In Colorado it is our right to carry them and that seems to be how the public and law enforcement in my area view it. If I did have any sort of issues with leo's or felt this right was being infringed upon, I would probably be more active in these forums and be more publicly vocal about it.
That's my 2¢
Howdy Folks!
My concern isn't so much about a negative LEO encounter, as has been demonstrated, those happen very infrequently in Colorado.
What my primary focus is, in regard to OC, that the general public seems to be unaware of this right they possess, and perhaps to promote open carry in our state and on this forum for fellow Coloradoans.
A couple of examples being the CCW holder I ran into at Walmart who was totally surprised to learn that OC was legal in Colorado. I'd have figured they'd mention this in his CCW class, but evidently, they don't speak of it at all. They surely did not in the class I took either.
Another was a citizen at a small convenience store near Sterling who asked why I was carrying a sidearm.
Then there were two nice elderly ladies at Tires Plus who wondered why I open carried my weapon.
Before I bought my first pistol, I had no idea I could legally open carry my weapon. The folks at the gun shop never mentioned it, and when I subsequently learned of it through finding the OCDO forum, they actually discouraged me from doing so stating that Aurora cops could hassle me and possibly claim a brandishing charge. This hasn't panned out as true in my experience, as I carry openly all over Aurora, and none of the LEOs has bothered me in the least.
So these things beg the question: How can we raise awareness, not just of the general public or LEOs about open carry, but also gun owners who seem to have no idea that open carry is legal? In so doing, how can this help to raise awareness of the Colorado board of OCDO? Do we have an incentive to promote OCDO and our right to open carry? If we do not promote open carry, is it likely the only voice they'll hear on the subject will come from anti's, and subsequent efforts to control guns in Colorado be more likely when citizens have never heard the other side of the story from us?
These seem to me like valid questions that we might consider, and how we may have a positive influence on our fellow Coloradoans.
That's the point of this thread. What can we do, if anything should be done, to further our own cause?
And if we don't promote our cause, who will?
The old adage: "Use it or lose it" may apply here. If some anti organization gets the idea that nobody would mind too much if they advance a new piece of legislation to limit or eliminate open carry, will the public have any information apart from what they'd get from that side of the fence? After all, we are few, and they are many. We are few because many do not know they have this right to begin with. As I said earlier, I didn't know I had this right until I stumbled onto OCDO.
So along with you guys, maybe we can figure some ways to promote this freedom we enjoy and in so doing, ensure we have that freedom in the future.
Example: Several of us volunteerr to serve at an aid station during the Boulder-Boulder, handing out water and erg to runners (better than 20,000 of them) while OC'ing. Banner on the table promoting Open Carry.Org. Think of that: 20,000 folks see a group of armed citizens helping out at a local event. They see us carrying, and helping out. Positive image they never had before. This is but one example.
Blessings,
M-Taliesin