Robb Allen goes off about open carry… the catalyst for the rant being “one of our own.”
On the subject of open carry, I’m still undecided. I see no reason we shouldn’t be allowed to do such a thing. Open carry (at least of handguns) isn’t allowed in Texas (of all places!), so it’s not something I spend a lot of time thinking about. Even if I could open carry here, I’m not sure I’d do it. Why? In a lot of respects, the hassle. I really don’t need to have my life and time spent dealing with people freaking out over me carrying a gun. But on the same token I can see that unless people see guns all the time, they’ll never get used to it; in fact, the less they see, the more the norm becomes to not see guns and the sight of a gun will freak people out.
I think back to some months ago. I was at Cabela’s. I was standing in line in their food court area to get something to eat. I saw a gentleman get in line. I noticed he was carrying a 1911 in a beautiful leather holster on his hip. Everything was out in the open. I had no idea what this gentleman was about. He didn’t have a uniform on; he was wearing a cowboy hat, crisp button down shirt, blue jeans. I didn’t see any other things in his belt, such as a badge. Nothing looked like law enforcement, but he was open carrying. And no one flinched. Well, I flinched… only because I was admiring the leatherwork and trying to steal more looks at the gun itself. 🙂 But then as well, I was also at Cabela’s, likely a place where the folks there aren’t going to flinch at the sight of a gun. So who knows. Maybe people won’t flinch and the notion of hassle is all in my head.
For me, I’ve been changing my clothing a bit. Due to that, I could see myself a little more open to open carry. In fact, lately as I’m around the house the carry gun is exposed. But then someone knocks on the door, or I need to run trash or recycling out to the cans, or want to put some birdseed out for the ducks, or whatever… and before I go out I have to put a shirt over. Being able to just step outside for 30 seconds would be nice. And so, to not be able to do it is a hassle.
Frankly, people in this country seem to like the notion of choice. So in the end, I’d like to have choice: to choose to open carry or not. The only way to do that is to stop prohibiting it. Then to open carry or not is your choice… and isn’t choice a wonderful thing?
Stuff From Hsoi 
Let us in the PAFOA know when you visit Pennsylvania. we’ll make sure that you get a chance to OC up here. you’ll be disappointed though. after all the buildup, and the stress you feel about possibly doing something that might “offend,” no one will notice. it’s both heartening and boring at the same time.
But that’s ultimately a good feeling. 🙂
Frankly I think it really just depends where you are. I would reason in most of Texas, no one would care. But I live in Austin (the dot of blue in a sea of red). While there are a lot more happy gun people in Austin that the hippies would like to think, there is certainly a different overall mentality here. Still, in the end I’d rather we had the freedom of choice.
Of course Hsoi, you know that you can open or conceal carry anywhere within your property lines, right? You can open carry to the trash can or in the front yard, if you want. To that I add, who can stop you? PD shows up, tell them it’s your yard and you can walk around it however you want, they really can’t tell you to do anything except maybe cover the gun up.
The standard procedure for “failure to conceal” is a citation from Criminal Trespass, how can they write you a criminal trespass citation when it’s YOUR yard?! They can’t.
So, go the trash can or mail box to your hearts desire.
-Rob
You know, I thought you were able to do that but wasn’t 100% sure and hadn’t gone back to look up the applicable laws.
But it still gets back to the notion of “do I want to deal with it”? Do I need that one nutty neighbor calling the cops on me and making life difficult? I’ve got better ways to spend my time.
RevolverRob answered my question. I was going to ask, wide-eyed in wonder, if it’s illegal to even open carry on your own property there…that would have really surprised me.
Anyway, like the Gentleman from PA noted, if you do ever get the opportunity, it will probably anti-climactic. Most people don’t even notice. The few who do will assume you’re a cop and those that don’t make that assumption probably won’t mind.
It’s not unusual for me to run into other open carriers in public places around here (Virginia) and stop to have a conversation about carry pieces, ammo selection, holsters etc while the rest of the world goes on about their business unconcerned.
I wondered if they would figure if I was a cop, but I sure don’t look like a cop…. long hair kinda blows that out. 🙂
It’s good to hear tho that it’s fairly anti-climactic.
To be perfectly honest, I have been on the fence about open carry for quite some time now… So I decided to bite the proverbial bullet, get myself a reasonably nice OWB holster (that will pick up if the Post Office ever decides to stop taking off for every named “Day”), and give it a proverbial shot. Open carry is 100% legal here in TN (with a handgun carry permit), so here and now is as good a time as any.
Regardless of what I decide, I will fully support each and every law-abiding American citizen having the choice of open or concealed carry, but I can definitely see where the former has some useful aspects.
The biggest thing for me is the choice factor: that there’s no good reason to have such a restriction. So I’m all for the movement.
But just this evening I had a bit of reserve on my own take with it.
So everyone comments here and RevolverRob reminds me that I can open carry on my own property. I had to do a few things in the garage, run the trash out, etc.. My overshirt was off, my carry is IWB, so the gun is half-way sticking out of my pants. I went about my business. Of course, no one was out in the neighborhood on the street or sidewalks, so no big deal. I came inside to do some dry fire practice thus I put on a cover garment. Meantime, my sons went outside to hammer some Halloween decorations into the ground. I finish up practice and Youngest comes in to ask for help. I go outside with the cover garment on and notice there is someone now walking the neighborhood. A young lady, I see her walk to my neighbor’s door. She smiled and said hello, I smiled and returned the hello, then back to the decorations. We boys head back inside and as we’re doing so I see the young woman walk from my neighbor’s and towards my house. We’re back inside, she knocks on the door (not noticing the “No Soliciting” sign — but I’m not selling anything! and you don’t know what “solicit” means either!), we don’t bother answering it and she leaves.
I think to myself… now if I didn’t have my cover garment on, what could have happened? She could well have freaked out (seemed the type), or who knows… maybe she never would have set foot on my property. 😉 I don’t know, but it gave me enough pause to continue to wonder, is open carry right for me? I don’t know. I feel a little less restrained in doing it on my own property now, but I guess I’ll just have to see. It’s probably like the first time you go out in public concealed carrying… you think everyone notices and you’ve got a big red beacon on you saying “MAN WITH A GUN!!” but in reality, no one notices.
Just have to continue to see how my own experiences play out for myself. Hopefully Texas can change their laws to remove the restriction.
Yay for yard freedom!!
On a more serious note, I’ve been an Open Carry, “on the fence” person, for awhile now. I’ve debated about the merits of open carry in my mind. If given the opportunity, I probably would, especially, if open carry were allowed places where concealed carry was not allowed (not likely to happen, but would be nice). I support any open carry legislation that is proposed here in Texas, but that is more on the principle of expanded the 2nd Amendment, then because I want to OC.
The main disadvantage of OC, I see is that everyone knows you’ve got a gun. While a vest or fanny pack may scream, “GUN!!” to me, it doesn’t to everyone. A holstered Glock or 1911, on a waistband for everyone to see does scream, “GUN!!!!!” in BIG HUGE BOLD letters.
I’m not sure that criminals will single the guy with the gun out to kill first, but I certainly think it sends a message to potential predators that says, “Follow me home, I have guns in the house.” Why telegraph that? On the other hand, I sit and say, “Well, if he knows I’m willing to carry openly in public, he’ll probably decide to leave me alone.” I don’t know which is more true and don’t care too much, because someone has to do a fine job to follow me home without me noticing.
Again, I would like open carry measures here in Texas, it would save having to cover up so seriously for a run to the grocery or gas station. It would save me the issue of having to be constantly concerned with my cover garment and making sure I am concealed. It would also strengthen the rights of those who can and do carry. Conversely, I do like that here in Texas, to carry a gun on your person, you must have a CHL. That means, anyone I see with a gun is one of three things, a LEO, a CHL holder, or a criminal. Since, most criminals don’t invest in double thick belts and tooled leather holsters, I can generally pick between the other two. I would support any OC measures here in Texas, but I would STRONGLY support OC measures that required a person to have a CHL to OC. Of course, then we wouldn’t get the relaxation of the carry areas like I would prefer (I, of course, strongly support Concealed/Open Campus areas, as well as sporting events and theme parks, only bars with 51% signs should be prohibited).
-Rob
I think that’s part of it for me as well…. do I want to walk around with a gun out in the open on my hip? I’m not sure.
Being tall, half-Asian, long hair, striking features, the way I dress and overall look well… I’m used to having people look at me. I certainly stand out wherever I go. I know very well how your look and appearance cause people to react. Some people will see the gun and freak out, pulling their children closer to them and away from me. Some people will come over and talk shop. I know the range of reactions are possible and likely to happen. And so what other reactions could happen? Like the solicitor last night… might she have avoided my house, might she have called the cops, might she have asked me what IWB holster I was using. Who knows. From what others are saying, most people aren’t going to care. But how do we know that? We know they’re not rushing out calling the cops on us, which is good, but if the people never talk to us how do we know what they’re thinking? Do we know if they actually did notice or not? If they did notice, do we know what sort of impression was left? I’m not sure that data has actually been gathered. If it has, someone please share. 🙂
As well, your mention of how the person looks… well, that’s well and good for us that know. I mean, most criminals carry “mexican style”, no holster, inside the waistband at the front by their belly button. So once you start seeing people using holsters in proper locations (e.g. 3 to 5 o’clock on the belt), that’s unlikely a criminal.
But does John and Mary Q. Public know that? Do they know about holsters? Do they know about thick gun belts? Do they care? Or do they just see “GUN!” and that’s that? I don’t think the majority of the public is educated on it enough… they’ll see the basics. But then that’s another reason perhaps for OC… to get the public seeing it, to educate.
So, I’m still torn on the issue for myself. Politically, I’m all for removing the restrictions.
I see your point, I’m not sure though, that I care what people think. If the natives will be startled by the sight of a gun, then they will be startled. Since, in the Libertarian mode, people should be free to do as they desire, if you want to close your mind, pull your kids close, and walk away, scared, fine. If you want to wander up and talk shop, cool, if you want to come up and talk to me about Open Carry, even better.
As far as I’m concerned in that regard, desensitization is important. Guns are not scary, criminals are, if we are not criminals, people should not fear us. Some, will always be irrationally afraid of the gun, but others will realize it is merely a tool, a device for protection. Others will learn about it and if we convert a SINGLE person, to the “cause”, then it will be worth it. If we can educate just one person, it will be worth it all, to change the attitudes of those that fear.
-Rob
I don’t buy into the “if it does something positive for just one person, then it’s worth it” line of reasoning. If taxing the hell out of me and the rest of us so 1 more person can leech off me and my hard work… no, it’s not worth it. 🙂
Do I care what people think? Actually I do. I would prefer to not care, but I know life really doesn’t bode well for that. If I want things in life, sooner or later I have to please someone else to get what I want… so caring what they think does matter. That doesn’t mean I live my life for others because I know that for everyone that doesn’t like my long hair there’s someone else that does. So I have long hair because *I* like to have long hair. So if someone reacts badly to me having a gun on my hip well… frankly that’s their problem. BUT, it’s something that someone could make into their problem. No one calls the cops for “man with long hair” but “man with a gun” oh sure. Will this happen? Unlikely… but it only takes one person… and then it’s all worth it, right? 😉
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