Will be sending this out later. Anyone have constructive criticism?
To The Editor:
In response to “Our View” for November 17th, 2010 (“Portland's Gun Resolution Empty Answer To Non Issue”), I would like to address some points which I feel are relevant.
While I agree that the resolution is a non-solution to a non-issue, and said so to the council during Monday night's meeting, it is still a symbolic loss for gun rights. Councilor Leeman, in her comments, hit the nail on the head: this is an issue for legislators to debate in the capitol. She was the only dissenting vote on the measure.
The resolution which was passed does not call for the legislature to craft a ban on open carry, as you stated in your first paragraph, but a ban on all firearms in these amorphously-defined “publicly owned facilities where mass gatherings occur”. There is no exception for concealed firearm permit holders. As the resolution asks for such measures to be applied state-wide, and not just in Portland, it is in the interest of “out of towners” to state our case clearly to the Council.
Characterizing open carriers as attention-starved activists who march around at 2nd Amendment rallies is a glaring oversimplification of what the open carry movement represents. For many of us, myself included, open carry is a daily routine. Unfortunately, “man open carries in grocery store, buys milk” doesn't pull in the ratings the way “activists bring guns to city hall” does.
Stating that “open carry is a bad idea (which is why so few gun owners do it)” is simply an argument from popularity, an easily identifiable logical fallacy. There are many good reasons to open carry from a self-defense perspective (readers curious about this line of reasoning can find the essay “The Open Carry Argument” on our website).
Guns are unfairly maligned in the media and have become associated with criminals and outlaws. Part of MOCA's mission is to make people aware that the overwhelming majority of gun owners (well over 99.99%) are safe, responsible, law-abiding citizens. I should not be ashamed that I own and carry a firearm daily. While the response is very mixed when I do so in City Hall, it might surprise a number of readers (and editors) how uneventful it is in my day to day interactions with people. The most common reaction is neither fear nor praise, but curiosity. Getting the public involved and and asking questions is a huge part of our long-term goal to remove the negative stigma associated with guns.
Thank you,
Forrest Brown
Maine Open Carry Association
http://maineopencarry.org
