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Message: <blockquote data-quote="buckeye" data-source="post: 1137445" data-attributes="member: 8467">My letter to the (soon to be ex-) governor:Mr Henry,  I am sorely disappointed that you vetoed this bill.  I am also hesitant to call your explanation a "rationale" as it clearly does not deserve that descriptor.  The act and even the words "open carry" couldn't be a more literal enhancement of our 2nd Amendment protections, that we would bring the bearing of arms into such public awareness and recognize Oklahoma's long standing acceptance of armed citizens.  Instead, you've chosen to hide in the fearful view of guns as purely and solely devices of malfeasance, things to be shunned and hidden away, lest their visibility erode our flimsy sense of security.  "Law enforcement officials" I assume reflects the opinion of the OSTA as no other law enforcement groups that I'm aware of have issued an opinion on the matter. I find their argument specious.  Surely their training in distinguishing between criminals and ordinary citizens extends beyond the question, "Who has a gun visible?"  It seems to me that concealed guns would pose more of a danger to law enforcement - and that criminals are far less likely to open carry than ordinary citizens - for patently obvious reasons.  I presume this same ill-founded officer safety argument was presented before the passage of the SDA; yet now it returns on crutches.  They may also like to check into the definition of "brandishing" - it does not mean what they think it means.  Have new businesses and industries flocked to the haven of Oklahoma, safely tucked away from the 44 states that currently permit open carry?  I think not - in fact, we mildly suffer the opposite in that regard.  It's laughable to assert that open carry has anything but the most negligible impact on those decisions.  "...Oklahomas image as a safe, friendly state with a great quality of life..."  We'd all love this to be true, but I think you'd be unpleasantly shocked at the nation's general opinion of our State.  Oklahoma unfortunately ranks very poorly in many national ratings of health care, poverty, methamphetamine production, education, etc.  We know different - that Oklahoma is nevertheless a friendly state indeed with a great quality of life and it is in part our sturdy nature and fierce independence, accepting of a healthy and well-informed gun culture, that makes it so.  Moreover, most Okies I know couldn't give a damn how the rest of the country views us.  Are you so out of touch with the common folk to have lost that understanding?  Every point in your explanation is quickly revealed as vaporous and unsupportable under just a little critical examination.  We are left with only the sad truth that you don't have the gumption to say openly - that you vetoed this bill because you just don't like it.  Many gun enthusiasts take very little stock in the NRA's ratings of government officials, and today's disappointment validates their concerns.  This is a most unfortunate coda to your two terms serving our home state and I will be sure to vote for whichever candidate you do not endorse.  The Legislature has my full support in overriding the veto and I will make it clear to my representatives how I expect them to vote.Thank you for your time,(Buckeye)</blockquote>

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