Open carrying an AR-15

[actaeon277]

Nope. I conceal.

Ok. Conceal is not invisible.

Concealment has been exposed on people before.

 

[actaeon277]

Nope. I conceal.

Hey, it's late. What the heck are you doing on INGO?
Hey, what the heck am I doing?

 

[jrogers]

Ok. Conceal is not invisible.

Concealment has been exposed on people before.

True.

But I'd argue that concealing a pistol is taking a reasonable precaution against threats of death of GBI whereas carrying an AR-15 is fundamentally intended to be a public act. It's the 2nd Amendment equivalent of exercising the 1st Amendment by, as another poster put it, standing on the street corner shouting "F--- You!"

Also I wouldn't want to lug even a lightweight AR-15 around. Just not worth the effort unless I really expect to get into a firefight, in which case the winning strategy is to stay home.

Hey, it's late. What the heck are you doing on INGO?
Hey, what the heck am I doing?

I don't sleep until 1100 at best.

As for you, no idea? Too much coffee?

 

[STEEL CORE]

Something about open carrying around the world for your Uncle Sam, funny how most folks don't bother you.

 

[TheSpark]

It's nice to see posts acknowledging that carrying an AR-15 around just because you can is silly and counterproductive.

Also it'd be a gigantic hassle for basically no benefit. I'll keep my sidearm, thanks.

I do not think it is counterproductive or silly. If no one does it we may as well give up the right to do so. Many people say you will lose that right if people actually exercise it. But if no one exercises that right then why even have it?

I'll stick with my sidearm though as well. You wont find me saying one bad thing about people who choose an AR-15 to carry around though.

 

[the1kidd03]

I do not think it is counterproductive or silly. If no one does it we may as well give up the right to do so. Many people say you will lose that right if people actually exercise it. But if no one exercises that right then why even have it?

I would contest that the right is not inherently "lost" if you don't exercise it. It merely further removes it from being a social norm, and thus raises attention to it that much faster/easily. That attention can be positive or negative. It just depends on how you are perceived. These are just risks that come with the exercising the right, not the limitation or removal of the right.

However, acting outside of the social norm can induce some to want to restrict it more and there are some who will seek to do so regardless of what you do.

Rather than the gun community remaining idle and awaiting further attacks from people with opposing views, we need to take the offensive and work to regain some ground on our rights. In any sort of war, relying on defensive tactics allows the opposition to re-evaluate, adjust, plan, and improve whereas you are sitting there with limited ability to do the same. It is a loosing war when on the defensive. Maybe not the battle, but war cannot be won without offense. That is the best way to retain your rights. Simply exercising them is essentially the same as sitting idle on the defensive.

 

[Tnichols00]

I try not to do anything that will spark the left nuts to try and take my guns away.

I have always thought about building a compartment under the back seat of my truck to hold an AR15 and a Pump shotgun as well as extra ammo but never got to it.
Open carrying a gun that some nuts consider "A Weapon of War" is only going to hurt our cause if you walk around with it.
If you must carry it, put on a golf polo, khakis and dress shoes, comb your hair and look respectable.

If you would like it on you for extra protection build something like this into your vehicle...

 

[jamil]

They aren't the reason we can't have nice things. The whining crybaby panzies who call the cops on them are the reason we can't have nice things. The whining crybaby panzies who vote for anti-gun legislators who disregard the Constitution and Bill of Rights are why we can't have nice things.

I don't blame the type of folks in your picture.

Maybe you do, based on your prior post on this topic:

I think there are positive ways to exercise your rights, and to OC. This picture isn't one of them. It's irresponsible and intentionally provocative. Putting this into context with the freedom of speech comparison, take the same picture in the lobby of an evangelical church, same pose except lose the guns, and put pro-abortion tee shirts on each, and see how the church patrons might react. You think that would help the "pro-choice" movement any? Well this doesn't help the pro-gun movement at all.

BTW, the picture crops out the lady sitting at the table to the right rolling her eyes.

 

[actaeon277]

True.

But I'd argue that concealing a pistol is taking a reasonable precaution against threats of death of GBI whereas carrying an AR-15 is fundamentally intended to be a public act. It's the 2nd Amendment equivalent of exercising the 1st Amendment by, as another poster put it, standing on the street corner shouting "F--- You!"

Also I wouldn't want to lug even a lightweight AR-15 around. Just not worth the effort unless I really expect to get into a firefight, in which case the winning strategy is to stay home.



I don't sleep until 1100 at best.

As for you, no idea? Too much coffee?

I do not OC an AR either. But, you stated,
"...just because you can is silly and counterproductive..."

I've heard anti-gunners (and a few hunters) use the same argument about carrying a pistol for defense.

I was up because I've worked shift work for over 20 years.
Now I'm laid up with a herniated disk in my lower back.
Sometimes the pain meds make me sleep all day, then I end up being awake later on.
Other than therapy, I don't really have a "schedule", and it's kinda making me bonkers.

 

[jrogers]

I do not OC an AR either. But, you stated,
"...just because you can is silly and counterproductive..."

I've heard anti-gunners (and a few hunters) use the same argument about carrying a pistol for defense.

I'm not convinced that there's a difference between some hunters and the anti-gun crowd.

I think I addressed why there is a difference between the two. The AR-15 is intentionally provocative whereas the pistol is, even if open carried, not necessarily so. I'm certainly not arguing that people who choose to carry an AR around should be thrown in jail, but I definitely agree with the woman cropped from the Starbucks photo in that it's eyeroll-inducing.

I was up because I've worked shift work for over 20 years.
Now I'm laid up with a herniated disk in my lower back.
Sometimes the pain meds make me sleep all day, then I end up being awake later on.
Other than therapy, I don't really have a "schedule", and it's kinda making me bonkers.

Condolences. I herniated a couple of lower back discs a few years ago and I know how soul-crushing constant back pain can be.

 

[David D]

Although I agree that we can lose rights if we don't exercise them, openly carrying a firearm that the uninformed public doesn't even see the police carry does seem to be unnecessarily provocative. Reality shows that we aren't going to win every battle of perception, so it might be wise to save some good will so we can win the war.

 

[Tnichols00]

Although I agree that we can lose rights if we don't exercise them, openly carrying a firearm that the uninformed public doesn't even see the police carry does seem to be unnecessarily provocative. Reality shows that we aren't going to win every battle of perception, so it might be wise to save some good will so we can win the war.

Agreed, it is defiantly going to ruffle some feathers and as we have seen lately the only thing that matters is who is paying the politicians not what the law is

 

[TheSpark]

Although I agree that we can lose rights if we don't exercise them, openly carrying a firearm that the uninformed public doesn't even see the police carry does seem to be unnecessarily provocative. Reality shows that we aren't going to win every battle of perception, so it might be wise to save some good will so we can win the war.

There is no doubt it is going to alarm people. But then again, some people are alarmed by even handguns (that police do carry) and will call the cops if they see one. More people exercising their right to carry an AR-15 is the only way for the people who enjoy that right to get the public more accustomed to it. Sure they may call the police but hopefully after the police (legally) determine the person is not breaking any laws they get back in contact with the concerned citizen and explain to them how it is the person's right to carry in public.

 

[maxmayhem]

are u aware that the consitution is being violated everyday by people with more guns than you..dont let so called bravery displace common sense....its just asking for trouble.....

No... whining cowardly crybabies who are afraid of everybody with a gun who vote for people who do whatever they want without regard to the Constitution are the reason we can't have nice things.