I'm a Floridian concealed carry permit holder. I live in a high population density (St Pete Beach) area, in a large condo complex, full of 55+ owners. I am also a competitive shooter (USPSA, 3-Gun, and Action Rifle/Shotgun).
I don't have any reason/need to carry openly most days. Daytime open carry in my complex, a Walmart or at a liqueur store might be more trouble than it is worth, even though I LOOK more like a cop than most cops... I would PREFER to carry concealed, and will continue to if the OC law is reversed (legalized).
But... I think a businessman, closing up at midnight, in a commercial/higher crime area, should DEFINITELY have the right to lock up with a full-size handgun displayed openly on his hip. I think that anyone who feels they want to, or should carry openly, should have the right to for sure, as the 2nd amendment says nothing about having to HIDE your rightfully possessed firearm. And in a rural, even non-hunting, area/situation, where guns are more acceptable than downtown, I see open carry as common sense. Why hide an accepted "tool"? MORE than 1/2 (6 Million+) of the population of Florida over the age of 18 OWNS guns. More than 1 Million now hold CCW permits... These rates I think are on par with Texas, maybe higher.
I also think a gradual acclimatization to open carry by the average citizen (over months and years) with no increase, or even a decrease in violent crime, should change the perceptions widely. There was a time in this country where a very high percentage of the population carried openly with no negative connotation...
As a competitive shooter, who walks around literally for HOURS each week with a gun on his hip (albeit unloaded), it feels completely normal to me!
I'm looking FORWARD to legal open carry in FL (again).
Jeff
