business gets robbed its by SEVERAL ARMED THUGS. We just had a home invasion just the next block over. A Korean business owner and his wife were assaulted by six armed thugs as they were getting out of their vehicle to go into their house. They made off with $30,000 and his 9mm pistol, he was licensed to carry. They spared their lives because they got what they were looking for and could not be identified , they wore masks. I see bad guys and possible bad guys every day here. The thing in a place like this is being aware of your surroundings, project yourself as a confident person and not like a potential victim, and don't bring attention to yourself and keep a cool head which can be hard sometimes. I prefer cc over oc here because if they're shooting at police what do you think they're gonna do to you? These nuts will rob you for your gun. It's happened before.

 

[Firefighterchen]

...snip... These nuts will rob you for your gun. It's happened before.

References please.

 

[BC1]

I believe that people should do whatever makes them most comfortable as long as it's legal. I personally would rather CC but am not rattled by anyone who does prefer OC.

 

[IOC]

I appreciate the input from all of you. I agree with the idea that I should reword this statement. "That is one of the three primary reasons why we Open Carry.
Our visibility educates the public about the purposes of Open Carry and its legality" to something like "And we Open Carry to to make it obvious that it is legal and nothing to be feared because only the good guys Open Carry".
I appreciate your suggested wording on this.

[email protected]
Open Carry is the Beautiful Bold Face of the 2nd Amendment

 

[Rhino]

Does Open Carry make you nervous, uncomfortable, fearful?

No, but this neverending series of threads on open carry vs. concealed carry sure is nauseating.

 

[IOC]

Thought that bad guy conversation on the flyer was not authentic. I live in Philadelphia and this place can be a warzone sometimes. The bad guys here shoot at the police, and some cases when someone or a business gets robbed its by SEVERAL ARMED THUGS. We just had a home invasion just the next block over. A Korean business owner and his wife were assaulted by six armed thugs as they were getting out of their vehicle to go into their house. They made off with $30,000 and his 9mm pistol, he was licensed to carry. They spared their lives because they got what they were looking for and could not be identified , they wore masks. I see bad guys and possible bad guys every day here. The thing in a place like this is being aware of your surroundings, project yourself as a confident person and not like a potential victim, and don't bring attention to yourself and keep a cool head which can be hard sometimes. I prefer cc over oc here because if they're shooting at police what do you think they're gonna do to you? These nuts will rob you for your gun. It's happened before.

I agree. I lived in Washington DC for the past 15 years on Capitol Hill, just two blocks from the "hood". I would not have open carried in the hood, however, I would have OC'd in my neighborhood. I worked as a private investigator and process server and spent thousands of hours in neighborhoods and, when walking through a pack of "gangstas" to get into a slum apartment buildng, one older black man whispered to me, "You should be walking sideways here." I've had 6 guns and a knife pulled on me since I started serving process in 1970 and on 3 of those occasions I was sure that I was about to die, but I was not allowed to carry, but again, I would never open carry in the hood. Just like a pack of coyotes, they work in packs and they experience no fear when surrounded by their associates.
[email protected]
Open Carry is the Beautiful Bold Face of the 2nd Amendment

 

[IOC]

No, but this neverending series of threads on open carry vs. concealed carry sure is nauseating.

This discussion will continue as long as anti-gun groups and individuals speak against this legal 2nd Amendment activity. You would be just as fervent if the discussion was against Concealed Carry.
You can avoid your nausea by not clicking on these threads.

[email protected]
Open Carry is the Beautiful Bold Face of the 2nd Amendment

 

[IOC]

This is what stands out for me about this flyer. It contains a lot "scare" tactics statements with no valid references that would allow a person who receives the flyer to the verify claimed facts for themselves. The anecdotal story sounds like an old black and white gangster movie dialogue.

Obviousy you have not spent any time in the "hood". I have spent most of 40 years of my life living 2 blocks from and continualy going into the hood on a regular basis to serve process and have engaged hundreds in conversation. I spent the first 21 years of my life in DC and the last 15 years, and this is the way they talk. And if you've read "The Five Stages of Violent Crime", this parallels their thought process.
This is taken from the intro:
There are Five Stages of Violent Crime:
Crime and violence are processes that take time to develop.
The attack is not the first step, the preliminary triangle must be built and there are five distinct stages that are easily identified:

1) Intent
2) Interview
3) Positioning
4) Attack
5) Reaction
During the first three stages, you can prevent an attack without the use of violence. These are where the criminal (or violent person) decides whether or not he can get away with it. He may want to (Intent), but if he doesn't have the opportunity (Positioning) he cannot succeed. The Interview is his way to double check if you are safe for him to attack. If these conditions are not met, he will not attack!

Go talk to some "gangstas"; they will confirm their reaction to seeing an exposed gun when they are by themselves and not with their comrades.
[email protected]
Open Carry is the Beautiful Bold Face of the 2nd Amendment