When a regular Joe/Joan Citizen goes to a Federal Firearm Licensed dealer in WA state, before Joe/Jean Citizen can take legal possession of any handgun, he/she fills out paperwork. This paperwork gets sent to several agencies, some local, some federal, to determine if Joe/Joan is legally allowed to own a handgun, set forth by the laws regulating him/her in their home state. When he/she is cleared by those agencies, he/she can return to the store where the handgun was purchased, to accept possession of the weapon. WA state is an Open Carry state, therefore, it IS legal to openly carry a non-concealled handgun, anywhere allowable by the laws of their home state. WA state does NOT have a law saying it is ILLEGAL to openly carry a handgun, thereby making it LEGAL, to do so. Unless of course, there are laws in the RCW's describing where handguns are NOT allowed; IE - school zones, jails, mental facilities, court houses, and bars where alcohol is consumed on the premises, and in vehicles. Even some of these laws have 'exceptions', which are described in the Firearms Safety, The Law & You booklet, that you can obtain at the Sheriffs' Dept., whether applying for a CHL or not. The way WA law is written, is that if it isn't described as ILLEGAL, then it IS LEGAL.
When I bought my handgun, I did everything listed above, paperwork and purchase, ( I then went right to the courthouse/sheriffs to apply for my CHL ) waited, took possession. At that time, I didn't know WA state was an Open Carry state! I didn't find out about Open Carry for several days after I started the entire process. To be completely honest, I wasn't sure I would be allowed to own a handgun. I was pleased when I got the call that my paperwork came in, and I was able to pick up my handgun. A few weeks later I received my (CCL/CHL/CPL) license. I found out about Open Carry by accident, when I was researching Reciprocity, and saw the two maps. One map showed Open Carry states, and the other showed states that had a Reciprocity agreement with WA. Forget Illinois completely, they suck for everyone, so, citing Ill. as a non OC state holds no water with this discussion.
Now, for myself, I enjoy the best of both worlds, and I don't have to disarm/unload in the course of my daily activities (unless specified by law, or private policies that business's have - which is THEIR right to adopt ). I don't worry about whether someone sees my handgun in its holster, when I'm out and about. I have the option to choose HOW I carry, and I will carry openly, or concealed, but the choice is determined by the time and place. If I'm around home, or in the company of people I trust, then I'll OC. If I'm in unfamiliar territory, and I get the vibe to conceal, then I will CC. If in the same unfamiliar area, I may also choose not to CC, I'm flexible and thoughtful about the situation at hand. First and foremost though, is the fact that my firearm will NEVER leave its holster in public, until it is required. I will guess that 100% of the folks who post here, feel the same way. As for the person you brought up in your OP, that's his/her OPINION, there are many folks who say and do dumb things, which, reflect poorly on themselves. I try not to lump people into categories, unless they give me the insight to do so themselves. Not all 2nd Amendment supporters are people I agree with (the president of the NRA comes to mind), moderation in deed and language is prudent, in most situations.