Activists are looking at five states for legalizing open carry this next coming legislative session. I may not agree with the wisdom of open carrying in all situations, but it ought to be an option for people, and certainly not illegal. It may surprise some, but I have OC’d on a few occasions while hiking, and also at the NRA convention one year.
I’ve generally been pretty hostile to its use as an activism method, in the belief that it had the potential to cause a serious backlash, but to date we’ve demonstrated the Brady’s can’t raise money on the issue, and even in California, they couldn’t pass an outright ban. I’m not going to become an advocate, but I will at least accept that, based on current evidence, it’s not creating any kind of backlash, or giving our enemies anything they can really use against us.
I am not a fan of OC because I believe it is giving up an advantage but I certainly do not want it to ever be illegal. If the wind blows open your cover garment or you print when bending over a shopping cart or reaching to a upper shelf should not be a crime. And on very hot days while travelling, I have left my cover off in the car and when pumping gas but I always cover if going into a store.
As far as activism, organized open carry walks have helped some states (Ohio for one) and will help Wisconsin get concealed carry. I don’t know about California but good luck to them.
There are circumstances where I think using it for activism is fine. Ohio and Wisconsin are examples. I’m more skeptical about other efforts I’ve seen.
The tactical issue is a separate argument, and not one I’ve cared to wade into. I’ll leave that for people who know more about that aspect than I do.
Down here in FL it makes a lot of sense from a health standpoint. Heat stroke is no fun.
You’d be amazed how much difference even a light cover shirt can make when the temps are over 100 and the humidity is so high that you feel like you could drown in the air.
It always bothers me. These “I’m a gun owner but I do not support open carry/make it totally illegal” crowd. There just the same FUDD’s we deal with when it comes to hunters who want handguns and “assault weapons” banned. And for those who don’t like OC because it “hurts our image” screw them too. There still FUDD’s who would throw a group of people under the bus because of there precious feelings. Just like those who wish to ban guns and related things because it would make people “feel” safer.
I wonder if one of those 5 states will be Texas. Since I can only find such a thing in Florida, Wisconson and Missourri.
I think I’ve got to agree with Joe over at North Central Idaho on the OC issue. Right now, our side is flush with resources and the opposition is on a shoestring. That means — attack! Press the advantage on every front. Force them to defend everywhere. With limited resources they can only allocate so many advocates, lobbyists, and dollars on each issue. As long as we avoid a major media faux pas it is either a win for us, or it guarantees resources being diverted away from other more important fights.
Also, some folks are prohibited from concealed carry but can open carry. For example, soldiers in Alaskan Command are not allowed to concealed carry, even off base. They can only open carry. Likewise, if you don’t have a CCW with reciprocity for a given state you may be able to OC. Rules like that are pushing me more and more towards the OC camp.
OC if you can’t CC, sure. As a way to force a CC law, sure. But it sure doesn’t make us a lot of friends in otherwise gun-friendly places like Boise.
Pulled into parking lot expecting to find place toward the back, between two cars where I could get my sport coat out of the back and not show the pistol on my belt. Instead, I was immediately met by a parking assistant who was looking for a pair of jumper cables for a patron. I carried them in the exterior tool box by my back fender and retrieved them for him. Intended concealed carry; unintentionally ended up open carry. This is Tennessee and the occasion was a Republican rally, so no one was freaked out, but it could have played differently in a concealed carry only state.
1) Right to carry, period.
2) Right to carry without special permit, fee, or permission
3) Constitutional amendment if it will not open up a general convention.
4) Training for law enforcement officers to avoid dysfunctional reactions to nervous Nellies. The national park law enforcement officers did that in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park which overlays two states with different gun laws.
As much as I hate to point out a mistake in your conclusion, because I disagree with your conclusion, it’s not technically true that California “couldn’t” pass it. The results of the bill were far from certain, and California Republicans are well known for changing votes after they’ve got a good idea which side will be the winning side, but the bill didn’t make it to a vote only because the Republican leadership out-maneuvered the Democrats when they tried to push the bill to the last minute. Democrats exceeded the time to vote on these bills, and the Republicans literally pulled out the rule book, and shut the cram session down, leaving the OC ban bill, and several others in limbo.
That’s how it died, it was not defeated in a fair vote.