Open Carry Day

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I like the idea of national open carry day(s). I understand there's less perceived risk for me to OC in AZ because of the greater social acceptance of guns here in general, but I still need more self encouragement to actually go OC. So this is a good excuse to "unify" (been hearing that term a lot from the other side lately) gun owners and exercise a right.
 
I still can't get behind this. When you try to force reality on the general public they will freak. Weather you like it or not, walking around in a grocery store or gas station with an exposed gun and no badge you will scare some people. There are good and bad ways to fight for our rights.
 
Even tho it's perfectly legal in Mass., you will be arrested on some other charge like disturbing the peace and most likely get your permit pulled.

Isn't living in the cradle of American Liberty great?
 
un_lucky said:
I still can't get behind this. When you try to force reality on the general public they will freak. Weather you like it or not, walking around in a grocery store or gas station with an exposed gun and no badge you will scare some people. There are good and bad ways to fight for our rights.
Click to expand...

So are you speaking from experience?

I've heard a few stories of open carry that went like you say, but I've heard (and personally experienced) several orders of magnitude more stories that went something like:
I open carried all over town today. I went grocery shopping, to the bank, Wal*Mart, picked up my dry cleaning, and ate an ice cream cone in the park. Hardly anybody noticed and the only person who said anything told me he liked my grips.
Click to expand...

I can't resist posting the pic of me and my son at a public car show one more time.
OCatcarshow.jpg
There were tons of people around at not a single one freaked out.

In most places where OC is legal, those who've actually tried it have found that it's just not the big deal people think it is.
 
Personally, I would not be comfortable doing this other than as part of a local group. I don't have the activist nature. But if local people I knew were participating arranged a group picnic in a suitable public park to be followed by group attendance of the town fireworks I would consider participating. Especially if said group included lawyers, community leaders, and members of the law enforcement community.

Though I don't want to traumatize my kids via being hassled/arrested and can't afford lawyer money for such I do think that the promotion of open carry as a normal activity is a good thing. My choice of carry guns would be far wider if I could put on any comfortable holster and just carry where it could be seen without having such issues.

I don't think that people ought to worry too much about scaring people whose fears are irrational. We shouldn't be overly limited in doing something legally and morally right by others' foolish fears. There is no Constitutional right to not be offended.

Personally, I'm not in a position to go around stretching limits when it stands a fair chance of having a negative impact on my kids' wellbeing and my already slim budget. But I applaud those who are in the position and who trailblaze so that we who are more encumbered may later follow in their footsteps safely. Such pioneers should be applauded. :)
 
I still can't get behind this. When you try to force reality on the general public they will freak. Weather you like it or not, walking around in a grocery store or gas station with an exposed gun and no badge you will scare some people. There are good and bad ways to fight for our rights.
Click to expand...

And open carry is a good way. :)
 
There are places where open carry is common.

There are places where it is less common, but can still be done, with some common sense and a bit of caution.

There are places where is just downright uncommon, the authorities are out to get you, and you and your fellow activists need some planning and forethought before you go out and do it. But, we read stories on here and elsewhere that show that open carry goes surprisingly well even in those places once the planning is done. Even in California.

In a very few places, you just can't do it, period. It's illegal, and no amount of planning will help. Don't even try.

Some of the "I would never do that" fear comes from people who have gotten this wide country mixed up, and think that it's all the same. It ain't. It's like that famous New Yorker's map of the United States:

NewYorker1976-03-29cover.png


It's easy to think that the whole world looks like your little slice of it, or like what you've heard it's like from reading.
 
If it makes you uncomfortable, don't do it, but if you're afraid of upsetting irrational people you need to reconsider your reasons for joining this forum
 
you will be arrested on some other charge like disturbing the peace and most likely get your permit pulled.
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Will someone please explain to me how just standing with an exposed handgun holstered on your hip can be considered disturbing the peace? Where is the qualifying action?
 
Good and bad...

While I understand and support the concept, I'm not to crazy about walking around with an empty holster, :uhoh:. In the metro area I live in, I have no doubts that someone would freak the *&%# out and call 911. Or some off duty LEO or uniformed security guard would detain me, :rolleyes:.

Concealed carry permits/licenses are important, I'd like to keep mine, ;).

Rusty S
 
Then post your experience. Plenty of us do it all the time across the country and have neutral to positive experiences. I'm from Northern VA, and the closest I had to a negative is that one clerk friend of my sarcastically remarked that I was going to scare her customers away...in a sporting goods section....haha...

Commonly, it's:
nice gun, what are you carrying?
_________
Cool, [Didn't know it was legal] [I ought to do that sometime] [I ought to get a pistol] [etc]
 
For all of you who are saying that you're scared to do it for fear of what the police will do, all I can say is I'm from Michigan, a CCW Holder, Stationed in California, (Where, despite what most people think, OC IS legal!) And I will be going OC that weekend. Gotta stand up for the rights, right? If someone freaks out, and I get detained, or arrested, so be it. I won't be doing anything illegal.
 
I open carry all the time right here halfway between Washington D.C. and Richmond, Virginia. No reason to do anything different those days.

The WORST reaction I ever got was a young lady who held a door for me at a 7-11 one night. She giggled and said "I'll hold the door for you. You've got a gun."

Now, personally I think she was just a nice young lady, who figured she'd hold the door for a decrepit old coot, but didn't want to make me feel like a decrepit old coot, so she used the gun as an excuse. I know for sure she wasn't afraid of me by the way she was giggling.
 
ScottyT said:
3 months and no 911 calls on me yet...
Click to expand...

9 years here.

I've received a grumpy comment or two (literally, no more than two in 9 years), but nothing worth getting upset about.

Most people are very friendly and polite about it. After all, what kind of bad guy would wear his gun openly?
 
3KillerBs said:
Personally, I would not be comfortable doing this other than as part of a local group. I don't have the activist nature. But if local people I knew were participating arranged a group picnic in a suitable public park to be followed by group attendance of the town fireworks I would consider participating. Especially if said group included lawyers, community leaders, and members of the law enforcement community.

Though I don't want to traumatize my kids via being hassled/arrested and can't afford lawyer money for such I do think that the promotion of open carry as a normal activity is a good thing. My choice of carry guns would be far wider if I could put on any comfortable holster and just carry where it could be seen without having such issues.

I don't think that people ought to worry too much about scaring people whose fears are irrational. We shouldn't be overly limited in doing something legally and morally right by others' foolish fears. There is no Constitutional right to not be offended.

Personally, I'm not in a position to go around stretching limits when it stands a fair chance of having a negative impact on my kids' wellbeing and my already slim budget. But I applaud those who are in the position and who trailblaze so that we who are more encumbered may later follow in their footsteps safely. Such pioneers should be applauded.
Click to expand...

i feel exactly the same way. I'm still down to try, esp if i can get with one or two other people willing to do the same.

we can open carry in places that serve alcohol in NC, right? just no CC there? or is it bad mojo to try to OC where CC is prohibited?
 
I'm in as well.

Of course, I already OC on occasion when heading to and from the range or in the summer when cover garments are too uncomfortable in the heat. I've never had any trouble and don't foresee any in the future. VA has a pretty widely accepted gun culture.
 
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