Mr. Sykes,
My name is JD Gabbard, and I must admit that I am not one of your constituents. However, I am a citizen, veteran, a father, and a student of higher learning in our Great State. And, I am a supporter of your Bill 1733 that was signed into law by Governor Fallin this year. I believe that this change to the law was something that was needed for a long time. And I commend you for your efforts in getting this signed into law.
I contact you about this, rather than my own representation, because honestly I think you could possibly be the most capable of deciding whether this is a change that could or should be pursued. As I'm sure you're aware, there is a bit of concern among those who would openly carry, such as myself, about harassment from both officers of the law and the populace. This presents issues when the citizenry decide to openly carry. Will they have citizens calling the police reporting them as a armed individual? Will the police respond and harass the individual, or worse act with aggression due to there being an armed citizen? And many other questions I'm sure you've heard over and over.
Now one may ask him/herself, "Self, how can the citizens and police identify who may or may not be a threat without imposing unnecessary limitations on the rights and freedoms of the individual?" Well, I have an idea that may answer some of those questions.
Off duty police officers and officers who do not wear standard uniforms tend to have a way of identifying themselves without having to dig in their pockets to present an immediate for of identification, which could be taken as a threatening act. They typically wear a badge clipped onto their belt, identifying themselves as a person who is allowed to have the weapon. And that is what I suggest, a way for people to determine that this is someone that is legal to carry. It doesn't have to be a badge, although if it was it would need to be of a style that doesn't suggest that the person is an officer of the law; as that could be construed as impersonation of an officer of the law. And obviously whether or not these would be required to be worn, or how they were to be worn, would need to be ironed out. As well as whether or not the current fees for the licensing would be ample to fund any such identification.
Please note that this is only an idea I've been thinking about for some time. I'm simply pitching the idea to you for consideration. I appreciate your time, and your service to our great state.
-JD Gabbard.
My name is JD Gabbard, and I must admit that I am not one of your constituents. However, I am a citizen, veteran, a father, and a student of higher learning in our Great State. And, I am a supporter of your Bill 1733 that was signed into law by Governor Fallin this year. I believe that this change to the law was something that was needed for a long time. And I commend you for your efforts in getting this signed into law.
I contact you about this, rather than my own representation, because honestly I think you could possibly be the most capable of deciding whether this is a change that could or should be pursued. As I'm sure you're aware, there is a bit of concern among those who would openly carry, such as myself, about harassment from both officers of the law and the populace. This presents issues when the citizenry decide to openly carry. Will they have citizens calling the police reporting them as a armed individual? Will the police respond and harass the individual, or worse act with aggression due to there being an armed citizen? And many other questions I'm sure you've heard over and over.
Now one may ask him/herself, "Self, how can the citizens and police identify who may or may not be a threat without imposing unnecessary limitations on the rights and freedoms of the individual?" Well, I have an idea that may answer some of those questions.
Off duty police officers and officers who do not wear standard uniforms tend to have a way of identifying themselves without having to dig in their pockets to present an immediate for of identification, which could be taken as a threatening act. They typically wear a badge clipped onto their belt, identifying themselves as a person who is allowed to have the weapon. And that is what I suggest, a way for people to determine that this is someone that is legal to carry. It doesn't have to be a badge, although if it was it would need to be of a style that doesn't suggest that the person is an officer of the law; as that could be construed as impersonation of an officer of the law. And obviously whether or not these would be required to be worn, or how they were to be worn, would need to be ironed out. As well as whether or not the current fees for the licensing would be ample to fund any such identification.
Please note that this is only an idea I've been thinking about for some time. I'm simply pitching the idea to you for consideration. I appreciate your time, and your service to our great state.
-JD Gabbard.
