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NPR California covers open carry movement in San Diego!

Mike

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http://www.kpbs.org/news/local;id=14132

San Diego police fear there may be a growing number of gun activists who want to carry their weapons openly. The trend is part of a national "open carry" movement keen on exercising gun rights. KPBS Reporter Amita Sharma has more.

californiaopencarry.jpg

(Photo from Californiaopencarry.org)
Last month, about 40 people gathered at Mission Beach wearing unloaded guns on holsters. Panicked beach goers called police but no one was arrested because carrying unloaded firearms is legal in California.

Paul Cooper is an attorney for the police department. He says the practice is dangerous to the public, the people carrying the weapons and to officers.

"We just don't think it's a prudent idea for anyone to walk around openly with an unloaded firearm," Cooper says.

Police think the group is trying to provoke officers. But John Pierce, co-founder of opencarry.org says that's not the case.

"Is it taunting if a gay couple expresses affection in public? None of these things are taunting. They are educational," says Pierce.

Pierce lives in Virginia and says he carries his gun wherever it is legal. Amita Sharma, KPBS News.
 

grumpycoconut

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Not a bad article. Says what happened and gets input from parties on both sides. The SDPD lawyer sounds like a puss spouting the politically correct executive line, but what else do you expect. I especially like the "panicked beach goers" bit. Did anyone involved in this evil and provocative bit of in your face public theater hear any screaming or see any hand wringing? It's sad but understandable that the media is just as guilty of lumping all police under the category "police" as some other folks. Limited column inches may no longer be a concern but I'm sure the editors still want small little packages for anything other than feature stories.
 

Cougar125

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Mike wrote:
Panicked beach goers called police but no one was arrested because carrying unloaded firearms is legal in California.

So there were beachgoes scooping up their children, running out of fear? Or there were people, pointing, staring, screaming because of an unloaded handgun?

Wow...this state blows...in WA I never had an incident other than a WalMart manager telling me I couldn't carry in WalMart and that was with a LOADED gun. Oh well...I will do what I am allowed to do regarding carrying. Loaded or unloaded.
 

ConditionThree

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You know, a picture is worth a thousand words. Never more is it true than when they attempted to use that photo to illustrate the 'panic' created by people casually walking the beach while open carrying.

Anyone outside our little enclave looking at that photo will not be able to make a connection between the words of the story and the action depicted in the picture.
 

XD Owner

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Mike wrote:
...

"We just don't think it's a prudent idea for anyone to walk around openly with an unloaded firearm," Cooper says.
I took a Front Sight defensive handgun course recently, and they said during the course, do not put a malfunctioning firearm in the holster.

This type of carry (holstered, unloaded) is similar to a Type 1 malfunction since if you unholstered it and pointed at a target and pulled the trigger, nothing would happen.

So Attorney Cooper is correct. It is imprudent to carry an unloaded firearm. The prudent thing to do iswalk around with a loaded firearm in case you need to quickly draw and fire a controlled pair into a bad guy's chest area.

At seven yards or less (see Tueller drill), the bad guy can be on you faster than you can draw, aim and fire, never mind draw, pull a mag from a pouch, index it, insert into the magazine well, pull back the slide to chamber a round, aim and fire.

Maybe someone could point out his statement would seem to encourage loaded open carry, which is apparently against the law in San Diego, sad to say.
 

Cougar125

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XD Owner wrote:
I took a Front Sight defensive handgun course recently, and they said during the course, do not put a malfunctioning firearm in the holster.

This type of carry (holstered, unloaded) is similar to a Type 1 malfunction since if you unholstered it and pointed at a target and pulled the trigger, nothing would happen.

So Attorney Cooper is correct. It is imprudent to carry an unloaded firearm. The prudent thing to do iswalk around with a loaded firearm in case you need to quickly draw and fire a controlled pair into a bad guy's chest area.

At seven yards or less (see Tueller drill), the bad guy can be on you faster than you can draw, aim and fire, never mind draw, pull a mag from a pouch, index it, insert into the magazine well, pull back the slide to chamber a round, aim and fire.

Maybe someone could point out his statement would seem to encourage loaded open carry, which is apparently against the law in San Diego, sad to say.

QUIT MAKING SENSE!! You'll piss off the lefties!
 

jarodm20

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Man that is so awesome. That picture makes me proud to be living in a free country.... well, partially free, anyway. Wish we had that freedom in Texas, even if theywereunloaded.

Also, I wonder how many "panicked beach goers" called the cops. I'm guessing one or maybe two. The people arounddolook pretty scared in that picture after all.
 

rpyne

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Someone should file an FOIA request for the 911 calls, then when there are none, go after the PD and the reporter for lying about it. Make them put up or shut up.
 

MudCamper

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ImFromTheGovernmentAndImHereToHelp wrote:
did anyone else notice the cops following them back in the crowd of people LMAO
Here is the original image that NPR took and then removed the border and message from:

SDOC_Priceless.jpg


Props for both the photo and the format to grammaton over on CalGuns.
 

KBCraig

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ImFromTheGovernmentAndImHereToHelp wrote:
i must be slow. who is photographing who, and who is trying to turn them in, in that picture?
The shirtless guy on the bicycle talking to the police in the background, is trying to get them to "do something" about the 5 OCers in the foreground.
 

IanB

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Maybe that photo should include a red arrow pointing the shirtless guy out? :celebrate
 

Mike

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Cougar125 wrote:
ImFromTheGovernmentAndImHereToHelp wrote:
did anyone else notice the cops following them back in the crowd of people LMAO

californiaopencarry.jpg
Yup. 2 of them...for a group of 5. LOL
The group apparently coordinated their event with some friendly police insiders - may or not be a good idea, but worked this time.
 

the wheeelman

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Mike wrote:
Paul Cooper is an attorney for the police department. He says the practice is dangerous to the public....

.......to walk around openly with an unloaded firearm," Cooper says.
Laughable...if anyone with common sense doesn't think this is absolutely absurd...they have succeeded in dumbing down the public or rather condition the general public to have NO common sense.
 
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