Florida Times Union article on pending legistlation on FL Open Carry

[fullautovalmet76]

My local paper ran this story today on concealed carry. They mentioned the pending legislation on open carry and guess who the biggest opponents of open carry were in the comments section? Other gun owners....

Here's the article:

http://jacksonville.com/entertainment/2011-04-03/story/gun-owners-concealed-weapons-permits-explain-their-choices

I really think our worst enemies are not in the anti camp but in our own....If any of you who live in an OC state that have carried openly would make a few comments about your experience, I would appreciate it.

-FA

[twyacht]

The FUDDS, and Sheriff's Dept's, and the owner of Shoot Straight, a gun shop here in S. FL, and other owners, have all chimed in on their "apprehension, reservations, or flat out opposition" to open carry.

Yet 40+ states have a form of it.  I carry concealed everyday, I could "celebrate diversity" and carry more of my "pistols" if OC was allowed.  It also takes some of the accidental/inadvertent brandishing aspects out of the current law.

If a business posts a sign "No Firearms Allowed Beyond This Point",...except for gov't property and the current exceptions to the CC reg's,....than I'll shop elsewhere.

Here's some other myths the "anti OC crowd" is touting:

It will scare the tourists,...
(it will scare the criminals that mug the tourists)

It will scare the "straights" aka PC, grasseaters, hopolophobes.
(they need to get over it)

It will lead to more crime.
(The stats don't back it up) even though TAB is in denial about it....

It will make you a "target" openly carrying.
(BG's will think long and hard before attacking)

The LEO's will have more to worry about interacting with an OC individual.
(Better training by the cops, AND OC civilians can be easily implemented.)

It will lead to Wild West parking lot shoot outs.
(It never has, unless the BG is threatening my life and family.)

Guns scare people.
(They can get over it, and criminals need to be scared)

My favorite:

Someone could sneak up behind you, and steal/disarm you.
(Really? Than they lack Situational Awareness to carry concealed or openly to begin with.)

[Hazcat]

Shoot Straight is a SUCK dealer!  Wouldn't piss in their ass if their guts were on fire!

[fullautovalmet76]

Yeah, the anti-OC crowd on that forum used all usual red herrings against OC.

What has really hacked me off is the main opponents that have showed up at the hearings are LEO, mainly from S. Florida. If this becomes law, I would be very circumspect about OC down there. I think they just might try to harass permit holders and make a few examples.

If you think about it, carrying open is, comparatively speaking, an aggressive position. Cops carry open because they need to get to the gun quick (primary) and it's a show of force (i.e. intimidation) to everyone. I wonder if they think that OC is a challenge to their authority. They probably wouldn't admit it but I believe that might be in the back of their minds.

[Solus]

What is interesting is that there is really no reason to have concern over a citizen open carrying.

There would be few criminals who will display their weapon unless they are in the process of committing a crime.  They won't do so because if they have a record, they would be asking to be picked up on a weapons violation.  Second, they won't want to give any advance warning to anyone that they are prepared to do evil.

The folks cops would have to worry about would be those who are not carrying openly.  Getting worked up about some kind of extra threat from an open carrying individual is ignores the fact that any criminal carrying concealed illegally is much more of a threat than that same criminal carrying openly, also illegally.

[Sponsor]

[twyacht]

There would be few criminals who will display their weapon unless they are in the process of committing a crime.  They won't do so because if they have a record, they would be asking to be picked up on a weapons violation.  Second, they won't want to give any advance warning to anyone that they are prepared to do evil.

DING! Winner!!!!

Somehow all the opposition seems to conveniently forget, is exactly what Solus posted. I'M NOT THE PROBLEM!!! and neither are the 99% that would support OC.