First of all, your friend is either dangerously delusional or having fun pulling your leg. Maybe he has anger management issues and cannot express his disdain for open carry in a rational manner. At the risk of being flambeed, let's see if I can do any better.
In places where open carry is legal and relatively common, most would and should not bat an eye or feel threatened by someone in plain clothes walking around with a holstered gun in plain view. In areas where OC is not legal or common, we all walk past LEO's and armed security guards without a second thought - except like me, maybe a glance to check out what kind of gun is in the holster. So the problen is not the gun itself, as long as it is seen in a context that people accept as "normal", legitimate or justified.
I'll go out on a limb, however, and admit that in areas where a weapon is not necessarily a tool or feature of everyday life like farm, ranch, rural, snake, bear or mountain country, I just don't see the point of openly carrying a weapon
OF ANY KIND when there is a good chance that it will ONLY serve to alarm or disturb most of the people around you even if they don't visibly freak out or audibly express their apprehension. That includes going to the cinema or a restaurant or shopping mall in an ordinary urban setting wearing a gun, large knife, bush machette, or even carrying a baseball bat. Why would anyone want to draw so much scrutiny and attention to themselves? What are you accomplishing that you can't do better (personal protection-wise) with a concealed weapon? If someone really needs a "LOOKITMEEE!!" fix, why not just jump up on a table, drop your pants and sing "Amazing Grace" at the top of your voice?
Two recent points that were expressed in favour of open carry are the feeling of confidence it brought and the activism approach of exercising your right to do so with the double benefit of sensitizing the sheeple to the sight of guns in the hands (or holsters) of ordinary citizens.
To the first, my reaction is that if someone needs to swagger around with a gun on his hip in a public, urban setting to feel confident, then there are other issues that require attention. It sounds more like a need for attention, respect and recognition more than anything else and begs one to wonder what they will do next when people don't openly react to the gun and they start feeling ignored or invisible again.
The activism point is far more understandable, given that all gun enthusiasts become at some point frustrated by the anti-gun mentality that a gun is an evil entity and it's mere presence in the hands of anyone but a policeman or a (friendly) soldier spells imminent doom to them and their families. So one decides to wear his gun openly and legally in areas where they know it might be perceived as unusual or out of place. "Exercising the Right", as they say.
In reality, all he is accomplishing is making the people around him uncomfortable and drawing attention to himself. Why? Because that is just the way society happens to be at this place and time. Much like a smoker who deliberately fires one up in an open place, but upwind of people he knows it's going to bother.
To h-ll with them and their sheepish sensitivities!! I'm exercising my rights!
I am not saying that because that is the way things are we must simply accept it and make no attempt to influence change, but remember that real activism is a big job and walking around legaly making others uncomfortable is a far cry from the commitment to a high profile act civil disobedience combined with a rational, persuasive argument that polarizses supporters and influences a movement towards positive change. One is a self centered act of egotism and the other is a commitment of selfless dedication to a worthwhile cause.
I love guns and I always have, but I must admit that I don't think It's appropriate or necessary carry them around openly in quiet, public urban settings. What for??
I accept that this only my opinion and I in no way think it holds more validity than anyone else's. I also acccept the flames, but it would nicer to be persuaded by an argument that is simply better than mine.
, but I dont feel compelled to just because I can and I am inclined to avoid doing it if at all possible even though it is within my rights.
