Wall Street Journal: Calls Open Carriers "Bozos"

[Jumping Frog]

The Wall Street Journal has an editorial written by their "tv critic" completely flaming Open Carry. Not sure what about watching TV qualifies this nimrod to speak on either the Second or the First Amendments.

Have Gun, Must Flaunt It?

That the majority of people who could walk around outfitted for the OK Corral choose not to do so ought to be a hint that the minority who are most eager to force open carry on the rest of us might belong in a special category of bozos.

I hope you are generous with the quantity of your comments on the WSJ site, although the comments themselves don't need to be so generous.

If anyone here also frequents opencarry.org, could you please cross post this?

 

[Texas Gun Person]

Some of the comments by people who supposedly CCW make me sad.

 

[Gouranga]

Sorry, I am about exhausted arguing with idiots. How do you? These are the same groups people who declared that open carry folks in Starbucks were "armed like a SWAT team".

I mean what do you say to that? They simply do not get it. They won't. If you use rational discussion they will just make more crap up. They are losing. They have been losing for the last decade and they are mad and desperate because of it.

How do we win? A good example. Was in a store I go to a lot. Through a series of kid induced circumstances I ended up bending in a manner that a part of my sidearm (carried IWB) was exposed. The clerk who I have seen a number of times (who was VERY observant and a little alarmed) noticed and asked me what I was doing that day to be carrying one of those around. I told her I have not been in that store a single time in the last 3 months without that on me. So we had a short little chat (until I got some in line behind me) and it really opened her eyes. She said she would have to consider getting a CCW and carrying.

 

[Bubba613]

People who open carry to "make a statement" are bozos. But being a bozo shouldn't be illegal.

 

[zombienerd]

I open carry (when I open carry) because it's more comfortable, not much else goes into the thought.

When it's possible, and comfortable, I do conceal.

I can see both sides of the argument, and realize that there are both pros and cons to open carrying.

This lady, however, is the Bozo... Sensationalizing any lawful gun usage is bad for the gunnies, period. Likening OC'ers to the OK Corral and the Wild West in a negative light, as well as saying OC'ing is good for the Antis is ridiculous.

Nothing like a TV Critic to be writing about 2a issues. Beautiful.

 

[General Geoff]

That the majority of people who could walk around outfitted for the OK Corral choose not to do so ought to be a hint that the minority who are most eager to force open carry on the rest of us might belong in a special category of bozos.

To summarize,

The majority of people who can [insert activity here], choose not to do so, THEREFORE, those who do [insert activity here] are [insert derogatory remark here].

Keep in mind I've never met an open carrier who wishes to force others to open carry.

 

[wvshootist]

Bubba613 what makes the people that openly carry their firearm a bozo? I have my CCW permit but their are times I choose to open carry my firearm. No I am not trying to make a statement or to look cool. I do it because it is more comfortable and because I have that right to.

It is bad enough to have anti 2A people calling gun owners names but for one of our own to resort to name calliing? Well that will eventually tear down the house of cards. And right now with the current political leadership it would not take much for them to start making another run at blowing the house down.

 

[Vern Humphrey]

It used to be that concealed carry was bad. Many states had laws allowing open carry, but you had to get a permit to carry concealed.

Now fashions have changed -- it's okay to carry concealed, but carrying openly in accordance with the law is somehow bad.

Go figure.

 

[CoRoMo]

People who open carry to "make a statement" are bozos.

And people who conceal carry for vain reasons are also bozos. Some guys get a kick out of letting other people know that they are packing or that they have a permit. I recall a member here creating a thread about a trip to Walmart. He kept flashing his permit in lieu of his driver's license and he ranted about the lack of reaction from the cashiers. He was effectively looking for someone that would be impressed with him. Bozo.

 

[Warhawk83]

That the majority of people who could walk around outfitted for the OK Corral choose not to do so ought to be a hint that the minority who are most eager to FORCE OPEN CARRY ON THE REST OF US might belong in a special category of bozos.

I can't get over the double standard on this one. Anti's/ liberals chastise everyone who isn't treating every segment of society like gold plated warm fuzzy bunnies. It is ok for them to do it though.

If you don't understand,what I mean by that is someone saying " they're forcing their forcing their (homosexuality,religion,etc,etc,on us by whatever....)

 

[grimjaw]

At least she might have used the right word. Foolish, maybe. Dangerous, probably not.

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/bozo

bo·zo (bō'zō)
–noun, plural -zos. Slang.

1.a fellow, esp. a big, strong, stupid fellow.
2.a rude, obnoxious, or annoying person: Two or three bozos (CARRYING GUNS, HAR HAR HAR) tried to cut in ahead of the rest of us in the supermarket line.

Origin:
1915–20, Americanism; of uncert. orig.
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2010.

Related Words for : bozo
cuckoo, fathead, goof, goofball, goose

"muscular low-I.Q. male," c.1910, perhaps from Sp. bozal , used in the slave trade and also to mean "one who speaks Spanish poorly." Bozo the clown was created 1940 at Capitol Records as the voice in a series of story-telling records for children ["Wall Street Journal," Oct. 31, 1983].
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper

bo·zo (bō'zō)
n. pl. bo·zos Slang

1. A fellow; a guy.
2. A dunce; a fool.

Origin unknown.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

 

[Vern Humphrey]

I say if you don't want to carry a gun, don't carry one. If you don't want to carry openly, then don't carry openly.

But don't tell me or anyone else we can't exercise our Constitutional rights.

 

[Kleanbore]

Bubba613 what makes the people that openly carry their firearm a bozo?

I suggest that you reread Bubba's post.

 

[mp510]

Based on the posts on OCDO and a few other websites, I would agree that many OCers areout to make a statement, "bring people out of theircomfort zones" (their normalization plan), and be general attention whores. They don't have a regards for other peoples feeling and could rightfully be described as bozos for their carry behaviors. There is a reason why they see the need in toting a voice recorder and possibly video recorder along with their gun when they OC- because they know their behavior does not conform with social norms for that time/place...The OC at radical political events (tea party, the alternative 2A march in Virginia--which turned into a general anti-.gov/pro-libertarian rally that was armed)really does not help gun owners (who had to fight tooth and nail for CCW, which is useful for most people day-to-day).

There are a good number of folks out there that OC for convenience or because they can't otherwise carry. Most of those folks live in places (or choose circumstances to carry) when they won't cause too much backlash from their actions.

 

[alfack]

I guess the police are bozos, then.

 

[Texas Gun Person]

I guess the police are bozos, then.

I know a few people who get nervous at the sight of a gun. Doesn't matter if its Bubba who is wielding one, or it's a police officer who has his holstered. They just get nervous around guns.

 

[Jumping Frog]

Based on the posts on OCDO and a few other websites, I would agree that many OCers areout to make a statement, "bring people out of theircomfort zones" (their normalization plan), and be general attention whores. They don't have a regards for other peoples feeling and could rightfully be described as bozos for their carry behaviors.

The "acceptance through repeated exposure" theory.

It sure worked for the gay activists.

There was a time that ordinary people found the gay pride parades with overt homosexual behavior such as same-sex kissing, holding hands, etc. to be absolutely shocking.

Now most of society could care less. We have become acclimated.

 

[One-Time]

originally posted by: Vern Humphrey

I say if you don't want to carry a gun, don't carry one. If you don't want to carry openly, then don't carry openly.

But don't tell me or anyone else we can't exercise our Constitutional rights.

This!!! Im amazed how so many 'progun' people are actually anti RKBA, or believe that allowing some restriction prevents more when the opposite is true

 

[Werewolf]

People who open carry to "make a statement" are bozos. But being a bozo shouldn't be illegal.

Doesn't that depend on the statement they're trying to make?

 

[Werewolf]

It used to be that concealed carry was bad. Many states had laws allowing open carry, but you had to get a permit to carry concealed.

Now fashions have changed -- it's okay to carry concealed, but carrying openly in accordance with the law is somehow bad.

Go figure.

Concealed carry wasn't just considered bad those that did it were considered cowardly dogs.

My how times have changed.

 

[mp510]

Concealed carry wasn't just considered bad those that did it were considered cowardly dogs.

Because, under the social norms of society at that time, concealing a weapon was evidence that an individual wanted to use it harm innocents. They had a different view of weapons than our society does, which shuns them rather than the person/their motives.

 

[mp510]

The "acceptance through repeated exposure" theory.

It sure worked for the gay activists.

There was a time that ordinary people found the gay pride parades with overt homosexual behavior such as same-sex kissing, holding hands, etc. to be absolutely shocking.

Now most of society could care less. We have become acclimated.

When the gay rights movement, and civil rights movement started, society was already becoming more favorable to these groups. Gun owners have been increasingly disfavored. Normalization works when a societey's underlying values are willing to accept it, even if a loud group opposes it. The reality is, our society associates weapons with violence, which humans naturally (should) depricate. Thus, the natural instinct is to remove weapons (the same way you remove tobacco products to prevent cancer, or restrict alcohol to curtail DUI, serious car accidents, etc...). I'm not saying whether I agree politically--I am, however, trying to give you an accurate picture iof the situation and why normalization won't work for OC.

 

[Bubba613]

Doesn't that depend on the statement they are trying to make?

Not really.

 

[gym]

Carry should just be that, "carry", as you see fit. Without scaring your fellow man. But a holster , shouldn't offend anyone with a brain. It really has no effect on the outcome, and might stop a lot of nonsense before it started.

 

[General Geoff]

When the gay rights movement, and civil rights movement started, society was already becoming more favorable to these groups. Gun owners have been increasingly disfavored.

Really? I think the record number of gun purchases over the past few years and the mass spreading of knowledge (and dispelling of misinformation) over the wonderful medium of the Internet, would prove otherwise.