ISMOID
Regular Member
imported post
For those interested, I found this while browsing the Minneapolis Gun Rights Examiner, you know that under where it says that you are logged in.
Taking to the air in defense of open carry: "The very atmosphere of firearms anywhere and everywhere restrains evil interference - they deserve a place of honor with all that is good." - George Washington
On Sunday, June 28th 2009, Jim Irvine, Chairman of the Buckeye Firearms Association will be discussing the pros and cons of open carry on his radio show which is carried by 1420 AM WHK News Talk in Cleveland, Ohio.
The hour-long segment, which you may listen to live on the internet from 8 - 9PM Eastern Time, will feature Ohio Attorney-General Richard Cordray, famed instructor and author Massad Ayoob, and yours truly. Would you care to guess which one of us is arguing for open carry?
In preparation for the spirited debate I am anticipating, I thought I would share some of the reasons that I feel that open carry serves a very positive purpose in the gun rights debate.
I should start by stating that one of the issues I expect Mr. Ayoob to bring up immediately is the tactical aspects of open carry vs. concealed carry. He discussed this at some length when I attended his LFI-1 class (which I highly recommend) and I need to clearly demonstrate that this is not the issue at hand. Otherwise, those of us who are proponents of open carry would lose quite handily. I will readily concede that if your primary concern is tactical superiority, then you should carry concealed.
However, the question that we, as pro-gun activists, should be asking is "What are the benefits to the gun-rights movement of my carrying openly?"
After all, we are bombarded, almost daily, by a variety of subtle and not-so-subtle anti-gun media messages. And it is amazing how effective this bombardment is, even for those of us with deeply held pro-gun beliefs. It is a dangerous mistake to assume that societal influences do not make an impact. They do! The number of pro-gun, pro-concealed-carry advocates who will chastise open carriers is a prime example of the fact that even we can be influenced to treat firearms as something "somehow unwholesome."
At the risk of sounding like a sociology professor, what we are dealing with is a general populace that has had their perceptions about firearms turned into prejudices by societal pressures. Most people are not anti-gun in the traditional sense of the word, but they can be counted upon to swallow whatever drivel is presented by the true anti-gun movement.
Make no mistake about it; if we do nothing to counter these negative stereotypes about gun owners, then our rights will be slowly taken away. Open carry is a very easy way to begin to counter these stereotypes.
To put it simply, open carry forces those you meet, be they friends, relatives or neighbors, to reconcile their preconceived notions and prejudices regarding firearms with the fact that you are exercising this right in a safe and responsible manner.
Prejudice thrives on ignorance. By openly carrying, we are showing the public what gun owners are really like. More importantly, we are showing them who we are. I cannot tell you the number of times that I have heard people say that they do not know any gun owners. They do, of course, but they are not aware that they do. This allows them to buy into the idea that gun owners are different; and people fear and distrust that which is different. Seeing you or I openly carrying a firearm forces them to confront the object of their prejudice.
Remember ... we are not just a collection of people who are interested solely in self-defense and personal protection tactics. We are also political activists! The anti's understand this and factor it into all of their public contact, but often we do not.
You and I are the spokesmen for responsible gun ownership and use in our communities. Wayne LaPierre and Sarah Brady are, at best, distant figures to John and Jane Citizen, but you and I are their relatives, friends, neighbors and loved ones.
Open carry is our chance to show our friends and neighbors that we are normal people. We have families, homes, children and bills just like they do. We have simply chosen to exercise our right of self-defense and I, for one, find this very wholesome.
Future Radio Appearances
I will also be appearing on Intelligent Talk 920 WGKA Atlanta on the Armed American Radio Show on July 5th, 2009 from 8 - 9 PM Eastern Time. The show, which is hosted by Mark Walters, Contributing Editor of Concealed Carry Magazine, will also feature Philip Van Cleave who is President of America's most effective gun rights organizations, the Virginia Citizens Defense League.
For those interested, I found this while browsing the Minneapolis Gun Rights Examiner, you know that under where it says that you are logged in.
Taking to the air in defense of open carry: "The very atmosphere of firearms anywhere and everywhere restrains evil interference - they deserve a place of honor with all that is good." - George Washington
On Sunday, June 28th 2009, Jim Irvine, Chairman of the Buckeye Firearms Association will be discussing the pros and cons of open carry on his radio show which is carried by 1420 AM WHK News Talk in Cleveland, Ohio.
The hour-long segment, which you may listen to live on the internet from 8 - 9PM Eastern Time, will feature Ohio Attorney-General Richard Cordray, famed instructor and author Massad Ayoob, and yours truly. Would you care to guess which one of us is arguing for open carry?
In preparation for the spirited debate I am anticipating, I thought I would share some of the reasons that I feel that open carry serves a very positive purpose in the gun rights debate.
I should start by stating that one of the issues I expect Mr. Ayoob to bring up immediately is the tactical aspects of open carry vs. concealed carry. He discussed this at some length when I attended his LFI-1 class (which I highly recommend) and I need to clearly demonstrate that this is not the issue at hand. Otherwise, those of us who are proponents of open carry would lose quite handily. I will readily concede that if your primary concern is tactical superiority, then you should carry concealed.
However, the question that we, as pro-gun activists, should be asking is "What are the benefits to the gun-rights movement of my carrying openly?"
After all, we are bombarded, almost daily, by a variety of subtle and not-so-subtle anti-gun media messages. And it is amazing how effective this bombardment is, even for those of us with deeply held pro-gun beliefs. It is a dangerous mistake to assume that societal influences do not make an impact. They do! The number of pro-gun, pro-concealed-carry advocates who will chastise open carriers is a prime example of the fact that even we can be influenced to treat firearms as something "somehow unwholesome."
At the risk of sounding like a sociology professor, what we are dealing with is a general populace that has had their perceptions about firearms turned into prejudices by societal pressures. Most people are not anti-gun in the traditional sense of the word, but they can be counted upon to swallow whatever drivel is presented by the true anti-gun movement.
Make no mistake about it; if we do nothing to counter these negative stereotypes about gun owners, then our rights will be slowly taken away. Open carry is a very easy way to begin to counter these stereotypes.
To put it simply, open carry forces those you meet, be they friends, relatives or neighbors, to reconcile their preconceived notions and prejudices regarding firearms with the fact that you are exercising this right in a safe and responsible manner.
Prejudice thrives on ignorance. By openly carrying, we are showing the public what gun owners are really like. More importantly, we are showing them who we are. I cannot tell you the number of times that I have heard people say that they do not know any gun owners. They do, of course, but they are not aware that they do. This allows them to buy into the idea that gun owners are different; and people fear and distrust that which is different. Seeing you or I openly carrying a firearm forces them to confront the object of their prejudice.
Remember ... we are not just a collection of people who are interested solely in self-defense and personal protection tactics. We are also political activists! The anti's understand this and factor it into all of their public contact, but often we do not.
You and I are the spokesmen for responsible gun ownership and use in our communities. Wayne LaPierre and Sarah Brady are, at best, distant figures to John and Jane Citizen, but you and I are their relatives, friends, neighbors and loved ones.
Open carry is our chance to show our friends and neighbors that we are normal people. We have families, homes, children and bills just like they do. We have simply chosen to exercise our right of self-defense and I, for one, find this very wholesome.
Future Radio Appearances
I will also be appearing on Intelligent Talk 920 WGKA Atlanta on the Armed American Radio Show on July 5th, 2009 from 8 - 9 PM Eastern Time. The show, which is hosted by Mark Walters, Contributing Editor of Concealed Carry Magazine, will also feature Philip Van Cleave who is President of America's most effective gun rights organizations, the Virginia Citizens Defense League.