Honestly, its a good thought, but in the end, I think Open Carry in normal, everyday routine, is a complete non-starter.
Concealed carry is by far the best thing to happen to gun owners in the past 20 years. We get to arm ourselves legally and the malefactors don't know which of their intended victims is really to strike back. With open carry, they know immediately, and its like an invitation to being the fist one shot. With concealed carry, random as it is, the criminal mindset is reinforced negatively - it can work like slot machines, where random reinforcement is enough to drive people to peeing in change buckets rather than go to the bathroom.
Think of that flawed 20-20 episode intending to bunk concealed carry. You know, where the guy with the gun in a classroom was set in the same spot so the armed intruder could come right in and pop him - no guessing, no wondering, just pop pop (simunitions) and they were dead. Oh look! Conceal Carry does not work.
Fail.
And open carry is likewise. I'm all for open carry in the wilderness - that rattlesnake or cougar won't do a double take and slink away if they spot that XD on your hip.
But in the real world, that gobshite criminal will just pop you first...
PS. I noticed on the gun blogs that there is some sort of national conceal carry law making the rounds. Would love to see this pass if it does just that and nothing more...
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Fritz,
ReplyDeleteI don't see it as an either/or proposition for carrying. I think that by default everyone should be able to carry openly. If people want to carry concealed, that would be the permit required option.
I think that an extra $10 during the ID or driver's license process should handle it. Law enforcement would be able to determine who could legally carry concealed or not with a simple check.
The other aspect of the Open carry is that it is like seeing one cop. Are you sure that is the ONLY one in the area?
I think that criminals noticing how many people are openly carrying will have to think about how many people are carrying concealed.
The other aspect of open carry is it might delay the criminal's action until that person is out of the area. Criminals are looking for easy victims...not armed and aware victims.
I'm all for national concealed carry, Vermont style, where no permits are necessary, and people aren't put in danger of appearing on a list of permit holders, as some newspaper hacks here in Oregon are trying to do.
ReplyDeleteBob: true. It can be both. And you make good points about open carry.
ReplyDeleteDavid: Vermont style makes sense. If you're legal to own the gun, you can be legal to carry.
I'm with David. I'm entirely against the permitting process. If I must ask permission and pay a fee I am no longer exercizing a right, but a privilege.
ReplyDeleteI'm also not all that worried about criminals attacking OC'ers. Only the absolutely stupidest criminals are going to target those they know are armed.
Realistically, I doubt we'll ever get Vermont-style carry nationwide. I would settle for gov. issued CCW permits as long as unlicensed open carry is legal in all 50 states.