Yet another one has seen the light

My first post as a new member here. I repost this from another forum, my thread opening:

"Open carry once a month across the nation until police give up harassing the people

I live in Florida, not an open carry state, which is against the constitution, how is this even possible, but what gets me are the videos on youtube where people in open carry states are always harassed by their police.

Police in those videos typically say they have to investigate calls from alarmed civilians. OK, but now you have done your investigation, no crime is being committed, so why do you hang around, harassing, wasting tax dollars? Police often ask if the purpose of displaying a holstered weapon is to cause alarm in society, which on its own is against the law I suppose, but the real reason so few people openly carry is because they get wrongfully harassed by the police so they choose not to carry. Had police left people alone, lots of people would open carry and there wouldn't be a problem. But police make it a problem. This must stop, across the US.

Therefore, I propose an open carry day every month, in all open carry states, say every first Saturday of the month, from now on until the end of time. This will totally wear the police down, believe me. Police will realize, after a while, it's useless to respond to all these peaceful walkers with holstered guns because nothing is happening, they obviously don't commit crimes. What I hope will be the result is that the sheriffs' call centers across the country will develop a new policy toward incoming calls from the alarmed public regarding guns. Instead of just, "Is some one walking with a gun?! We'll send police over right away!!", it will be, "Is the gun holstered? It is? That is legal. Is the person committing a crime? He is not? Call us back when the person is committing a crime. Thank you. Good bye." When this becomes the new normal we can progress to open carry every day of the week, as the constitution says we can and even argues we should.

Will you please spread this idea of mine to other gun forums so we can make this happen? It will be tough in the beginning, but eventually we will get our freedom back. As for Florida, I hope it becomes an open carry state soon. Why aren't our representatives fighting for us? What are they doing?! Who are they representing? Other freedom-hating politicians? I just don't get it.

Thanks

Torbjorn Holmberg"

xxxxx Negative answers I don't care to repost xxxxxx

"In the beginning of the nation and for about 150 years, Americans carried guns. People were not afraid of guns, the sight of them. But, politicians have gradually eroded our rights and the same politicians have racked up the $16 T debt, sent Americans to die in useless wars across the planet, kept a disinterest in evicting illegals, etc, etc. What has happened to the American psyche is that it is now a captive of the nuts in Washington, forms itself to fit the madness. If sheriffs' call centers did ask if the openly carried gun is holstered and if a crime is being committed, people would learn the law. What people don't like is people breaking the law. Even I have called the police on our neighbor when he was shooting live ammo out on the lawn, because I thought it was against the law and therefore the man had gone crazy and the police should investigate. After the police arrived, only to tell me it is legal to shoot live rounds on you lawn, nothing they will do anything about, I wondered why the call center person had not told me this. Now I don't care if the neighbor shoots his guns out on his lawn, I truely don't. I think many people have the same mindset about guns out in public. If they knew these are not criminals they would relax. To crawl away from harassment of the police, the government, is that being mature? What dictionary are you using?"

Now a question from me: Is there an organized monthly open carry statement across the country, or anything similar, with the purpose of changing the mindset of the police and the public? If not, shouldn't there be? Is there anything ongoing in any of the individual states in the union? How is that working out?

Let me add this as an edition: I think the American people is suffering from the Stockholm syndrome in its relationship with the US government. At the same time, smiling in agreement while being abused, most every American now agrees on that the country is on the wrong track, while having a difficult time defining what is going wrong. This is our mental breakdown taking its toll. We are going numb, depressed, victimized. We are victims and this is not what the US should be like. Our politicians are distorting the idea of what the US is and they are overriding the constitution and laws on a daily basis. Isn't it bizarre how the US army is busy arming militias across the planets to fight wrongdoings by local regimes, but here in the US our government is busy disarming us of militia-style weapons? I mean, what is really going on here?

Welcome to OCDO.

I like this idea.

Of course, many of us on this website open carry much more often than once a month. But, imagine if the 2nd Amendment Foundation, JPFO, CCRKBA, and NRA promoted to all members to OC as a way to push back against Feinstein and her ilk.

While some gun owners don't have holsters, there are plenty of CCers who do.

Citizen said:

Welcome to OCDO. I like this idea..

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Like Citizen, I Open Carry every day. Making a "statement" once a month is an all the time thing. The suggestion to Concealed people is "Come out of the Closet". Let the rest of the world know that you are armed. Yes, that gives you up, but that is the point. Conceal the rest of the time, but please, show the government that we are complete supporters of the Second A and we want them to follow suit.

I open carry everyday, but not to make a statement. I've also never been harassed by the police, even though I encounter them more often than most people who aren't trolling for them.

I guess Nevada, Utah, and Arizona are mostly boring when it comes to this issue.

I have open carried for over 42 years. Never been hasseled by LE, yes I have had a MWAG call placed on me...still wasn't a hassel. 25 or 30 years ago...Chelan Co deputy "hunting" Me, "Yep" Him, "nothing illegal here" as he left to find the caller.

I also carry every day, not just when hunting, but that was the only MWAG call. I have talked to other LEOs, like about 8 years ago: "when I you going to join our gun club?" and last summer: Skagit Co Deputy: "what is it?" me "CZ85" him "Nice gun" (no that wasn't the end of that particular converastion, but the rest was very pleasent)

Open Carry does not have to be confrontational.

hermannr said:

Open Carry does not have to be confrontational.

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Agreed, 100%.... as long as one is dealing with a Peace Officer and not an OPINION ENFORCEMENT OFFICER! All depends upon the approach of the officer on this!

Want to send a REAL message? Open carry everyday, all day. If all CC people would convert to OC, and make sure they are OC'ing within the law, and every stop and 911 call of a MWG would have an FOIA request filed. You may then make a real statement. But that would take real dedication and commitment, and some REAL money, as a FOIA request here in WV cost $30.00. The CC holders need to convert to OC everyday, where and when it is legal. But most CCL people, dont know enough about the law to do this. As the reply almost always goes, "YOU"LL GET ARRESTED" for that. My CC instructor even told me once, I get my CCL, you forfiet your right to OC. After a 10min disscussion and an instructor with a red face, class continued. The only time I CC is while in my car. So as to be legal in WV, as you can be cited for a loaded weapon in a car per WV game Laws.

OCing every day makes a more consistent statement, as well as normalizing the event for you as well as the rest of the world. Most folks who do not regularly wear a suit appear iunsure and uncomfortable when they do wear a suit. The sajme goes for anybody who only OCs on "special occassions". (Actually, OCing every day removes the "statement" concept, if you think about it. It's no longer "Hey, look! TeaPartyNow is openly carrying a gun. How off/different/daring/disgusting/ad infinitum. It turns into "Hey! There's TeaPartyNow.")

A suggestion - set up an OC-related event that other folks will be interested in attending. We have a weekend group breakfast and a monthly group dinner. These started as social events and the OC component was merely a fact of commonality btween the participants. We now bill them as OC events, but given that about 99% OC daily that is pretty much redundant. We still "advertise" them as OC events and publicize them so that folks who are interested in OC, or who qualify as "unicorns*" can join us.

stay safe.

* - a "unicorn" is a term someone invented to describe a person who OCs but has never heard of OCDO, has no knowledge of "the open carry movement" and has never bothered to seek out other OCers for conversation/companionship. If approached politely they will not run away, and sometimes decide to socialize on-line and/or in person with others who OC.

Many people live in states where open carry is legal, but not really. It's not that easy, emotionally, to get beat down by the police over and over if one goes for open carry cold turkey, and they may revoke your permit if they feel you are being obnoxious when told repeatedly not to frighten the neighborhood. People are not going to start open carry all at once across the nation. It's a movement that will have to grow. If it was that easy to break through it would already have been done. It's very hard. We are up against dense, scared politicians who whip police into acting on their behalf. It takes time for politicians, civilians and police to get used to the idea of open carry. If we come on like a glut there will fierce resistance, and concealed carry may be threatened all together. The sheep need to be pampered, eased into the sight of guns. Once a month people can give their best and do what's right, openly carry, to show that the Constitution applies to us too. Slow and steady wins the race is a telling, or how you say it. Proverb. Saying. As it is now, no matter how or when or why you open carry, politicians and police will argue that it was the wrong time at the wrong place and done by the wrong person for the wrong reason. It's like talking Democrats into less spending as a way to steer up the national debt. You can't win over them with logic, you have to emotionally wear them down. Open carry once a month is the tactic to wear the wrongful opposition down. They don't have the energy to defend their losing point long term. We could call the first Saturday of the month National Gun Day, and spread the message to media who might write about it and make more Americans come on board. It's us against our idiot politicians who have destroyed this country by their foul unconstitutional doings. It's time for the people to act, cut free from the dysfunction and do what is right.

To transport or carry a firearm anywhere in my country one needs first of all to be licenced to own a firearm and then whe transporting it, to have it in a locked safe container with the ammo stored in another safe place.

I can walk down to my local bank any day and see several security personell milling about in and outside the premises, all open carrying and not one person takes any notice. Why, because these guys are there to protect the . . . "MONEY." Ohhh, thast real important.

If I were to walk down the street dressed casually, and open carrying, people would be scurrying about, murmering, some even screaming, "Theres a man with a gun!!!!" hurridly dialing 000, and I would have the police down on me in a nano second.

Protecting my life and my families lives is not as important as protecting mine and someone elses "MONEY!" The whole system is broken. Criminals are having a field day here knowing full well that the average citizen here is UNARMED and vulnerable! and the politicians, who are protected by armed guards and security when at work and at home dont give a rats - well, you all know what!


Remember the little garden gnome, John Whinston Howard, the author and instigator of the great steal back after the Port Arthur massacre, prancing about Sydney on his morning Jogs, CC'ing and with half a dozen armed security personell trailing him about the botanic gardens???? A typical bullet proof vest wearing coward! Dissarm LAFO's and then wear a bullet proof vest when appearing in public? In other words, he believed we were all criminals and were after him? And he stuck his supposedly retired bib in after the last tragedy you people endured just recently. Urging your president on to do something now!

"Agreed, 100%.... as long as one is dealing with a Peace Officer and not an OPINION ENFORCEMENT OFFICER! All depends upon the approach of the officer on this!" -- JoeSparky

And the OCer can be "forceful" (with any due respect) in giving his/her opinion, also.

Both sides, however, should proceed with caution and courtesy -- lest an incident escalates -- since both sides are armed. It's like the "MAD" doctrine of the Cold War -- except on a smaller one-on-one scale, yet just as potentially hazardous for both parties.

As for cops & OCers, I suspect that SOME cops may not like it because carrying an gun openly is one thing that has traditionally set cops apart from most people...meaning cops were "special citizens" if you will, and they came to expect that "specialness" to continue. Further, carrying a gun is symbolic of power, so cops having a gun and citizens not having one is an example of power vs. powerless. So when people OC, they (naturally) carry guns openly, too...so cops arent so "special" anymore in that respect.

I guess some resent not being special -- and lords over other people (armed vs. unarmed) as some apparently believe based on their behavior...and forgetting they are Public Servants, not Masters. Perhaps seeing more citizens OCing may remind them of their REAL place in the hierarchy: We the People are the Masters, LEOs are public servants -- not the other way around. But even "the law" has become the Master even though laws are supposed to SERVE the people, not rule them...so the REALITY of how it is out there as we OC across America can be quite different (sadly) than how it SHOULD be.

IMO, it takes a person made of "sterner stuff" to OC (vs. CCing, where no one knows and so any "confrontation" with a disapproving cop or frightened/angry liberal is unlikely)...few people have said "stuff" to do it.

We need more who do.