guambra2001,
Certainly you should carry however you feel comfortable: CC all the time, OC all the time, or a combination. Your call. Except never leave home without it -- but that goes without saying, yes? No? ;-)
I can come up with about 7-8 reasons off the top of my head why I OC. I think most members here can, too. Probably a few more reasons on top of my 7-8. I won't write a brochure on all that here, but you can research OC and get a lot of info that way...besides people posting stuff here for you.
As for "OCing and drawing attention to yourself," I already mentioned you need to have more "grit" to OC, as you MIGHT get disapproving looks/stares...or maybe even someone in your face about why you "need" a gun, it "scares" them or some other liberal nonsense. That NEVER has happened to me in the 1.5 years I have been OCing here, but I know it COULD. Frankly, however, most everyone here will tell you that most people don't even notice the gun on your belt! Even if they do, most probably think we some kind of LEO in plain clothes, or maybe even a retired LEO (who knows). I was in a Starbucks once in Albuquerque, and some people there thought I was "Homeland Security." Go figure, these Starbucks folks. ;-)
We're not LEOs, of course, just We the People, and that's even MORE important/high-ranking! Even above our sorry POTUS. Isn't it time we act like Masters instead of Public Servants?
...which brings me to WHY I (and some others) OC...meaning, just 3 of the reasons:
Reason 1: First and foremost, whether we CC or OC, we carry for self-defense. But that's a given, isn't it.
But what differentiates OCers from CCers (besides being of sterner-stuff folks, of course) is we DO -- in a way, but not a BAD way -- WANT to attract attention to ourselves. Because if NO ONE NOTICES we're carrying, then how can we get any D&E done? D&E can ONLY be "dispensed" by OCers...never CCers, even though doing so helps the CCers, too (but they probably don't even know/think about that).
No, I'm NOT bashing CCers, I just would like them to "get" why we OC and start OCing THEMSELVES -- at least occasionally. Additionally, we need BOTH groups -- CCers and Ocers -- to VOTE TOGETHER on issues, even if an issue doesn't impact CC directly or OC directly. We need to be united, not adversarial, as many CCers are towards OC presently all across America. Just look in MOST online gun forums, and see what happens when someone brings up Open Carry.
Popcorn, anyone?
So, OCers (and only OCers) have 2 reasons CCers do not/can't have, such as
Reason 2. "D" (Desensitizing):
-- We want the average clueless public out there to SEE LOTS MORE GUNS out there on the streets (but not in the way liberals mean that of course)...guns being carried by We the People, instead of LEOs only (I'd add "military" also but they are UNarmed, by orders all the way from the clueless TOP -- sad and pathetic that SOLDIERS can't carry, but that's another topic). So it's just LEOs and We the People armed out there. And so, we OCers WANT people to notice -- so they GET USED to seeing guns in public...and yet nothing bad happens!
How outrageous is that? ;-)
And, I'd like to see THEM carry, too (even if only CC because they can't get over people seeing their gun if they OC). I'd like to see MOST Americans carrying. Yes, criminals also carry, of course, but they do so ILLEGALLY...I'm talking about decent citizens carrying, not the trash, as they're going to do it anyway, and at great risk if they meet one of us. ;-)
Plus, this is AMERICA, so we're NOT like any other country in the world. WHY would we want to be? NOWHERE else does a nation have these rights, so let's EXERCISE them. And let TOURISTS see what they DON"T have back in their own anti-gun/we-don't-trust-our-own-people countries. Maybe they'll want some "Hope & Change" for themselves. ;-)
Reason 3: "E" (Educating):
-- Because people SEE our guns (well, those few who NOTICE, that is), we have conversations about self-defense, the 2nd Amendment/RKBA, guns, calibers and holster...conversations we'd NOT HAVE if we CCed, as by definition, none of those people see our carry gun. But because they DO see it, some ask questions about it, and WHY we carry...which give us (and only us, being OCers) the opportunity to spread the "gun gospel" -- how many CCers out there could HELP us do this but don't...because they CC only, and so can't, even if enough of them wanted to OC (don't have any idea who many would, probably not too many. THAT needs to change). So we want to educate people re: their RKBA, and especially, about being able to OC in an Open Carry State (like Colorado) and OCing without a permit (many people think you need a permit to OC -- we correct them)...besides being responsible for their OWN protection and not relying on others (the police) who show up after it's all over.
And some people THANK us for exercising our right to carry (last time I heard that one was @ the R.E.I. store on Woodmen).
To repeat, we need lots more people seeing guns on people just like them -- decent citizens gong about their daily business -- and get over the fear (as per the sorry TV news media, celebrities, ignorant/pandering politicians, academia, medical "experts," and liberals in general due to their anti-gun agenda) of seeing a gun in public -- a gun "doing" absolutely NOTHING except riding in a holster, and being carried by a very normal person (Yours Truly excepted). And as I said, nothing bad happens.
We need LOTS more D&E goin' on...
Happy Carrying...however you do it.
P.S. Now that you're here in Colorado, don't forget the "other" gun forum for Coloradans specifically: "ColoradoGunOwners." Not as active as here, but it COULD be...if more got involved.
Oops! I just saw that you already stated in your OP that you know about the COGO forum...sorry! I'll leave this here though for anyone else reading this thread who doesn't.
