National Open Carry Day

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DRZinn

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Since the open/concealed question is such a hot-button issue, I believe I have a solution that should work for us all. I too prefer to carry concealed, mostly to just not make a scene. But the point was made that open carry exposes the sheeple to responsible law-abiding citizens carrying weapons and hurting no-one. SO:

National Open Carry Day

if we can organize it, would involve as close as possible to 100% of CCW permit holders carrying openly on that one day (providing it's legal in your area) and going out shopping, eating in restaurants, and just generally making themselves highly visible. What a shock that would be for the antis!

Thoughts?
 
Part of me says this is a good idea,to expose non-gunnies to people carrying. The other, more rational part says that I don't carry to shock anyone.

I.G.B.
 
more rational part says that I don't carry to shock anyone.
Click to expand...
It is not to shock, it is to demonstrate the law abiding people are law abiding even when you can see their firearms.

What I cannot figure out is, why the sheeple are not bothered by LEOs, bank guards, uniformed security officers all with firearms on their hips, but freak out when they see someone dressed as regular people with firearms.

Ill bet that if you would go down to the uniform store and buy a security officers uniform, put it on and strap on your firearm, that nobdy will pay any attention to you.:evil:
 
Yep thats a great idea, just what go owners need :barf:

We are hangin on by a thread and all you guys wanna do is indulge your ego needs...

WildthisisinsaneAlaska
 
Sounds like a great idea ! I wish we could do it here in Maryland (that's pronounced , Marilind not , Mary land) . BTW wildareyousurethatsnotmildalaska , it's not an ego thing . Open carry day would be a political statement (think 1A) kinda like a million mom march .
 
DesertDog:

DocZinn posted
What a shock that would be for the antis!
Click to expand...

That's what I was referring to. I think exposing sheeple to CCW is a great idea, but we just have to be carefull how we do it.

Shock value doesn't work in our favor. Getting to know people on a one-on-one basis, and working them towards firearm ownership and CCW is a solid way of doing it.

Don't get me wrong, I am not completly against open carrying, and I am not against the open carry day, I just think if our goal is to show firearm owners in a positive light, maybe we should work on people individually, easing them into the idea.

Rather than walking into a mall, causing a crowd of gawking sheep to flock together and collectivly say "guns are baaaahhhhhddd".

If you work on them individually, explaining why you carry, where you can legally carry, and what training and background checks you have gone through, than your chances of converting them is increased.

I have in the last few months done this with several people, including my mother-in-law, and have gotten very good responses from people. In fact, I have two friends looking to purchase their first firearms, and 3 people are now considering getting their CHLs.

I.G.B.
 
wildareyousurethatsnotmildalaska
Click to expand...

And further proof of my argument...just not "wild" enough for open carry....

It's about exercising our Second Amendment civil rights.
Click to expand...

Guys walking down the swappin spit street wearing leather butt cheek chaps and chantin "we are Here, we are queer and we are comin for your children" is a far more established right than bearing arms, and I dont want to see that either...


WildlikesaquietlifestyleAlaska
 
it does not help our cause to have everyone hiding in the shadows all of the time. why you think people in virginia are freaking out about all of the open carrying lately? they dont realize there are people around them everday with guns because those people carry concealed. the more people who carry openly the quicker the public becomes desensitized to seeing everyday people carrying.
 
When a day is decided just post the details. It is a great idea. Desensitize the public a little bit at a time. I think I've said this in other forums but if we do it, I would strongly suggest that the "uniform" of the day be dockers and a polo or button down shirt. While I personally would be much more comfortable in say my Daytona 500 t-shirt, worn jeans, and well used workboots, I think the image of "well dressed = well behaved" would do nothing but ease the initial shock of the mass open carry and also help us shed some of the negative guns = rednecks images. (Nothing against rednecks but we've got to break the stereotypes slowly.)
 
May I suggest

Since that won't be legal or practical in many places like New York, California & Texas how about this-
Get someone to make up "Second Amendment Day" or "Gun owners rights day" buttons, at $1 a piece everyone can get one and EVERYONE can play!
CT
 
Mr. Shooter,

What's a docker? :p

The well used work boots would go well with my well used bibs and well used tee shirt.

Half the time now, I got my well used bulldog in the hip pocket of my well used bibs, so I guess it wouldn't be much of a change. :D

edited to add "well used" a few more times
 
Why I think open carry is a GREAT idea

Remember when breast cancer was something nobody talked about?
Then Betty Ford? said she had it and the stigma was gone, people talked about it?
Remember when you didn't know anyone was gay? Now everyone knows someone gay?
Remember when you didn't realize anyone owned a gun then you saw them everywhere? Well- not yet, we haven't "outed" ourselves yet.
If it was legal to do it in all 50 states I would also be game, not for ego, for awareness....
CT
another idea for the button "Gun owner pride day"
 
another idea for the button "Gun owner pride day"
Click to expand...
The only problem with this is that who support this may not own a firearm.

How about a "Firearms are OK"button?

I do have a 2 1/4 inch button machine.

Edited for clarity
 
I don't know what Sep 11th is like in your jurisdiction, but I've seen cops and bureaucrats go into major Homeland Security Mode on that date. A bunch of folks walking around with guns showing on that particular date will do more to scare people and get harassed ([stern bureaucrat face mode] "we've got to protect people against TERRA-Rists [/stern bureaucrat face mode]) than do good.

I'm all for Open Carry Day, but pick a different date, one that doesn't have the newspapers the next day full of stories about all the gunowners getting arrested.
 
I'd like to point out that Betty Ford never sashayed down the street topless to illustrate the fact that she had had breast cancer, nor are PDAs, same sex or not, that well accepted by the average mall goer.

If you want to perform a public service, how about "Gun Owners Against Garbage Day", where everyone could do a litter drive (and in the ditches of backroads it may even be reasonable to open carry) or "Gun Owners for Literacy" Day, and do reading tutoring in inner city libraries. Somehow I am guessing that these ideas just dont have the cachet......

Maybe Open Carry Day will fall between "Open Colostomy Bag Day" and "Open Necrotic Lesion Day" - nothing to be ashamed off and the public sure needs to be educated.

Spartacus has a point that I'd like to further- September 11 belongs to one group and one group only. To try to piggyback any political agenda on that date strikes me as distasteful at best.
 
Sendec, that's a good idea. The only aspect of national open carry day I don't like is that it's simply bad manners to confront anyone with something known to scare them. Think them silly if you wish, but why deliberately scare them without any other purpose?


" Maybe Open Carry Day will fall between "Open Colostomy Bag Day" and "Open Necrotic Lesion Day" - nothing to be ashamed off and the public sure needs to be educated."

LMAO!

TC
TFL Survivor
 
I have to agree this sounds like a greaty idea, for those of you who say the best way is to convince others one person at a time ask yourself this. Are the Anti's going for one at a time, NO, they are on the national news because they held a rally somewhere.
 
Leatherneck,

The big Fairfax gun show is coming up, maybe that would be a good day and location for an "open carry demonstration". I'm sure there'll be media there. The sight of a large number of nicely dressed, yet packing individuals might be positive.

Of course, we'll have to unload to get in :banghead:

Chris
 
I agree with itgoesboom when he said
"Shock value doesn't work in our favor. Getting to know people on a one-on-one basis, and working them towards firearm ownership and CCW is a solid way of doing it"

I think we could advance our cause much better by vowing to show a minimum of one new "uninitiated" person about firearms/safety/CCW every year. (preferably one every month)

The stigma of firearms in my opinion needs to be overcome in alot of peoples minds. It is not something that is done by "shocking" people.

BTW, I already have my new ininitiated person this month.
My little sisters "future husband" is now seriously considering getting his CCW. (he was a fence sitter.... or as I prefer to think, a gun-nut that had yet to bloom):D
 
July 4th would be ideal, but since I didn't think of this sooner that's a little far off....

Guidelines...hmmmm....

I like the well-dressed idea, but for me it would have to be "reasonably well-dressed for the area you live/work/shop in." In some areas bib overalls would be just fine. In others it might almost require a shirt and tie. The point, of course, would simply be not to look like dirtbags.

If asked - I mean when asked - only an explanation of why the gun is being carried is called for. And nothing like "because I can" or "to show all you pansies that it doesn't hurt anyone" or "because the police are all incompetent and they can't protect me" or.... well, you get the point. Something along the lines of "In today's world of increasing crime, I would rather not be a victim, so I have taken a necessary step to protect myself. (Better phrasing, anyone?)

When that leads to "Why today?" (and it will), the obvious answer: "Actually, I and many others have been carrying for a long time, but we chose today to show that there so many of us, and we don't hurt anyone, just protect ourselves." (Again, better phrasing, anyone?)

Any other ideas?
 
Doc,

I think you have a GREAT idea, and the ideas of some others here I believe could add some more effect (positive, of course) to it.

I especially liked the "Gun Owners Pride Day" a la the Gay/Lesbians groups.

Names that toy with or take off from the gun banners mottos, or "Gun Owners for Literacy", etc. are realy inspired, IMHO.

There is a guy at Ohioans for Concealed Carry, Chad Baus, who is great about marketing ideas.

If you can get someone to supply you a website, that would be great. I would gladly give you my e-mail address, and I would think others would too, given the short life of a thread on THR.

And then of course, there are the NUMEROUS RKBA websites to post to. Speaking of that, I know a Pink Pistol who ought to be in on this...


BB62
 
I think if this is to progress to an actual happening, the groups, associations, alliances, etc., should ALL put out a press report describing what will happen.
This would, hopefully, at the very least inform some of the sheeple as to what will be occuring.
Unfortunatly, whenever a press release gets to the media outlets, they always have to put their biased left-side editorial spin on it.
 
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