imported post
heatho wrote:
Ok... I'm sure I'm going to get basted for this but here it goes...
First, I've been lurking here for about a month reading various posts about OC. I like reading in my State's (WA) subforum the most to see whats happening localy.
Second, I support the rightto open carry for the most part... and I am amazed at how much missinformation there isregarding this subject. Ibelieve that even my handgun safety course instructorsaid that OC wasnot allowed in this state.
My question is though... why do you open carry? Is there a real reason to? It seems like from several posts that I've read I get the impression that some people do it for some sort of Power trip... the guys who wanted to be a LEO, but aren't... others seem to do it because they in some way are looking for trouble, or are looking for an encounter with a LEO. Then in some posts there is what I would consider a disrespect for LEO's and/or the Law and that concerns me. LEO's, firefighters, and our men and women in the armed forces are heroes and their jobs aren't easy.
Also... if you are OCing... wouldn't that make you a big target? As in the first target, if a BG was bent on doing his thing and sees you with a gun? Obviously there might be the situations where BG turns and leaves, because it isn't the easiest of targets with you and your gun... but there would be others still that might not.
Be nice...
Anyway, don't get me wrong... like I said, I support the right to OC, but I just have a few concerns...
I guess I am the first one who gets to baste you :celebrate! edit: I guess I am not the first, while typing a bunch of you beat me to it!
I understand your concerns about OC, and some of them are more legitimate than others.
As with any highly controversial issue, firearms, abortion, religion, you will find a vast amount of misinformation and peoples 'interpretations' of the law which they in many cases try to sell to you as the 'truth'. I advise you to always verify your sources and back up anything you hear by going to the source yourself.
Continuing--I can say with almost 100% confidence that there are some people out there, albeit a very very small subset of our culture that open carry for the rush, or they are looking for excitement, or maybe just to 'show' people. Sometimes these actions can be taken to the extreme. Some people use bad judgement -- this happens not only with firearms, but with many things in life, get used to it.
Nobody that I have found on this forum has a disrespect for law enforcement, in fact there are many accounts, where people have contact the city first, to make sure that they are within the scope of the law by open carrying, or carrying at all, and some even go to the point to let them know that they will be carrying openly so the departments can be aware of their lawful activities.
Furthermore, the unrest you may read from time to time from posters here regarding encounters with law officials, especially the negative ones, are to make other people aware of what is happening, not for the sole purpose of bashing law enforcement and demeaning their purpose.
Regarding your question as to why open carry, it is purely a choice, some do, some don't. There are advantages and disadvantages to both. I prefer open carry due to the simple fact it is more comfortable, and as for it being a deterrent, I do not think it is as much of a deterrent as some people may attest, but it can be nonetheless. Arguments can be made for both sides, but I am not really wanting to go into that right here and now.
As far as being a target, it is possible. The arguement here is that most criminals look for a target that is 'easy', meaning they want as little resistance as possible, if they see someone with a gun, they will, in most cases look elsewhere.
Your last line --
Anyway, don't get me wrong... like I said, I support the right to OC, but I just have a few concerns...
It sounds like your concerns here are with citizens who open carry to be on a power trip, or wanted to be an LEO, etc... However, a lot of people who see me oc'ing think I do it because I want the attention, or it makes me feel 'big', some have even gone as far as to tell me this while I am patronizing their establisments. I would like to say here I open carry for none of these reasons, solely to protect myself, loved ones, and my property, in that order. I firmly believe that people who want to believe I carry for the above reasons do so because they are against firearms in general and chalk it up to me being an extremist, this is far from the truth.
Open carry gets a lot of attention, especially around here in NW Indiana, because nobody, well, at least a lot of people are not used to it, and do not practice it. On the same note these people think that I do so for a lot of the reasons you mentioned. All I can hope for is that these people think about some of the dangers that are out there, and that my decision to be armed was not one made in haste, but one that took careful thought and where I weighed the risks and benifits of, and my decision to be armed was made to protect myself.
Finally, I hope you do a little more reading here, outside of the WA subforum, and see some of the interatcion that goes on around here. The purpose of this board is to educate people of their rights. Nobody is promoting the reasons you mentioned as motives to open carry.
I think if you open carried and had a bad/negative law enforement encounter you would want to get advice on what to do, and correct the agency that made the mistake of an unlawful arrest or detention, as this has happened with quite a few members here.
Most everyones reason to open carry, or carry at all here is pure, and solely for defensive purposes.
Hopefully you get some better responses than mine -- I think I probably rambled on a bit here -- and I am not trying to sound condescending in the least, but I think the reasons you pointed out here account for only a small subset of the people that oc, and not for anyone that I have seen on this board.
