UPI quotes OpenCarry.org's John Pierce

[Mike]

http://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2011/09/17/Calif-open-carry-law-goes-to-governor/UPI-58231316278701/

SNIP

Open-carry supporters say public display of unloaded guns poses no risk.

"There is no reason to (ban the practice) other than a general dislike of gun rights," said John Pierce, a spokesman for OpenCarry.org.

 

[since9]

"unloaded?" What about those of us from the 43 non-Californian states who open carry while loaded?

 

[FMCDH]

What strikes me most is that every news report I hear about this presents the "continuing ability to carry with a concealed weapons permit" as some kind of viable option.

Anyone whose done any kind of research on this "option" knows that California CWPs are issued almost exclusively to the wealthy and politically connected, with a few poor souls who had to become repeated victims first to legally be given the chance to protect themselves outside of their home.

California CWP availability is a joke, and by ALL counts, less than 0.002 percent of the adult population of California have one.

Population Data Used: (adult population estimated conservatively at 2/3 of total population)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_U.S._states_and_territories_by_population

CWP Data Used: (estimated conservatively at 42,000)
http://ag.ca.gov/firearms/forms/pdf/ccwissuances2007.pdf

 

[since9]

What strikes me most is that every news report I hear about this presents the "continuing ability to carry with a concealed weapons permit" as some kind of viable option. ... California CWP availability is a joke, and by ALL counts, less than 0.002 percent of the adult population of California have one.

You nailed it. Compare this to the general number of CWPs throughout the nation: Approximately 5 million (1.67%). That's 10 times greater than the CWP rate in California.

Banning OC in California is tantamount to denying (far worse than merely infringing) the right to keep and bear arms. Their denial of CWPs to all but a select few is elitism at its absolute worst.