Drawing attention for the sake of confrontation

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desert gator

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I am fairly new to guns and carrying them. I have met and read stories about people who end up in negative social situations for open carrying. Allot of these people I feel purposely open carry in hopes that it will start confrontation so they can rant and rave about it being there right. While I know that it is legal in allot of places, I feel like some people open carry for no other reason than to dare people to say something. I'm not saying it's right or wrong to open. Carry, I am not the least bit bothered by it. I am just sharing my perspective as a new gun enthusiest
 
If you weren't bothered by it why post this rant?

I live in a city where O.C., while not prevelant , isn't uncommon & I've never known it to be an issue.
 
I'm not sure I see the point of this post either. If it bothers you, ignore them. If it doesn't bother you, great.

Whether people are out to start problems or not is not your concern - until they try to start problems with you.

If open carrying really tweaks someone enough that they confront the carrier, that's not the carrier's fault. Walking around with an inanimate object strapped to one's person is not a viable reason to confront them, especially violently.
 
I'm not ranting about open carry. I'm just saying some people seem to do it to In hopes of getting a rise out of people who are offended by it
 
But as long as they (the OC'er) doesn't start any fights or confrontations, what does it matter what their intentions are?

Look, people are going to have a problem with people carrying guns, especially if they can see said gun. IMHO, it really doesn't matter what the intentions of the OC'er are, as long as that gun is carried in a safe, responsible manner.

Now, if they're going around bragging about it or threatening people with it, then yeah, that's a huge problem. But sometimes people need to be confronted with things that make them uncomfortable - especially when they're uncomfortable with those things because of irrational and illogical fears.

Long story short, there will always be someone who is offended by something. It's not my job (or anyone else's) to pussyfoot around these individuals for fear of making them uncomfortable. Sometimes people just have to grow up and deal - and that includes existing in society alongside people who OC.
 
Open carry

When living in an open carry state, especially in a tourist based economy as it is here in Cody, Wyoming being close to Yellowstone Park, several of us have taken to open carry during the summer months even though we all have ccw's. The reason for that is we have found that several folks from places that don't allow such practices such as New York, Chicago, California and others will ask us why we do so. This gives us the chance to appeal to their common sense logic and explain to them how it is our right to do so and try to convince them that people who carry legally are not the criminals and after talking to them and buying them a cup of coffee, many of them walk away with a better understanding than what they get through the media. We realize that many will never change their brainwashed way of thinking but if we only get through to a few each year then it is worth it. And you would be surprised at how many do walk away with a better feeling about an honest citizen with a gun. So next time you see someone open carrying don't be concerned, he may be doing it to excersize his right or other. Just remember this, a right is like an appendage, if you dont exercise it you may lose it.
 
I personally don't open carry.... some people are bold enough not to care if someone calls the police on them for exercising their rights.... and I think that's awesome. But personally, I feel it's too big of a risk. I am a mother, if I get arrested for someone else's illogical fear... I don't have the luxury of the martyr like mentality... I have children that need me... period. I also don't care to have thousands upon thousands of dollars to defend myself if the local DA decides they want to try for a disturbing the peace/ inciting a riot charge.

I have nothing but respect for people who open carry (of course so long as they are doing it within the parameters of the law and not trying to provoke or threaten anyone), but personally don't feel comfortable doing so. It's a risk that I wish I could afford to take.
 
I feel like some people open carry for no other reason than to dare people to say something
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Well, you're a little off. Actually some people open carry to *educate* people on the practice. They're not trying to get in a confrontation or 'dare' anyone to say something. And yes, I speak from experience.

Personally though I would rather people just not say or do anything and let me be. It would make things so much easier.

It's a risk that I wish I could afford to take
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I wish you could too. We have no 'inciting panic' clause in our carry rules, so an officer getting a MWAG call can only ask questions, detain and let you go if you're not trespassing. We had a guy walk out of WalMart (at 1am mind you) with a 1911 IWB only to have six cop cars swarm over him. He was disarmed and given many opinions as to why he shouldn't be open carrying. They couldn't arrest him for anything though and let him go.
 
I'm going to be OC'ing for a few months until I turn 21 and an get my CCW.

I have no intention of trying to get a rise out of people, but I do live in Las Vegas, and we're not exactly a safe city. I'm not carrying for anyone but me and my family. I WILL carry to educate or show people that it's not a crime and a gun doesn't make you a criminal or a bad person, but not to piss people off.
 
I OC occasionally I have yet to have anyone even comment. Most of the people I know that OC do so because its about 155.00$ cheaper than getting a permit every 5 years.
 
I OC occasionally I have yet to have anyone even comment. Most of the people I know that OC do so because its about 155.00$ cheaper than getting a permit every 5 years.
 
No open carry in FL.

I don't really mind. I don't like open carry and it's not high on my list of "gun rights we need to secure right the hell now". I think the right to concealed carry and to simply own them is what we need to focus on.

That said, I support your right to do it. I simply choose not to.
 
I think if OC is not illegal but, is let's say discouraged, and someone wants the possible legal issues that come with OCing to make the point it is legal, all the more power to them. It will hopefully change the practice of discouraging people from engaging in a legal right.

But as I posted in the legal section, it can sometimes have the opposite effect. It seems if enough legislators get riled, they may decide to attempt an enactment of a law prohibiting it as is the case with a bill pending in CT.

Sometimes political activism doesn't achieve the goal sought. In the case of the CT bill, it's not a major loss since the gun laws are already very strict, but I could see it as a problem in some other states that aren't yet as antigun as CT.
 
I'm not ranting about open carry. I'm just saying some people seem to do it to In hopes of getting a rise out of people who are offended by it
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Well, if that's true, it's not working for me. I've been open carrying for years and have yet to have a confrontation with anyone. A couple of "what kind of gun is that" questions, but that's all.

Actually I've never met anyone in my life who was "offended" by guns. I've met people who didn't want any, but I've never met anyone who said I shouldn't be able to have them.
 
I think for someone to get the kind of "rise" out of someone else, like you are talking about, I would imagine that the person oc'ing is going to have to pretty much be brandishing or something irresponsible. I have oc'd and have even had some strange looks before (I actually get strange looks all the time, but thats a different story..haha), but nothing coming close to any kind of confrontation about it. And if someone is "showing off" or drawing attention to themself, I doubt that another person is going to be brave enough to confront them about it, unless it's another gun owner. The other person is probably likely to just call the police.
 
Drawing attention for the sake of confrontation
I am fairly new to guns and carrying them. I have met and read stories about people who end up in negative social situations for open carrying. Allot of these people I feel purposely open carry in hopes that it will start confrontation so they can rant and rave about it being there right. While I know that it is legal in allot of places, I feel like some people open carry for no other reason than to dare people to say something. I'm not saying it's right or wrong to open. Carry, I am not the least bit bothered by it. I am just sharing my perspective as a new gun enthusiest
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Give this a try and see if it works:

If you don't like open carry, don't DO it. I see no reason for ME to do it, so I DON'T.

I think you'll be pleasantly surprised!
 
Having been in the "controntation" myself, what I don't understand is this. Why in the h e double hocky sticks do the cops waste so much time in trying to get me to change a perfectly legal behavior, which, by the way, according to state law is illegal and called coercion.

Instead of interrupting a good meal that I am enjoying to lecture me and hassle me for 1/2 hour why, instead, don't they go to the complainer and offer them a simple 30 second explanation to them that I am a perfectly law abiding citizen and not engaging in any activity that warrant's police involvement?

Why can't WalMart managers explain to the complainers that I am a perfectly law abiding and PAYING customer of theirs as well and they, as management, choose not to distract other PAYING customers by trying to get them to change a perfectly legal manner of dress, IE open carrying.
 
I personally get a kick out of "offending" the gun grabbers legally by carrying rifles or pistols openly. I've even carried concealed and deliberately "printed" or otherwise "told," as my state and locality are comparatively rather sensible about this. I admit I wouldn't do this in such fashion if there weren't millions of Oprah-watching mouth-breathers who think it's somehow sinful to defend yourself, and pride themselves on saying so. There's nothing like having the cops called on you for rear-waistband carry and greeting the responding cop by name, shaking his hand and asking how his son is doing in college. Watching the anti fume at that indeed IS one of life's guilty little pleasures.
 
Criticize (or disagree with) open carry.
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I disagree with the fact that we call having to pay for training and pay to get a license to carry a gun as somehow exercising a right to bear arms.
 
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