Open Carry and Ass Clowns…

There is some yahoo running his mouth currently that those who open carry for any other reason than practicality are ass-clowns
Then another yahoo came in to say something that people exercising
their rights caused California legislators to double down on stupid.

Here’s the thing, when people open carry firearms, 99.99999% of the time not a damn thing happens
Most of the time no one cares.  When someone does care they are so
irrational about it it would be funny if it wasn’t for the danger they
create by calling 911 one in a panic.  Here’s some extra qestions that
are valid:

  • Is the gun in his hand?
  • No, then what the hell is the problem currently?
  • Is he physically assaulting someone or provoking attack?
  • Other than the fact he has a gun, what is he doing that is illegal or worth of suspicion?

Guns being openly carried by law abiding citizens is not a problem. 
Yes some times cops are harassed by people saying, he has a gun.  Good
one’s just inform them it’s legal and carry on about their business.  OK one’s ask you to cover up to save them time.  Bad one’s falsely try and arrest the carrier.

Open carry though helps desensitize those who would go into PSH over
the sight of someone carrying a gun.  Doubly so if you actually get
either of those first two officers.  (The second officer isn’t really a
bad guy, he’s just tired of answering the same question over and over. 
He proves his intent when after covering he says thanks and doesn’t even
bother to ask for your permit.)  The problem we get into is that we
have those third officers, who by their illegal actions reinforce the
PSH as being positive.

The open carrier has every right to exercise his rights within the
law.  If a decent population doesn’t exercise the right, just the same
as your legislators used the hammer of legislative force because you
did, they have no reason to preserve the right.  If no one exercises it,
why do we need to have it legal right, it’s just those nasty bad men
who do it then!  This also ignores the fact that California is honestly
not the best example to be using.  But that’s beside the point given
that the law they changed resulted in a legal case to push for shall
issue. 

Back to the overall theme and out of specifics; it is not the fault
of the open carrier that the officer charged with enforcing the law
decided to break the law and violate his rights for merely exercising
them.  It is not the fault of the open carrier that the officer decided
to reinforce the PSH as being positive.  It is the fault of their
leadership and departments for allow their officers to get away with
that behavior.  Why do they get away with that behavior, because we have
men like Pincus who say open carriers are ass-hats.

Are there actual ass-hats who open carry that I wish they shouldn’t? 
Yes there are, but they’re not actually as common as someone makes them
out to be.  As Robb said,


Do
the loud people get attention? Yes, they will and you won’t be able to
stop them by making their goals harder to achieve. Instead of expending
the energy ripping the few, problem OC’ers because they’re a danger to
your rights, use that effort to call your representatives and explain to
them why they should support the 2A. Do like I do and host calm, non
threatening Open Carry events.

The trick is to speak softly and still be louder than the fools.

Instead of bitching about people who open carry and calling attention
to open carry as if all who do it politically are “ass-clowns” that are
nothing but detriments to the fight for the Second Amendment, step up
and talk about the good they’ve done.  It’s not my fault that some idiot
doesn’t understand that discretion is the better part of valor, and
that in chess the game is to not loose
Calling me an ass-clown because I’m trying to help desensitize those
people while also being considerably more comfortable while carrying
doesn’t exactly win you any points either.  It paints you as nothing
more than your generic FUD of the same type as those who gifted us the
GCA 1968, the Hughes Amendment, and the ’94 assault weapons ban.  Guess
what, shut the hell up, go sit in the corner, no one gives a crap what
you have to say.

Doubly so since you’re so smart as to put cameramen down range next
to a target with someone shooting live ammunition, it begs the question,
who listens to the idiot when he speaks?  He obviously doesn’t have any
credibility, integrity is questionable since he’s providing ammunition
to the enemy, and his attitude is in the gutter with regards to those on
his own team.  Maybe he should go sign up for Smoke and Chunder,
obviously with how he feels open carriers are detrimental to the gun
rights movement Pincus and the Admin should get along great.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m pissed when an open carrier does something
stupid
.  Especially when they’re stupid and they loose.  However I
direct my anger directly at that specific target.  I spend my time
making a lesson out of them to educate others.  I call them out as a
specific example because they are.  They are not common, they are are
rather the exception.  Open carriers as a whole are not the problem, no matter their reason for carrying openly.

*I realize Pincus probably didn’t mean to lump all open carriers under that umbrella but that’s exactly what he did.  That’s why you need to be very careful with your words when you’re directing an insult at someone.  You need to make sure it’s directed in the correct direction.

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About TMM

TMM is the owner, editor, and principal author at The Minuteman, a competitive shooter, and staff member for Boomershoot. Even in his free time he’s merging his love and knowledge of computers and technology with his love of firearms. Many know his private name and information however due to the current political climate, many are distancing themselves due to the abandonment of Due Process.

2 Responses to Open Carry and Ass Clowns…

  1. Agirlandhergun says:

    Of course, I agree with you on all your points, but OC does bring attention for me.

    If I am in a group, no one seems to notice, but yesterday I spent the day mostly in gun free zones, so my gun was in my car. On the way home I needed to stop at the store, but I forgot a cover garment. Decided to just OC…2 people at the store and 3 at another said something. Not a big deal, but I don’t really like when people talk to me in public, so I probably will try to be better about leaving a sweater in my car.

    • And that’s your choice.  Either way I wouldn’t consider you an “ass-clown” for either way you decided to carry, or your reasoning to carry.

      Me, I don’t mind if someone strikes up a conversation.  Often if I’m trying to get some where I’ll just hand them a business card (for the blog) and say I’d love to chat and I’m in a rush.  Feel free to email me.

      I’ve had a few instances where people notice, lately while I have been technically “open carrying” I haven’t been as open as could be.  I’ve been carrying IWB and with my size the weapon can easily be missed behind my arm.  If I go all out it’s with my 1911 in a OWB .

      I understand some people freak out over “that just means the bad guy will shoot you first” and other such garbage which I feel is exactly that, garbage.

      Criminals are looking for opportunity, they are NOT looking for a fight.  This incident immediately comes to mind.  While if you’re flat footed things can work out bad for you, and concealed carry gives you the advantage of not being seen as a sheep dog, for the most part being an obvious sheep dog actually isn’t as bad as opponents to open carry would make it out to be.

      CCWs bitch that open carry shows everyone you have a gun.  OCers bitch that concealment garments can give you away anyway, see the myth of the shoot me vest

      Has an OCer ended up in trouble for doing so, yeah, but he was walking around in condition white, not a good combo.  Neither is giving chase after they take your loaded weapon leaving you unarmed.  Upshot is concealed carry is more forgiving of situational awareness mistakes.  It is also a problem solved by wearing a retention holster.

      I’m of the opinion, carry how you want, carry how you’re comfortable, carry how it’s legal.  Screw everyone else.  You are not an ass-clown for either choice, and not for any reasons you choose to do so.