Call me crazy, but I feel one of my responsibilities as a gun rights advocate is to show people that gun owners are reasonable, responsible people who aren’t a threat to the innocent. If I were to, say, walk into Chipotle carrying an AK at the combat ready, I’m pretty sure I’d accomplish the exact opposite. And I really couldn’t blame regular Joe for being afraid of me. Think about it, guys. If a cop walks into Chipotle with a rifle, people will get scared. If a soldier walks into Chipotle with a rifle, people will get scared. If some unknown guy walks into Chipotle with a rifle, especially if he’s carrying it at the combat ready, people are going to get scared. In America, carrying a rifle into a restaurant isn’t a normal act. Right or wrong, it scares people. And you won’t make people less scared of guns by intentionally scaring them with guns.Hat tip: Elusive Wapati, who has some comments of his own.
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Peaceful open carry rallies where gun owners safely carry long guns slung across their backs on public land? I’m down with that. Blatantly ridiculous, orchestrated confrontations where open carriers walk into private businesses with rifles at the combat ready, just to piss people off, knowing that all they’ll do is create more enemies? No thanks.
So please, open carriers, stop “defending my rights”.
Tuesday, July 22, 2014
Quote of the day: open carry edition
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7 comments:
I still can't help but wonder if that whole thing was a false flag operation...
One of the problems I have with responses like this is the blatant misrepresentation of the actual events
Blatantly ridiculous, orchestrated confrontations where open carriers walk into private businesses with rifles at the combat ready, just to piss people off, knowing that all they’ll do is create more enemies?
First, living in the area I have been following the antics of Open Carry Texas/Tarrant quite closely. Not one report of the people actually at the restaurants/businesses in question had them stating they were afraid. NOT A SINGLE ONE.
I see more statements from pro-rights people who oppose Open Carry about fear than actual reports of people being afraid. The much reported "Jack in the Box employees hid in the freezer" has been debunked. The photographs show it.
The second aspect is ascribing malicious motivations "just to piss people off" to the activists. I realize how badly their activities are seen but let's not trash our own side. We have enough antis doing that we don't need to give them any help.
Don't have to support the OC activist but don't have to trash them either.
One of the problems I have with responses like this is the blatant misrepresentation of the actual events
Blatantly ridiculous, orchestrated confrontations where open carriers walk into private businesses with rifles at the combat ready, just to piss people off, knowing that all they’ll do is create more enemies?
First, living in the area I have been following the antics of Open Carry Texas/Tarrant quite closely. Not one report of the people actually at the restaurants/businesses in question had them stating they were afraid. NOT A SINGLE ONE.
I see more statements from pro-rights people who oppose Open Carry about fear than actual reports of people being afraid. The much reported "Jack in the Box employees hid in the freezer" has been debunked. The photographs show it.
The second aspect is ascribing malicious motivations "just to piss people off" to the activists. I realize how badly their activities are seen but let's not trash our own side. We have enough antis doing that we don't need to give them any help.
Don't have to support the OC activist but don't have to trash them either.
Totally agree with you BP, carrying a rifle in public in 'combat ready' should be a crime. Its needless, dangerous, and obnoxious. Being respectfully and safely armed does not involve having a rifle in 'combat ready'. That to me is the same as drawing my pistol in public when there is no threat present, its simply brandishing a firearm for no just or reasonable cause and is dangerous and irresponsible. This kind of behavior is not in any way helpful to the cause of preserving our 2nd amendment rights and should be prosecuted.
But my "assault rife" is always "combat ready". And it's a scary black color. If it isn't "combat ready" then I don't really need it. All the pictures I have seen are weapons that are slung. Some using the more modern front carry than the traditional Napoleonic era shoulder sling. That's just a fashion statement, not "brandishing".
The only ones I see brandishing, are the police. EVERYWHERE.
I stop well short of 'it should be a crime', for reasons including that I'm about sick and tired of things that 'should be a crime'. I regularly OC, and I do so in a major American metro area. In this same metro area we have, in fact, had a few Man With A Gun episodes involving legal but nominally innappropriate long gun carry. In many ways, it doesn't really even matter if the people on scene are scared or not- rifle OC is so easily misconstrued that we are offering easy targets. It seems more of a failure in opposition research than anything else. For the record, I have seen more than a few photos involving low ready, even if it is only for the photo itself. This fails to meet my threshold for gun handling in public, which is met only in an emergency which seems likely to require direct action.
"smashmouth" OC (my phrase for the "rifles in Starbucks until somebody complains" concept) may be legal, but it's rude, IMO. My mama didn't raise me to be rude.
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