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Why open carry?

LEO 229

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taurusfan wrote:
The legal right is the CHP open carrying is all BAD if anyone sees your gun and is afraid you have done something very wrong.

The fact is that many open carriers in Virginia are getting off on scaring people or making waves.

Open carry is not bad... It is not fully understood or accepted by the some of the public. Some people are scared of crime andhear thatguns are used in crimes.I can understand their fear but they need to know that the bag guy only shows his gun when it is pointed in your direction. He most likely will notOC.

A few years ago I was on duty in jeans and a collared shirt. My gun was out in the open and I had mybadge on my belt above my front pocket andnear my gun. The young employee at Radio Shack walked over to help me, noticed my gun, and said "Your not going to rob me are you?"

He was serious!! He knew it could happen and when he walked over to help me saw it and reacted with what was on his mind. I then turned slightly so he could see my badge and told him I was a LEO. He hadthislook of relief as he exhaled deeply.

There are always a few exceptions to every group of people. Some may get a kick out of the reactions of others.. But I feel that most OC peopleare not like that. I do not believe that those who OC are getting off on scaring the public.
 

Tess

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taurusfan wrote:
I lived in Vermont for 20 years and never ONCE did I open carry, nor did I ever SEE ANYONE OC, except HUNTERS in blaze orange. We all know the gun laws in Vermont there are none.

I have my Virginia CHP and my gun will never see the light of day in public unless I have a legal reason to draw.

I'd be very upset if someone became concerned about me carrying a gun I don't want anyone to know that I have it.

In Virginia I have recently seen two men OCing in stores, one of them in the Wal-Mart down the road from Bob Moat's. Both of these "men" were about 5 feet tall and weren't buying anything just walking around nervously to see what reaction they could get with their GUN.

I think Texas has it right with regards to OC.

You're entitled to your opinion. I question why you'd post it on a forum titled "opencarry.org".

Why?

1. Because I can.

2. Because for me it's tactically more advantageous. Not everyone reacts the same or has the same reach, or reaction time, or presence of mind, so perhaps others will not feel the same. In my case, the sight of a gun on my person (if others even notice it; most don't) tells others I'm prepared to defend myself if necessary. The fact it is not the primary object of my attention tells others it's not there for a nefarious purpose.

3. The one time I needed a gun I didn't have one, and if it had been in my purse anyway, I still wouldn't have had one.

4. It enables me to see who's more interested in how I choose to live my life than in taking care of their own business. It enables me to see whois feeling morally superior because s/he makes a different choice. Then I can choose to live my life, fight the battles I want,and focus my activities more productively.
 

SIGarmed229

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taurusfan wrote:
The legal right is the CHP open carrying is all BAD if anyone sees your gun and is afraid you have done something very wrong.

The fact is that many open carriers in Virginia are getting off on scaring people or making waves.

Cease fire for a moment. Where do you come up with this nonsence? I open carry pretty much everywhere I legally can because I have a family to protect and possibly other citizens as need be. Criminals will stay away from a man carrying a gun as long as he can see it, for the most part. I've never had any negative interactions while OCing and the interactions I do recieve involve uneducated people asking questions about OCing which I don't mind entertaining at all because that person I educated may tell his/her freinds about its legality and possibly more people will OC or carry because of it.

Do not come here and disrespect this Commonwealth whichI hold so dear. I wish more states were like the Sovereign State of Virginiais. I don't sit here and quote GYSGT. R. Lee Ermeyand say "Holy dog shit. Texas? Only steers and queers come from Texas, Private Cowboy. And you don't look much like a steer to me so that kinda narrows it down"
 

SIGarmed229

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Hawkflyer wrote:
taurusfan wrote:
The legal right is the CHP open carrying is all BAD if anyone sees your gun and is afraid you have done something very wrong.

The fact is that many open carriers in Virginia are getting off on scaring people or making waves.

You are expressing a very strange view of the universe.

I happen to be 6"3" and around 200 lbs. I am aware that on occasion my physical size frightens and intimidates people simply because I am a lot bigger than they are. No gun involved at all, no fast threatening movements, no waving of arms, just me walking along in a store or on a public sidewalk, or in a mall, in normal street cloths. This is particularly true of toddlers and small children, but the occasional "adult" has reacted in fear as well.

Are you suggesting that people like myself should not go out, or be allowed to go out, in public because we occasionally frighten someone by living on the same planet with them? Should I not go into a toy store to buy gifts for my nieces and nephews because i will scare the children in the store? I have the right to move freely about in society, and if that frightens people, well that's just too bad.

While I agree that going out of ones way to scare or disturb people is wrong, I also think that if someone feels the need to go armed, they have the right to make that choice within the prevailing laws. If you carry concealed and people do not fear you, and they do fear you when they see a holstered weapon on your belt, then they have an irrational fear of an inanimate object, and they should seek counseling.

The real question you should be asking is why anyone should fear a fellow law abiding citizen. If they are uncomfortable because they are unarmed and fear for their safety, they should realized that they have the same right to carry as anyone else and act accordingly.

Perhaps I was wrong in my previous post to you. When you see the "welcome to Texas" sign, you should keep going about another 1000 miles. When you get to a BIG body of water with a lot of waves, stop and buy a house. That is where most of the people in this country go that believe that their rights supersede those of the people around them.

Act ye not to remove the rights of others lest ye care not for your own.

Regards
Wow, Absolutly would have never thought about wording it that way. I understand its seriousness but also couldnt help but laugh at it. I mean why would anyone ever be scared of a manmade or machine made object? Hillarious! May I use that particular quote?
 

Doug Huffman

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What do you think 'hoplophobia' means but 'fear of things?' The ignorant Zumbos think it means 'fear of weapons.' The root hoplein means as well 'thing' or 'instrumentality.'

The pro-2A community is saddled by ignorance and ignorant would-be leaders as the general population. Dumbo and Anony Mouse are fine examples.

The conspiracy of ignorance masquerades as common sense.
 

Bulldog1967

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Because split seconds count when you DO need to bring the weapon out, and I can draw from my open holster about 1/2 sec faster than when I have to sweep away a vest/shirt when CCW.

If you EVER get attacked, you will be surprised how fast things happen.
 

Bulldog1967

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Doug Huffman wrote:
What do you think 'hoplophobia' means but 'fear of things?' The ignorant Zumbos think it means 'fear of weapons.' The root hoplein means as well 'thing' or 'instrumentality.'

The pro-2A community is saddled by ignorance and ignorant would-be leaders as the general population. Dumbo and Anony Mouse are fine examples.

The conspiracy of ignorance masquerades as common sense.
Hoplophobia, (pronounced [ˌhɔpləˈfoʊbiə]), from the Greek hoplon, or weapon, is a phobia identified by firearms instructor Colonel Jeff Cooper in 1962. [1][/sup] His intent was to satirically use a clinical term to bring public recognition of the irrational fear of firearms and other forms of weaponry such as knives or explosives. He stated that "the most common manifestation of hoplophobia is the idea that instruments possess a will of their own, apart from that of their user". Hoplophobia is deemed to be a cultural side effect of those who engage in the primordial human belief systems that anthropologists refer to as "animism", or the belief that inanimate objects can hold spirits that can affect human actions.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hoplophobia
 

Hawkflyer

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SIGarmed229 wrote:
... SNIP
Wow, Absolutly would have never thought about wording it that way. I understand its seriousness but also couldnt help but laugh at it. I mean why would anyone ever be scared of a manmade or machine made object? Hillarious! May I use that particular quote?

Feel free

Regards
 

Hawkflyer

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Doug Huffman wrote:
...SNIP
The pro-2A community is saddled by ignorance and ignorant would-be leaders as the general population.  Dumbo and Anony Mouse are fine examples.

The conspiracy of ignorance masquerades as common sense.

You seem to have confused the larger concern for civil rights, with a focused concern on a particular enumerated right.

While many people who are interested in civil rights at large do in fact use TSA as a "litmus test", this focus in no way limits their larger concerns. This focus is quite natural since the maintenance of rights in general, hinges largely on keeping the rights protected by TSA.

In a historical context, almost all of the gun laws in this country (particularly in the south) can trace their roots to White controlled legislatures attempting to control access to guns by non-white citizens. That is why you will not find a lot of these laws enacted prior to 1860.

It has only been since about 1960 that this focus has enlarged to encompass the population at large. We have the civil rights movement to thank for that.

It is interesting to note that the most stringent gun laws in the US are in jurisdictions with significant populations of non-white citizens. The District of Columbia is a good example. Most of these places are controlled by significant "liberal" majority legislators who take the rather paternal view that they must protect the citizenry from themselves, because they are not mature enough to handle the responsibility of firearms ownership. Meanwhile, these same people maintain well armed body guards, and provide for exemptions in the law for themselves from the very restrictions they have enacted.

So despite popular opinions, name calling, and foot stomping to the contrary, people who support TSA and its larger implications are in fact the last significant group in the US that stands firmly in support of FULL freedom and emancipation for ALL citizens of all ethnic backgrounds, by providing them the means to defend themselves.

While the argument is rarely confined within this historical context, that does not diminish the fact of it's existence nor the impact of the outcome.

Thanks to Bulldog1967 for a reminder as to the late Jeff Cooper. People could not do much better than to listen to the echo of his voice on these issues. While is is missed he is not AWOL form this issue.

http://www.firearmsandliberty.com/cramer.racism.html
Regards
 

Hawkflyer

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DrMark wrote:
Doug Huffman wrote:
The pro-2A community is saddled by ignorance and ignorant would-be leaders as the general population.  Dumbo and Anony Mouse are fine examples.
What/who are you talking about?

+1 -

Since he references the term "hoplophobia" I presume he was referring to one of my previous posts, where I mentioned fear of firearms. Guess he didn't like the way I said it.

Oh well

Regards
 

psmartin

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Oct 2, 2006
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Richmond, Virginia, USA
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Bulldog1967 wrote:
Code:
"A fear of weapons is a sign of retarded sexual and
emotional maturity." - Freud 

I'll leave it at that.

I was approached by a lady at the pharmacy who had this demanding question of: "Why are you armed?!!"

My paused response was, "I just am..." and went about my business

Undeterred, minutes later the same lady asks again (as my son & I are leaving the store).. "Are you a police officer ...or security guard!?!" -- At that point I ask my son, "Where are we going for lunch, your choice" -- Upon his response I excused us with a quick, "We've gotta run, take care.."

...Some people just can't seem to mind their business, I'm all for someone asking questions if they start out polite and without attitude, but I don't have time to review the code of Virginia and the basic differences between the United States and North Korea.

Are there any "open carry" quick info cards on the internet for printing?
 

ixtow

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Guns don't cause fear any more than they cause crime.

Ignorance does.

Open Carry educates. The Controversy of Open Carrying is an attempt to difuse and eliminate ignorance. An Ignorance that mahy people want to keep alive becasue it breeds fear and hate; the core foundations of the anti-gun and anti-freedom factions.

Concealed Carry doesn't create much conversaton, becasue no one knows. This is why the gun-haters prefer it. There's no advocacy by very definition. It keeps their ignorance-->fear-->hate system intact.

A system that is crucial to their survival. I wish I could say "'We' are trying to cure our society of this ailment." But, alas, I live in Florida. I have no Constitutional Rights or Freedoms. I can't Open Carry without being Incarcerated or Killed by Big Brother.

But I do Carry my Spare Mag in plain view. ;-)
 

mercutio545

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Taurusfan, did you ever think that some people can't obtain a CHP yet so they have to OC? Granted, when I am of age to get my CHP I will still open carry, but you should think of all the reasons why people do it before you start thinking that all OC'ers are power trippers who want to scare people. I think it's great. You get to educate the uninformed (most people aren't scared by open carry, they just don't know about it), and deter crime. You could argue that OC'ing would make you a target, but most petty criminals don't want a murder charge so if they see someone with a gun in a place they're about to rob, they would most likely just move on.
 

BobCav

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mercutio545 wrote:
Taurusfan, did you ever think that some people can't obtain a CHP yet so they have to OC? ...
Only if it's the age issue (OC at 18, CHP at 21), or have not yet had the formal training required for a CHP.

If you're legally disqualified from a CHP for any other reason beside the age or training requirement,you legally cannot OC either. (i.e.convicted felon's after their out cannot legally OC or posess a firearm.)
 

VAopencarry

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BobCav wrote:
mercutio545 wrote:
Taurusfan, did you ever think that some people can't obtain a CHP yet so they have to OC? ...
Only if it's the age issue (OC at 18, CHP at 21), or have not yet had the formal training required for a CHP.

If you're legally disqualified from a CHP for any other reason beside the age or training requirement,you legally cannot OC either. (i.e.convicted felon's after their out cannot legally OC or posess a firearm.)
I don't think so Bob. If you are legally allowed to own a gun you are legally allowed to OC. There are some misdemeanors that require a certain time frame to elapse before you can get a CHP. However, one can still own a handgun and OC.

One example: "An individual who has been convicted of two or more misdemeanors within the five-year period immediately preceding the application, if one of the misdemeanors was a Class 1 misdemeanor"

2 misdemeanor's would not preclude legal firearm ownnership but would preclude getting a CHP for 5 years. see 18.2-308 E
 

BobCav

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VAopencarry wrote:
BobCav wrote:
mercutio545 wrote:
Taurusfan, did you ever think that some people can't obtain a CHP yet so they have to OC? ...
Only if it's the age issue (OC at 18, CHP at 21), or have not yet had the formal training required for a CHP.

If you're legally disqualified from a CHP for any other reason beside the age or training requirement,you legally cannot OC either. (i.e.convicted felon's after their out cannot legally OC or posess a firearm.)
I don't think so Bob. If you are legally allowed to own a gun you are legally allowed to OC. There are some misdemeanors that require a certain time frame to elapse before you can get a CHP. However, one can still own a handgun and OC.

One example: "An individual who has been convicted of two or more misdemeanors within the five-year period immediately preceding the application, if one of the misdemeanors was a Class 1 misdemeanor"

2 misdemeanor's would not preclude legal firearm ownnership but would preclude getting a CHP for 5 years. see 18.2-308 E
Well that is what I was trying to say, legal ownership = legal OC. I wasn't thinking about the 2 misdemeanors = no CHP issue. Thanks for clearing that up.
 
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