Maybe i over reacted, sorry Jedi. but suggesting most concealed carriers shouldn't do anything to stop a criminal, doesn't sit well with me. Only a handful of times has the citizen been targeted by responding officers. I know it happens but citizens also stop crimes, shootings, beatings, countless times. We just don't hear about it in the media.
I will always support carrying, but open-carrying definitely puts the spotlight on you, which makes you THE target (unless you're in a place where lots of people are open-carrying). The CCW classes are cheap. Take 'em. Otherwise, you unnerve nearly everyone around you... and you look like a d-bag. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I carry concealed and hope that I will never have to draw my weapon in public. EVER. Too many things happening in the world, country, and neighborhoods to ignore by not being ready for whatever happens though. I, for one, would not want to open carry only because of the unease it gives the uneducated or media educated. They are brainwashed to believe that a weapon can hurt them without concious effort. I agree with Josh/OH that the CCW classes are cheap and you should take one. The scary part is how many folks are there with the misconception that they are going to learn to handle a weapon instead of just learn the rules of carrying. I don't think Jedi was saying not to carry, just pointing out that most will never have the need to use the weapon they are carrying.
I get that, but I think he's opinion had more to do with seeking out engaging of criminals or shooters in a situation...not say doing nothing if in a store and a shooter enters...I know my brother (a town marshal himself) has strongly urged me to engage if live's are threatened but if at all possible immediately call police informing them of an armed civillian is present that is a friendly and the situation is controlled and for police to identify themselves before entering and at that time despite myself being licensed to carry to lay down my firearm and even kneel or lay down with arms behind my head until the police sort situation out. If unable to call police or control the scene but fear my life is in danger he said to continue to have weapon ready but the first sign of law enforcement to again turn over the scene if entirely possible and lay down firearm and allow police to take control of scene and me until things are sorted out.
I've never felt the need to carry in public either openly or concealed. Though I am going to get my Concealed permit in the near future. Still likely won't carry in public, only while hunting. It looks to me like most people who open carry do it for attention. And as long as nobody gets hurt from it, fine. But if something would happen, open carry not only makes you more likely to be a target, it would also increase the likelihood of the incident escalating. Even when concealed, the best choice in the vast majority of situations would be to do nothing. Most bad guys, even when they have a gun out when performing a robbery or something, don't actually want to use it. And provoking them only makes things worse. I also worry about what would happen in situations like the Orlando shooting with a bunch of people carrying that don't know each other. Once somebody starts shooting, If I have a gun out to protect myself, how do you know if I am one of the shooters or not, and how do I know you are not a bad guy also. If things keep down the road we are on now, I think it is only time before we have a case of good guys with guns shooting each other in mistake. Which is why I also support businesses to say NO to the public carrying weapons, as long as the business takes on the responsibility of its customers protection. I would prefer business owners allow or arm their employees. I know all my co-workers so if I see them with a weapon I know they are not the bad guys. If I was the business owner, I would have my employees armed, and tell them, if something goes down, if not a cop or a co-worker they shouldn't have a gun.
IMO I think where you live has a lot to do with whether you open carry or conceal carry. Where I am from I feel more comfortable concealing because of the uneducated public that surrounds me. I only carry when I head down to Detroit for the night or am meeting someone from craigslist. I don't think I will ever have to use my firearm where I live but, you can never assume your assumptions these days.
That's a good point too. It's all personal preference, the key is personal responsibility and using your head.
Agreed. In a perfect world there are less liberal hippies who think guns are bad and more people with a gun and less people who think they can loot, rape, and murder without having 10 barrels in their face.
^ Says the guy who lives in the "murder mitten." Lol. I like the point that Remmet made in the second paragraph of post#25. Single biggest drawback to open carry would be not being able to tell the good guys from bad guys in a shootout.
Well I do live in the middle of Detroit, Flint, and Saginaw basically.....they aren't the greatest cities.
A gun is like a parachute...the one time you need it and don't have it, you will sure wish you did . Open carry is legal in PA. I tried it a couple times. Each time it drew way too much attention, which I don't like. I only carry concealed now and I hope I never have to draw my weapon. But I like to be prepared just in case.
I think the 'You make yourself a target' hand winging cry is based more on the feels than facts. After all, if open carry folks were being disarmed with any kind of regularity, we'd certainly be hearing about it all over the MSM. I would guess that most criminals simply avoid any interaction with a armed person. I also think that a lot of you guys that think you are concealed carrying in a way that a trained eye can't tell, are deceiving yourselves. There are a lot of tells besides just printing. Anyhoo, if we go by 'this happened to me (or didn't happen)' anecdotal evidence, then I personally had two times that I can think of, right off the top of my head, where showing that I had a weapon thwarted dudes with bad intent. Not sure what that intent was because I made them cease the advance. Firstly, I was walking on a lonely little stretch of road, on my way to check traps when a car slowly passed me by. (I was probably about 14 at the time) It was daylight still but next to armpit neighborhood. (Williams Rd. for those of you familiar with Carpentersville) Anyhow, the car then came back, stopped and four really unsavory looking dudes strode towards me. I pulled back my coat to reveal a large sheathed knife. I don't know if they realized it was a knife, but with impressive synchronization, they spun on their heels, got back in the car and sped off. Second one, my sister and I were out on a walk, at night, along the river in betterish neighborhood. But, again, it was a secluded stretch of road. A car passed us at least three times that we noticed. We were used to the occasional idiots who would catcall or offer 'rides' but this car would just slow down and then come back. Finally, the car stopped behind us and two big guys got out, the car then drove so that it was in front of us while the two dudes rapidly approached from behind. My sister and I stopped and turned to face the guys behind us. We jammed our hands in our coat pockets in a way that made it obvious we were armed. Sternly I told them to just walk right by. They lowered their hooded faces so we couldn't see them and walked past us, got in the car and drove off. That time I was in my early 20's. We just had knives (because Illinois!) but those guys didn't know. We just turned into less attractive targets. I have little doubt that had either time, I been open carrying, the situation would never have even come up. I've had other interesting experiences where I sorely wished I had a pistol but did not. Like the time I walked up on a guy pleasuring himself out in the woods, who then proceeded to follow me around and try to make small talk. Creepy!! Or when I had my own personal and unstable stalker. Ah, good times....... I do open carry out here, but mostly just when I'm out in the wilds. I will still go into a store or whatevs with the gun on my hip because nobody out here is bothered by the sight of gun. But my EDC is concealed.
