So let me get this straight. Guns make us safer, but if you make it known that you are carrying a gun, you’re now singled out as a target for crime? What kind of deterrent does that actually make a gun? Really, you’re talking about the specter of even having a gun as the best deterrent, but wouldn’t no gun be as effective?
If anyone’s curious: it’s the existence of the gun on a person. I support the right to exercise open or concealed weapons, provided said person has the CCW.
LOUNE,
This thread and the other gun thread has us having pretty much the same conversation in both.
I can’t see any way to answer your questions that is not mostly repetition. I assume that your questions are trying to focus on some specific point of disagreement between us, but I can’t figure out what that may be. I’m going to just have to apologize it for not being able to explain things more clearly.
No, I’m not trying to tease something out, I’m just trying to see where you’re coming from.
And that’s cool if it can’t be clearer. It’s possible that the inability to get it is on my side as well.
I live in Tennessee. The handgun law here makes no distinction between open and concealed carry, hence we are classified as an open carry state. If you have a handgun carry permit, you can carry any handgun that you can legally possess, concealed or open.
Having said that, the law enforcement officer that taught my HCP class stressed that although you can open carry, it’s just not a good idea and not recommended by the police. His rationale was that it can be seen as a provocative gesture and some members of the general populace may be uneasy about the sight of non-police types brandishing firearms.
Personally, I carry concealed exclusively. The way I see it, if anyone puts me into a situation in which I feel my life is in danger, they will find out soon enough that I am able to counter that threat with deadly force of my own. I carry concealed, but not so concealed as to impede my presentation of my weapon if need be.
I have no problem with regulated concealed carry, but open carry is something that belongs in the Wild West and war-torn Third World nations. Our country ought to be better than either of those places.
Why do you say that it belongs in the wild west or the 3rd world? Especially if you don’t object to concealed carry, I really don’t understand.
Is a visible gun more barbaric than a hidden one? I’m confused.
I rarely open carry in the city just because it’s a potential hassle. I don’t believe in explaining why I’m carrying to cops or nosy neighbors, so I don’t flaunt it.
You pretty much nailed the reason in your last comment. I think that if people think it is a good idea to flaunt firearms, there’s something seriously wrong with the society.
Ah, ok. That I can understand. I’ve known a few people that open carry apparently for the sole intent of causing trouble. “Trouble” as in they want to annoy people, not shoot them.
However, outside the city is a different story. And I do understand the viewpoint of the people that think requiring a CCW permit is an infringement. Colorado is theoretically an open carry state, so why should someone have to jump through all those hoops? If everyone that had a permit chose instead to open carry (and do it without the gun-nut attitude) maybe people would get used to it. But that’s from the viewpoint of someone who isn’t exactly mainstream on gun rights. 
I don’t really understand the “belongs in the wild west” comment, but open carry is more likely to upset people.
VA has a has some kinks in its gun laws so that open carry is allowed a few places where concealed carry is not. The most commonly encountered are the rules dealing with businesses that serve alcohol intended to be consumed on the premises… i.e., most restaurants. There’s a particular change in demeanor that occurs when someone you’ve been interacting with finally notices you’re armed. It would be pretty uncivilized, IMO, to intentionally do that if you could just as easily carry concealed.
I agree with Mr. Dibble.
I support open carry and concealed carry, but it does occur to me that a $600 pistol being openly carried might be a tempting target for bad guys.
ExTank sums up my opinion fairly succinctly. Pretty much any decision I can choose to make about anything is guaranteed to offend someone if they know about it. Whether it’s what I wear, what I eat, who I date, how I vote, where or whether I worship.
I’m not going to go out of my way to accomodate everyone who has an objection to something I choose to do or not do.
By that same token, I’m not going to go out of my way to offend them either. If someone wants to have a rational discussion about something I will be glad to indulge them if I have the time. If on the other hand they want to go raving zealot about it I’m going to walk away and leave them frothing where they stand.
Unless it’s Phred Phelps of course. Him I’ll do my damnedest to induce an aneurysm in.
That’s the spirit. Way to frame we gun owners as reasonable and responsible people.
None of whom would kill me in a hail of gunfire should they decide to go postal.
So the guy at the next table has had a couple of beers and gets in an argument with someone. Yeah, fuck those wimps that might just be a little bit worried that Mr. Irate-Drunk’s got a .357 revolver strapped to his hip. :rolleyes:
Is it legal where you live to carry and drink?
Legal to carry where alcohol is served as long as you’re not in the actual bar. ( I think)
I haven’t heard about limits when you’ve had something to drink though.
But that’s not really my point anyway. My point is that having a sizable portion of the population intimidated by gun owners when trying to do nothing but go about their everyday lives isn’t good for anybody.
Norwegian here. FWIW, my first reaction upon seeing someone besides a uniformed policeman carrying a handgun openly would be to call the police. I’d probably make exceptions to that for people in positions where I could concievably understand carrying - someone working the night shift at the gas station in town, someone escorting an armoured bank vehicle or such.
But a man walking down the streets with a gun? Let the police sort him out.
I support the right to carry a gun, openly or not, but it’s like free speech; while I staunchly defend the right to it, I really wish some people wouldn’t excercise it.
While I agree completely with An Arky’s sentiments, the combination of the username and the post is making me snicker. Or giggle. One of them.
I’m guessing that a lot of the people who are in favor of open-carry-only live in states in which you don’t wear a heavy winter coat half the year.
If I were to carry a gun, I would only carry it openly if I seriously expected to use it. As an example, the first time I ever saw someone carrying a gun was when I was camping in the Sierras. There had been a lot of rattlesnakes that season, and a dad was wearing a revolver loaded with buckshot.
Here in PA open carry is already legal. I choose to carry concealed as a courtesy to those who are fearful of the sight of guns.