How long till one of these bozos decides to try to break up a schoolyard fistfight? Or to intervene in some argument involving parents and kids? Or to question a parent who comes to pick up a kid who doesn’t “look like” the parent? Or to confront someone who “looks suspicious” but is just walking down the sidewalk? I don’t think having armed men of questionable training and motivation, who are accountable to no elected authority, hanging around schools is a very good idea, but maybe that’s just me.
I live in an area with a lot of open carry. There was a recent thread about dipshits with big flags flying from their coal-rollin’ trucks. The open carry dipshits are often in those same dipshitty trucks.
Why not?
Plus it’s a lot more comfortable vs. CC. And quicker access.
Why not:
- Because visibly displaying a firearm makes a lot of people uncomfortable. Yes, that’s their problem, but you clearly feel your benefit outweighs their discomfort. So again, why? Is there an event in your past that assures you this course is reasonable?
- because it makes you a target. If I’m planning something no good (which you a passively planning on thwarting, hence the sidearm), I know I need to take you out first and quickly. If I play my cards right, I might even get to take your gun home with me when I’ve concluded my other business.
I’m just failing to see the upside, apart from comfort, to displaying without an immediate intent to use. Otherwise, why bother with a holster at all–just walk around with it in your hand.
I remember seeing those as well, but they disappeared in Canada with greater safe storage laws.
In any event, I think it was noted that those gun racks are dangerous. If you get in a accident and hit the brakes hard, momentum indicates the gun might break free and fly into your head/ neck, causing serious injury.
Missouri by any chance? This kind of thing happened often when I lived there (about 5 years ago.) We also saw guns up on the gun rack often, but then again, people hunted a lot, so it didn’t seem unusual.
So, I drop my kid off for school and I’m armed, of course. “Run for the door Jimmy, I’ll lay down suppressive fire. Remember mommy and daddy love you, now GO!”
Why do you go around looking for a fight.
Are you prepared to accept the consequences of pulling the gun out and shooting someone and presumably ending their life?
I cannot imagine any predicament you could possibly be in that would make it necessary to brandish a weapon.
Oh, wait I get it, you are passive-agressive. People look at you walking around with a loaded weapon and cringe in fear of the mighty man who is packing heat. Ain’t he cool! Women must swoon in your presence. Bad guys run away in fear.
Good on you.
Yep. I went to high school in Amherst, Ohio in the early 1960s and you would see them in truck windows parked at the high school. And first day of hunting season you would expect some sick calls. Everyone knew the guns in the parking lot were for hunting, not shooting up the school. Today they would get stolen.
Dennis
Here is the classic video comparison of white vs black open carry of rifles. The white guy is in downtown Albany (central western Oregon); the black guy is in Sun Valley north of Reno NV.
And now we get the opposite pole of the spectrum from the AR-15 toting nutjobs; the hoplophobic taunter who “cannot imagine any predicament you could possibly be in that would make it necessary to brandish a weapon,” because there are no bad people in the world who may intend harm, evidence to the contrary.
There are actually rational reasons to own firearms, and despite the oft-repeated statistics about how keeping a weapon in the house increases the hazard, literally millions of responsible owners keep firearms safetly without coming to injury. I don’t know if the poster in question has a genuine need to carry when he goes on errands to Wal-Mart, but if he is carrying discretely and without threatening or posing he’s presenting less hazard than the typical driving-while-texting imbecile. He is also correct that concealed carry is a literal pain in the ass (the only practical way to conceal a large caliber pistol on body in less than a large overcoat or parka is to use inside-the-waistband (IWB) carry, which becomes uncomfortable and irritating.
Having carried for several years I’d prefer to avoid places where I feel compelled to have a firearm (which is virtually no place I ever go other than the occasional trip to get some good Jamacian food in a really ragged neighborhood) and not have to deal with the discomfort and liability, but if the law allows and the owner is responsible and nonaggressive there is no need or justification for the offensive baiting and name-calling above.
Stranger
When the Black Panthers entered the California legislature openly carrying,
I wonder what he’s afraid of? Why so fearful?
Radiolab did a recent podcast on this historic occurrence. Worth a listen.
Some cops are assholes. There have been plenty of white guys that have been proned out / arrested for open carrying too. I’m not sure these two anecdotes tell us much of value.
I truly wasn’t meaning to name call. I own guns, I shoot guns. I don’t hunt. My husband and son hunt and cc. I decided many moons ago, I could not and would not shoot another animal and certainly not aim a gun toward a human. I cannot do it. I will fight tooth and nail for my childrens lives and my own. I don’t think I could ever shoot a person. There might be 1 scenario, I can think of, where I could actually pull the trigger. Never with adrenaline coursing through my veins. I would rather run.
But, carrying weapons for all to see is just a case of ‘look mine is bigger than yours’. I think it’s truly a male playground game, that could get someone dead, really quick.
Not me.
If you are frequenting dangerous parts of a city, and meeting up with scary bad guys maybe you should look into your lifestyle and make changes.( you as in a human person, not anyone personally )
Btw, I am not hoplophobic, I have no aversion to guns, just death.
You have to admit it might send a message to anyone casing the neighborhood.
Otherwise I think its over the top and unnecessary.
Self-consistency isn’t your strong suit, is it?
Stranger
Oh, I am sorry.
I did mean the unknown gun carrying man, not anyone in particular.
I clumsily tried to say this.
But, I stand corrected.
Won’t happen again.
Florida is a stand your ground state. If you think these people are threatening you, you can legally shoot them