imported post
I tell them a number of things depending on how they approach me. Most people who have approached me are actually pretty pro-2A, and so that's usually a pretty easy one. I explain OC, then we usually end up talking about what I carry (and sometimes they tell me that they carry concealed, but didn't know about OC, or that they carry open in their car...
The anti's, well, no matter what answer you give, it's going to be the wrong one anyway, so I stick to the facts. I tell them because it is legal. I tell them because the average response time for a 911 call is over 12 minutes. And I ask them if they watch the local news. I also tell them that OC deters the BGs from perceiving me as an "easy target".
Sometimes the anti's will say "well why don't you just get a CHP, and I'll tell them that I already have TWO, but that OC is more of a deterrant. I'll let them know that CCers get attacked all the time, and although I've been researching it for almost a year, I can't find a single incident of a citizen who was OCing and got attacked by a BG. I tell them that if I CC, I might have to shoot someone who confuses me for an unarmed citizen, and attacks me thinking that I can't defend myself. But if a BG sees my firearm, he will move on down the road, so OCing actually means that I'm LESS likely to have to use my gun in self-defense.
If they want to argue woth that, I usually just bid them to "have a nice day" and walk away.
But that's only happened twice to me...
Usually, people who comment on it are pro-2A, and interested in OC, at least in my experience.
I get more guff from my wife than from strangers...