I see constant bickering between the camps on open versus concealed carry in public. One side says that when you open carry you become the first target or that someone is going to take your firearm away from you and use it on you and others. It is all a pretty big “what if”.
Well I have several points to be made on these subjects and others so if you are the type to be all butt hurt over human nature and personal observations I recommend you stop reading and go back to your dream world.
Your point? You list out four things, but leave them as only half statements.
On open carry vs. concealed carry, it comes down to a personal choice and what you feel works best for you. However it is folly to think that what works best for one individual is best for all.
Agreed and pretty much the only thing that doesn't really need to be expounded upon.
1. Open carry scares the public. If the public is uneducated about any given item they will fear it, human nature says that the unknown is to be feared. Education is the key to dispelling the myths created by fear mongers and those that would seek to control the general population.
And how is one to educate the public without getting out there and OCing? If you don't OC because the public isn't educated then the public isn't really going to get educated about it not being a big deal, and the wheels on the bus go round-n-round...
2. Concealed carry gives you the element of surprise. Yes. It will give you the element of surprise in a situation; however it does nothing as a deterrent to the criminal act that may be taking place.
And just who are you trying to surprise? Surprising or ambushing someone is an offensive action, not defensive. The better arguement for concealing is to not be targeted for crime because of the gun, but I'll get to that further down.
3. Open carry can be a deterrent to the criminal act. Yes, it can as for the most part criminals are cowardly and will seek easier targets for their crimes. Even they can complete a risk vs. reward assessment. Not knowing if someone may be armed is lower on the risk scale than knowing it to be a fact.
Agreed. There's even research out there backing this up.
4. If you open carry someone might take your gun from you. If you are going to carry at all you need to use what is called “situational awareness”. Means being aware of your surroundings at all times. To carry a firearm is not something to be done for status or “cool” factor.
One shouldn't CC for the status or "cool" factor either, this isn't limited to OCing. And while yes this is something one should understand as a "possibility" it is FAR from a probability for a citizen not acting in an LEO/security position. Just as how you said that criminals can do a risk vs reward assessment, carriers need to do the same (and as such they need to realize that this "gun grab" chance is far FAR lower than many people make it out to be). Instead I see too many people having an irrational fear of the "gun grab" even when the data shows it to be a non-issue.
There is no right or wrong with the decision to open or conceal carry your firearm. It is my personal belief that there should in fact be some of both everywhere. I say this because yes the open carry is seen and will weigh the thought process of the criminal to take the risk targeting the open carrier first, thus being taken out by the concealed carrier. Or the criminal will choose to seek a weaker or less defended target someplace else.
While this is an interesting belief, do you have anything to back up that a regular citizen will be targeted first for a crime? I only know of one instance of an OCer being targeted because of his gun. Though if the criminal were to see multiple guns instead of only one, why would he continue upon the crime when he knows he can't get all the OCers? Well, unless he is insane, at which point all of this is moot as he is highly likely to shoot regardless of if people are armed or not.
May years ago I wrote the people of this country a check for up to and including my life. This was my time in the U.S.Army. The oath I swore then I still hold true and stand by even to this day. Yes I conceal carry most of the time, but also open carry when the option is available to me.
If my concealed firearm saves the day in a dynamic critical incident then I’m proud to have served my people and country, if I am the first target of some criminal and a fellow citizen saves that day, I have done my duty and fulfilled my oath to the people of this country and I hold no regrets for doing so.
In such an incident one's manner of carry shouldn't matter. Unless one is CCing in hopes that a crime might "one day" happen by them because the BG didn't know they were armed, and thus the CCer was able to pull his weapon to put the BG down. Personally I too have taken an oath, but I feel that OCing better serves this purpose by helping me get the sheep to understand that the Second Amendment isn't something to be scared of while also helping better protect those around me by helping to deter those around that would otherwise do harm.
These are the choices that each person that chooses to exercise their right to carry a firearm for defense must make in their own hearts and minds. For anyone to make that decision for another person is morally wrong and in my opinion downright criminal itself.
I agree that it is to each person to make the choice, it's just that so many push CC as being "better" that I have an issue with. Even your post comes across as if CC is better, but then you don't say anything to help back up the statements you make. Outside of certain circumstances I would say that OC is better, but at least we both agree that it should be an individual's choice.
