Anti OC editorial in Feb 2011 Shooting Illustrated?

I was surprised to read this editorial by "Sheriff" Jim Wilson/Field editor. On page 26 he says that if your CC HG cover rides up:

'You may be put face down at gunpoint. You may also be cuffed. Of course it is entirely possible you will be released once your CC license is produced. But you have to realize that in some states, you could be charged and ultimately lose your carry license.'

What a bunch of hogwash. He doesn't name the 'some states', doesn't produce any cites as to why this is illegal, he ties the CHL into (accidental) OC and later says:

'Responding police officers may issue a verbal warning or take more serious action.' Why; on what grounds?

This kind of thing should NOT be acceptable in a gun magazine, especially by a Sheriff. Maybe it is worth writing in a comment. Only email I saw was publications@nrahq.org.

To me it's a completely false issue. I don't know of any laws that make it a crime to accidentally have your CC HG show - UNLESS you don't have a CHL.

/rant

Just the same as everywhere else... They grew up thinking OC was illegal, and won't believe it until someone slaps them in the head with a law book.

As long as a LEO believes in his heart, not his head, that you are breaking the law, he's going to behave this way. Once someone thumps him hard enough to get his attention, he'll realize that lawfully armed people aren't the problem -- the unlawfully armed ones are.

There are states where if you show a CC'd weapon, it is a violation. Denver could be one place in CO where it could happen, although intent would factor into it. Wilson thinks like a cop, because he was one. However, I do enjoy most of what he has to say. He's offbase here.

Gunslinger said:

There are states where if you show a CC'd weapon, it is a violation. Denver could be one place in CO where it could happen, although intent would factor into it. Wilson thinks like a cop, because he was one. However, I do enjoy most of what he has to say. He's offbase here.

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Yes, but you'd think he'd want to write an informative article. He obliquely mentions problems but gives no data where accidentally exposing a CC HG is unlawful. What is the point? Why are they paying him to write vague tripe?

If any other profession wrote about something that they are supposed to be expert on like this they'd be laughed off the page.

"Shooting Illustrated" is published out of Florida, where OC is illegal, and WILL get you proned, cuffed, and probably arrested...

However, FL is one of only 8 states in the Union where OC is flatly prohibited, and "SI" is a nationally-distributed magazine. They should know better. I'm sure the owners of OCDO would gladly have let them use some of our maps to illustrate the legality and acceptability of OC in the other 42 states.

"SI" also has very close ties with the NRA, which has a notoriously anti-OC track record, so that might have something to do with it...

And as is the case with the MAJORITY of 2A-related publications, a lot of "SI"s writers are currently LEOs (or have been in the past) and therefore may have a personal bias (or are just misinformed) as to the legality of OC in the majority of this fine nation.

OC is getting a LOT of interest these days--but the support we're getting is mostly from the Internet, Bloggers, and through face-to-face interactions. The mainstream gun media still has a lot of misinformation, disinformation and outright bias against it--and I attribute that to the LE inflience in the "gun media", as well as to the lack of education.

Sounds like an "email avalanche" of polite, fact-filled, pro-OC letters might be in order for "SI"s editors...

Must be alot of guys who are fishing getting planted face down and cuffed in FL... and I guess the conservation officers are tsk tsking anyone out for a stroll to take legal game with a handgun. There must be a rash of arrests going on for people doing yardwork in THEIR yard while OCing. I mean there is NO OC movement in FL! Nobody, zip, none! LOL... honestly, some people...:banghead:

I really hate it when someone claims to be an expert, and doesn't do more than 5 mins research on some topic related to their expertise, then spouts off like they are the world's expert on that topic. As a taxidermist, this would translate to me writing an article about mounting and painting salt water crocodiles, when I am a mammal taxidermist and don't know much about reptile work. If I can't be "arsed" to learn all about saltwater crocodile taxidermy first ( extensive study including actual mounting and painting), then I should just **** and write an article about correct red fox ear posture instead.

Dreamer said:

Sounds like an "email avalanche" of polite, fact-filled, pro-OC letters might be in order for "SI"s editors...

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I just e-mailed them mine. Whether or not they will thoughtfully consider the letters sent to them, or blindly march on with their LEO-stratified "we know what's best for you" attitudes remains to be seen. The fact that more than five times as many states allow open carry as prohibit it, with none of the issues or fears constantly clamored about by anti-OCers, should be enough in and of itself to convince any rational mind of the truth about OC.

The fact that it's not should tell you something about the rationality of the minds of anti-OCers.

Once while visiting Texas, I swept my jacket open to get at my wallet just as a Texas Ranger walked passed. He pulled me aside, check my carry license and gave me a stern warning about having my weapon visible.

When I took my Utah CC class the instructor (Oregon resident, teaching a Utah class) told the class (Washington residents) that if we were in Safeway and our concealed weapon showed while we were reaching up for something on the shelf that we could be charged for brandishing...... Every time he said crap like that I raised my hand and corrected him with the RCW. When the class was over he couldn't get my paperwork done fast enough to get me outta there.

A Texas Ranger had nothing better to do? Must have lowered their standards over the years.