Why I was against open carry

[JM44-40]

Hello fellow Oklahomans and good afternoon,

My intentions here first of all are not to start a flame war.

A little background first: I live in a small town in north central Oklahoma - hunting country - very pro-gun. I served 8 years on the city council here and four years as Police Commissioner. I'm very conservative politically and a member of the NRA, and, I feel I have a good understanding of the second amendment and fully support it.

After receiving my concealed carry license I took all of the advanced training courses I could find and am still training. I believe in constant training; have my own private range at the farm, and shoot on a regular basis - day and night.

I carry everywhere that's legal and have worked hard to master my equipment and the art of concealment. Carrying my pistol is like putting on my shoes in the morning.

I just came home from church (where I don't carry) and stopped at our local grocery store to get a gallon of milk and there it was - the Beretta with the red line through it. When I leave my little country church 5 miles east of town my snub goes IWB. I had my Chief 36 IWB and under my coat when I got to the store and went in anyway.

To make a long story short, this was my fear of Open Carry -- that you will begin to see business after business start posting. The only advantage I could ever see in open carry was that I would not have to be so conscious about printing any longer.

I never intended to open carry -- as I feel it just makes you a target. I never wear any clothes or do anything that would indicate I'm carrying. I'm just a harmless old man out living life and going about my business and will make every attempt to avoid any kind of confrontation. I will still continue to go into that grocery store and carry my piece concealed.

Some people, it seems, want their 10 minutes of fame. I can't understand for the likes of me why someone would want to walk into a place with a big pistol carried in a manner for all to see and scare the **** out of people. That's just the way it is -- when many in the general public see a gun they just freak out.

That was my main fear of open carry -- that business after business where concealed carry was never an issue, will begin to post.

Again, I'm not trying to **** anyone off; if someone wants to open carry that's their business and their right. But, once these signs go up, many will never go down.

I was just happy with the law the way it was.

 

[O4L]

It's terrible that it is so inconvenient for you to get milk now, just so we could have some of our Constitutional freedom returned!

 

[JM44-40]

It's terrible that it is so inconvenient for you to get milk now, just so we could have some of our Constitutional freedom returned!

First of all it's not inconvenient for me to get milk.

And, If you think your "constitutional freedom" has been returned, then I must respectfully challenge you to walk into the next business you see with a posted sign with your pistol carried openly and see what happens.

 

[MDT]

I think you missed the point. Yeah, I know, it's all about our "God given constitutional right to carry", and while I really don't disagree with that, the OP makes a point. We will see more businesses put up "the sign" because they are scared/uninformed/stupid/or what ever else. So we are forced to either a) break the law and carry (concealed) in that business, or B) go somewhere else and hope we find a carry friendly alternative. Maybe we can, and maybe we can't. We can all do our part in educating, but at the end of the day, that only goes so far.....

 

[O4L]

So you blame the OC crowd for this problem, and not the business owners that don't agree with our right to carry?

That's messed up!

So it's not a problem for you to still do business with them, but you felt the need to post this thread to let OC supporters know that you don't like what we stand for.

IMO, if you continue to do business with these people that don't support our rights, you are part of the problem.

 

[Gideon]

I think OC will actually help fix the sign issue. Once a majority of people have been forced to accept and become visibly aware that there are armed citizens EVERYWHERE, they won't be so worried about it, and perhaps many of the businesses with NO GUNS signs will begin to take them down.

 

[JM44-40]

You've had the right to carry - just concealed. But now we'll all have to deal with the issue of business after business posting.

I hope I'm wrong but I don't see that changing -- just due to human nature.

I hope it works out.

 

[JM44-40]

So you blame the OC crowd for this problem, and not the business owners that don't agree with our right to carry?

That's messed up!

So it's not a problem for you to still do business with them, but you felt the need to post this thread to let OC supporters know that you don't like what we stand for.

IMO, if you continue to do business with these people that don't support our rights, you are part of the problem.

I assure you I'm not the problem. And it's obvious you're looking for a confrontation that I'm just not going to give you.

 

[1shott]

Hello fellow Oklahomans and good afternoon,

My intentions here first of all are not to start a flame war.

A little background first: I live in a small town in north central Oklahoma - hunting country - very pro-gun. I served 8 years on the city council here and four years as Police Commissioner. I'm very conservative politically and a member of the NRA, and, I feel I have a good understanding of the second amendment and fully support it.

After receiving my concealed carry license I took all of the advanced training courses I could find and am still training. I believe in constant training; have my own private range at the farm, and shoot on a regular basis - day and night.

I carry everywhere that's legal and have worked hard to master my equipment and the art of concealment. Carrying my pistol is like putting on my shoes in the morning.

I just came home from church (where I don't carry) and stopped at our local grocery store to get a gallon of milk and there it was - the Beretta with the red line through it. When I leave my little country church 5 miles east of town my snub goes IWB. I had my Chief 36 IWB and under my coat when I got to the store and went in anyway.

To make a long story short, this was my fear of Open Carry -- that you will begin to see business after business start posting. The only advantage I could ever see in open carry was that I would not have to be so conscious about printing any longer.

I never intended to open carry -- as I feel it just makes you a target. I never wear any clothes or do anything that would indicate I'm carrying. I'm just a harmless old man out living life and going about my business and will make every attempt to avoid any kind of confrontation. I will still continue to go into that grocery store and carry my piece concealed.

Some people, it seems, want their 10 minutes of fame. I can't understand for the likes of me why someone would want to walk into a place with a big pistol carried in a manner for all to see and scare the **** out of people. That's just the way it is -- when many in the general public see a gun they just freak out.

That was my main fear of open carry -- that business after business where concealed carry was never an issue, will begin to post.

Again, I'm not trying to **** anyone off; if someone wants to open carry that's their business and their right. But, once these signs go up, many will never go down.

I was just happy with the law the way it was.

I cant decide which is worse, you thinking that everyone who OC is seeking their "10 minutes of fame" or you breaking the law by admitting you took a firearm into a business that is excersing their right to say NO. Seems to me that you do more harm to those who carry than any one else.

 

[p238shooter]

While I see your point, I think most of the signs will be short lived. For me, I tried 6 IWB holsters, some better than others, considered a complete different wardrobe, etc. Mostly wound up with my mouse gun deep in my front pocket. It was concealed better than anything else, but also hard to get to especially sitting down. To me, I have no desire to fully OC with a leg strap for the bottom of my six shooter holster. I am now wearing an OWB holster with a 1911 and a shirt pulled over most of the top most of the time that is comfortable and has easy access.

In the past, only a very small percentage of people knew about CC or had any thought of anyone CCing, including the people who might have been sitting right beside them. Now I think there will be an adjustment period where they now see part or all of a firearm and start thinking and talking about this. In my case I have had this discussion with 6 people. They asked me why I just started carrying a firearm. I state that I have been carrying a firearm every time they have been around me in the past. Now with the change in laws, I do not have to hide it and sit in a weird position to keep it from pinching my skin, or hide it so deep in my pocket that it would be hard for me to get to if there were a reason. I am the same person, no different than I was last month, just dressed different. We usually get into a deeper discussion after that as to why I carry, but this is the jest how I handle it. Two of those people are now signed up for a Carry Class, one avoids sitting close to me for now.

Again, I think we are mostly going through an adjustment period changing from "out of sight, out of mind" to "in sight, so what."