Poll: Opinions on open carry

[ATW525]

Who said anything about that except the people engaged in setting up and knocking down straw-men in open-carry discussion threads?

Nobody (at least not in this thread, anyways ). I was only posting an example of what taking the concept of open carry too far would be, imo.

 

[SomeKid]

Atw

While I would probably snicker at anyone going to that extreme, it ought to be legal. We are all familiar with how the slippery slope works.

(Seriously, I would probably break out laughing if that ever happened, but it still ought to be legal.)

 

[ATW525]

I never said it shouldn't be legal, either... only that I wouldn't support somebody who wanted to do so. Why? Because it's as absurd and idiotic as somebody running around the local shopping mall in ninja PJs with a katana strapped on their back. :barf:

 

[Bullrock]

Open carry is legal in Maine. I would like to open carry some, but my wife worries about the sheeple thinking I'm a weirdo. Actually she's the only one that doesn't know I am.

Doesn't the term sheeple mean to follow blindly instead of thinking for yourself? Guns are bad!!! Yup, they must be bad!!! I once had a pet sheep. The dam thing wouldn't leave me alone. Followed me everywhere. Nice animal, no brains.

 

[erh]

I've never wanted anyone to know... And no one has...

 

[Dre_sa]

out of sight out of mind...
if no one knows you have a gun on you then they wont start the anti-gun speech/argument. i am not allowed to carry openly in south africa, i see this as a good thing, because there are many people here (as in the us) that are afraid of guns for no good reason. id rather not have the hassle of trying to explain why i have a gun. carry is easier that way.

 

[tshadow6]

National open carry of firearms would end crime as we know it within 24 hours.

 

[Wildalaska]

National open carry of firearms would end crime as we know it within 24 hours.

bnWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH

Wildniceone!Alaska

 

[ATW525]

National open carry of firearms would end crime as we know it within 24 hours.

Exactly. Just like it did in the Old West.

 

[Bullrock]

Pro Gunner

In today's effete, sensitive, diverse, politically correct culture - the sight of a man walking about wearing a holster and gun provokes a reaction in The Sheeple similar to said man walking about with his penis hanging out of his unzipped fly.

LMAO!!! However, where I live walking around with your penis hanging out of an unzippered fly is not morally acceptable, unless one is drunk, of course.

On the other hand walking around with a holstered handgun is both acceptable behaviour and legal.

Now, walking around with your penis hanging from your unzippered fly, with a holstered handgun will get you arrested. Unless one is drunk, of course, then the judge will let him off and send him to drunk school.

I hope I have made myself perfectly clear where I stand in this matter of rights and human dignity...

Are you really that old or can we have a ride in your time machine? How the HELL can you say with such CERTAINTY that you know what our founding fathers were thinking???

He called me and I told him!!!

 

[alpineman]

Open carry is legal here in KY. I live in a very small town, where I feel quite safe, and I've thought about carrying openly, but I've never done so. Frankly, I usually only consider doing it just to "push it" a little. I'm curious about how people would react. Since I don't think that's too constructive, I don't carry openly in public. I think it most certainly should be legal, but beyond that I'm not sure how to feel about it.

For one thing, I have to agree with the prior posts which have emphasized the importance of discression. I would LOVE to think that, if we all carried openly all the time, we'd deter most crime and prove to non-gun-owners that not every person packing a pistol is about to go postal. I think Wildalaska is right, though - just because we have a right doesn't meen we should push it too hard. I don't want to see ... what was it? Crucifixes in poo or something?... that kind of thing, either, and I can accept that there are quite a few people who are just plain uncomfortable with the fact that I'm carrying. I carry concealed anytime I'm off the farm (though it's open carry the rest of the time, since I live quite a ways away from other people!), I always feel safe, and I don't freak out/scare/infuriate anyone else.

On the other hand, whether you like it or not, I think we've got to have those people who will push the envelope with their rights. I firmly believe those who want to kill our 2nd Amendment rights want to kill it with a thousand cuts. When the non-gun-owning public gets to the point at which the ONLY time they see a gun is in the nightly news graphic screaming "SHOOTING", they will only associate guns with crime. Society is largely already to that point. By hiding our guns all the time, we continue to allow that. Open carry won't solve the problem, just like artists who smear crucifixes with poo won't do much in the way of protecting the 1st Amendment, but I think there has to be some degree of pushing the envelope that we accept in order to protect our RKBA. In that regard, I don't think we should be overly PC about things - we have the RKBA, and we should celebrate it, not hide it. Some people will be rubbed the wrong way, but they'll get over it and the sun will still come up tomorrow.

I won't get into whether or not OC is more or less dangerous or risky. Frankly, I'm much more likely to get killed on the interstate by some jerk who can't drive.

 

[Doug.38PR]

I voted Yes. I think open carry is good. However that being said, I think you should do both depending on the situation. THe main reason I voted for open carry is because the law saying you MUST have your gun concealed makes you always have to be extra careful and cautious not from criminals but from police and ordinary people. In other words if it were open carry here in Texas (which it is not) I wouldn't have to worry about my coat blowing open and having somebody wet their pants or getting in trouble with a policeman if they should accidentally see the gun.

I think concealed carry is the better option (not law) just because I'd rather everybody not know that I am armed. On the other hand, open carry may be the better option in case (as it may be) I feel I NEED people (dangerous ones) to know I am armed.

I also think open carry would be better because more people would willingly carry guns because they would be as common as cars. They seeing guns on ordinary people would make people lose this Politically correct fear of guns that is so rampant in our society today. Guns would be as commonly accepted as the car

 

[stephen426]

Aside from calling one obvious troll a troll (and adding him to my ignore list) I have not called anyone any names.

Wow! What a relief! La La La... I can't hear him any more. Real "mature". Does anyone else think I am trolling since I have a differing point of view or should I become assimalated into the Borg?

For those who actually read other's peoples posts and consider thieir points of view, is there a difference between

If the situation is unclear as to whether someone is in danger, it is better not to act.

and

you are among the few who is either too cowardly, or selfish to step in and protect the life of an innocent kid who is being say kidnapped for example.

?

Thak you p99guy for clarifying my point.

in real life you may not know who is the GG or the BG without a playbook.(the first gunfight I walked into just as it started and I couldnt tell who to shoot to be honest as they were busy shooting each other and not me) That is why we that wear badges make everybody get on the ground till we sort it out...you are going to step hip deep into a situation that you have zero training to handle if you look for other peoples problems to inject yourself into....thats nothing against you, its just what is going to happen.

I guess I can stop with the personal attacks since SomeKid put me on his little ignore list. Just for the record, I don't have anyone on my ignore list. Everyone is entitled to their thoughts, opinions, and beliefs. I don't claim that I have all of the answers or even most of the answers. In fact, I think I have leard quite a bit from this forum in the short time I have been on here. I just get frustrated with people making stupid excuses (I'm here to protect that lady's kid) for wearing a gun. Typical hero complex. I just hope he outgrows it before he gets himself in trouble.

 

[Bullrock]

Trapp

That's exactly why I would encourage open carry. If everyone saw it everyday, it wouldn't be an issue. It would become a "society norm" to see it, therefore becoming acceptable. At least in theory. I believe exposure (the good kind) is the key to "winning" this "war" we have against the "anti's".....

I agree with that, 100%. I have lived in the outskirts of a small city for the last 34 years. During that time I have only seen one open carry, and that could have been an off duty LEO. I admit I could have missed a bunch of others. The problem I have is, I don't want to be the only one. If I noticed a few people carrying in the open here and there I wouldn't hesitate to strap one on.

Kinda makes me wanna live in AZ!!!

 

[tshadow6]

Florida ccw

Gov. Martinez made CCW state wide in FL back in 86, maybe 87. A loop hole was left that allowed open carry. I don't believe many people did it, I did see a few. I believe violent crime dropped way down until the loophole was closed.

 

[joab]

I believe violent crime dropped way down until the loophole was closed.

The loophole was a fluke that lasted for one week, not enough time to effect crime rates

 

[Edward429451]

I voted yes of course. I live in an open carry locale and open carry all the time. I can see both sides of the issue with respect to rights/scaring the sheeple/being prepared etc., so open carry but in a (hopefully) responsible manner. Which is to say, let not those people who may get scared (or harm me) see it, yet make sure all those people who are in a position to be requiring of me to be able to see it can see it. Subtle enough to be called responsible?

I don't see as much open carry since they started passing out ccw permits here.

 

[stephen426]

Wow! I just noticed that I am not the only one who voted for keeping it concealed anymore . Its at over 20% for the keep it concealed vote.

 

[Bullrock]

stephen426

Don't beat your chest too hard or a few of us will Sic that kid on you again. My compliments for helping to make this a good read thread...

 

[BatmanX]

Open carry is legal in MN, but I see no reason to bring attention to myself.
Concealed is part of the advantage you have over the BG.