Sometimes, yes. I have, once in awhile, for about a decades during which I have open carried in at least 8 different states. I have also openly carried several-to-dozens of times at various specific locations that internet experts say you "can't" or "aren't allowed", never a problem. Always a handgun in a belt holster with at least one level of active retention, for me. (well, I have open carried a slung AR across a small town square several times while going to an indoor range you cannot park right at)
Both have their own set of advantages and disadvantages, neither is always better than the other.
The choice (ought to be) is yours.
Shaq is simply expressing the facets of his own personality which would be in control were he to open carry. He has no special information or insight as to why anyone else does anything they do.
Remember, when someone says, "this is why people do whatever," they're actually saying, "here's a window into my soul. Understand ME, and known my faults and my limitations."
aka projection
Anyone who intends to conceal a firearm knows better than relying on a T - shirt to conceal it. Except for a very small gun, it can't be done, especially if it's too snug fitting.
I conceal under a T-shirt all the time. Almost literally all the time. Many, many other people do as well.
Why scare the "sheeple" and advertise to the bad guys???
Makes no sense to me at all. As posted above, I want to be the only one who knows I'm armed. Foolish to give up tactical surprise and your selection of time and place to intervene.
I see it as nothing more than a political act. But hey, that's my opinion....you can agree or disagree.
I don't have any reason to believe I scare anybody. If the mere sight of a gun scares them, well, they must hate having police officers on the tax payroll lol. Also, as it happens, more people open carrying more often while going about their day minding their own business only helps to alleviate apprehension those who have little or no experience with it might feel. Call it education.
You can see it as whatever act you want, that does not in any way mean the person(s) doing it are doing so for that reason.
As for the bad guys, deterrence is still a thing. It is up to you to weigh the odds and advantages of surprising an attacker with a gun vs having the attacker pick somebody else, or whatever other hypothetical scenario you personally believe is most likely should you make the decision one way or the other
I think that it is important that if your are going to open carry in close quarters with out humans, that you train for open carry, and you be extra mindful of where your gun is on your person at all times, and be aware of who else has access to it in that position. You cannot afford to forget you are armed.
How many of you have ever seen an armed, uniformed police officer, and thought of how easily you could take his weapon in his current situation? I can remember standing behind a deputy at the county fair, at less than an arm's length, with a tidal wave of people bumping their way through the crowd. His right arm was cradled, probably something in his right hand, the gun was wide open and about 24" from my hand, and he was facing the other direction.
I scolded our town's chief of police after a city council meeting, as he always sat in front of me (folding metal chairs), with his gun hanging beside and behind him at a 4:00 position. I told him I could have taken his gun without him knowing, and even if we both went for his gun, that I was in a far better position to win a struggle for it.
I have nothing against open carry, but its adds an extra layer of training, caution, and risk that I think is often not considered, even by trained LEO professionals.
Just wondering if others ever saw somebody with weapon, and thought about how easily they might take it if they were of a sinister mind.
Do some force on force training with a trained LEO or LE type (whatever that means) in a position like that and see just how easy, or hard, it is.
And understand that doing it for real, of course, means you are literally betting your life on being correct. If all you are doing is seeing the gun, in a LE duty style active retention holster at that, and assuming it would be oh so easy to snatch the gun, you may find that you are mistaken. If you are well practiced in doing so, maybe you can pull it out, somebody who is GOOD and knows that particular holster can do it quickly.
But no, I haven't looked at a cop's gun and assumed I could easily take it from their holster.