Like I mentioned before there are good arguments to both sides. You have to be willing to listen or else it’s just falling on deaf ears.
Many reasons I’ve heard over the years to open carry range from “Because I can,” to “to help educate the sheep of America”. It really depends on who you talk to. Since you asked, I’ll explain the best I can for why I open carry.
I’ve chosen to open carry where I can because I like to look professional. In any weather above 50 I definitely don’t need a jacket, so I’m stuck with a short hanging over the gun. Personally, I like to look professional and during the summer am typically dressed in business casual. Carrying a gun with dress pants, and a shirt untucked looks horrible. I open carry in that case because it is much more comfortable and keeps me looking professional. I don’t worry about other people because I’m not breaking any laws or effecting their lives in anyway. A simple analogy would be if I said red shirts scare me, so please don’t wear them. You’d continue wearing your red shirt because that’s a completely ridiculous statement. That’s how I feel about my pistol.
Among other reasons, I open carry is to deter crime before it even happens. Your typical thief, or criminal does not want to die, get into a gunfight, or meet heavy resistance. There are a few select cases where they are crazy or desperate enough that it doesn’t matter, and I hope to never find myself in that situation. Anyways, say you are in the gas station, and a man walks in planning on robbing the place. He will assume you are a LEO, civilian who is one… crazy enough to open carry so probably willing to put up a fight, or is out to kill people and you may end up being the target. Someone who conceal carries wouldn’t be noticed. That is the typical scenario most people who are against OC state. The robbery would most likely occur if you conceal carried because there were no visible threats. So we are at a cross section. Say the man has a knife and is asking the cashier for the money. Are you going to pull your gun if you are concealed? That escalates the situation and the cashier may end up hostage, or hurt, or the man may come after you, in which you may have to fire. That’s a messy situation, and I’d rather not take a life if I don’t have to. Best case scenario, he assumes leo, and forfeits the fight immediately after you draw and waits for the cops to arrive.
My argument, is that it would never reach that far in the first place if he can visibly see your gun. He will most likely not engage because you are there. If it is worse case and he’s out to kill someone, that’s out of your control. I’m not willing to hide a right that is mine and was practiced for over 100 years in this country. ( People carried from the revolutionary war to the western times and years )
Sorry for the long response, but I’m trying to explain as well as I can. I can draw much faster with the gun on my side, and will not have to fumble with clothing. Those few seconds could mean my life. Why risk my life because someone thinks guns are bad and shouldn’t be seen.
Hopefully I explained this to you. I know it’s a difficult side to understand, and people will continue to bash open carrying, but I’m not hurting anyone or causing issues. It’s a real shame America has fallen to the point where fear and ignorance rules the population instead logic and common sense.
Many reasons I’ve heard over the years to open carry range from “Because I can,” to “to help educate the sheep of America”. It really depends on who you talk to. Since you asked, I’ll explain the best I can for why I open carry.
I’ve chosen to open carry where I can because I like to look professional. In any weather above 50 I definitely don’t need a jacket, so I’m stuck with a short hanging over the gun. Personally, I like to look professional and during the summer am typically dressed in business casual. Carrying a gun with dress pants, and a shirt untucked looks horrible. I open carry in that case because it is much more comfortable and keeps me looking professional. I don’t worry about other people because I’m not breaking any laws or effecting their lives in anyway. A simple analogy would be if I said red shirts scare me, so please don’t wear them. You’d continue wearing your red shirt because that’s a completely ridiculous statement. That’s how I feel about my pistol.
Among other reasons, I open carry is to deter crime before it even happens. Your typical thief, or criminal does not want to die, get into a gunfight, or meet heavy resistance. There are a few select cases where they are crazy or desperate enough that it doesn’t matter, and I hope to never find myself in that situation. Anyways, say you are in the gas station, and a man walks in planning on robbing the place. He will assume you are a LEO, civilian who is one… crazy enough to open carry so probably willing to put up a fight, or is out to kill people and you may end up being the target. Someone who conceal carries wouldn’t be noticed. That is the typical scenario most people who are against OC state. The robbery would most likely occur if you conceal carried because there were no visible threats. So we are at a cross section. Say the man has a knife and is asking the cashier for the money. Are you going to pull your gun if you are concealed? That escalates the situation and the cashier may end up hostage, or hurt, or the man may come after you, in which you may have to fire. That’s a messy situation, and I’d rather not take a life if I don’t have to. Best case scenario, he assumes leo, and forfeits the fight immediately after you draw and waits for the cops to arrive.
My argument, is that it would never reach that far in the first place if he can visibly see your gun. He will most likely not engage because you are there. If it is worse case and he’s out to kill someone, that’s out of your control. I’m not willing to hide a right that is mine and was practiced for over 100 years in this country. ( People carried from the revolutionary war to the western times and years )
Sorry for the long response, but I’m trying to explain as well as I can. I can draw much faster with the gun on my side, and will not have to fumble with clothing. Those few seconds could mean my life. Why risk my life because someone thinks guns are bad and shouldn’t be seen.
Hopefully I explained this to you. I know it’s a difficult side to understand, and people will continue to bash open carrying, but I’m not hurting anyone or causing issues. It’s a real shame America has fallen to the point where fear and ignorance rules the population instead logic and common sense.
what an awesome 1st post :rolleyesedit:
