What are people who open-carry thinking about?

It acts as a deterrent by making it known. That said people just freak out when the see them so 99.9% carry concealed. You ocassionally have a “show off” but they are usually scolded and shunned by the rest of the carry community. People are generally happy in their ignorance of the number of guns around them.

#1 Men: how big a dick they have because they can carry a gun.

#2 Women: how scared they are because the men they know all carry guns around because of reason #1 above.

Law, deterrent, comfort/ease, bring normalization, and a political statement.

Cops open carry. I suspect it’s for the same reasons.

I don’t see what the big deal is about open carry. I’d sooner ban concealed carry and allow open carry so that everyone knows where everyone stands. I’m certain that many people carrying concealed ignore “Firearms not allowed on these premises.” signs. Not possible with open carry.

Open carry seems to make even concealed carry advocates leery.

Personally, if I’m in a situation where a group is confronted by an armed gunman, I’m all for open carry. One of the two people openly carrying will likely be dead and that’s likely to be the end of it.

Open carry attracts the attention of cops, nuts and criminals. More for them, less for me.

Tempting fate?

Something like this….”I’ve got a gun, a big gun. I’m going to open carry because I have a right to open carry and I’ll defend my right to open carry with my big gun. I’ve got a gun, a big gun….“ endlessly.

Open carry also offers a few advantages over concealed carry. One is the deterrent aspect of a visible firearm and conceal carry allows you to more comfortably and effectively carry larger caliber firearms. I just read where the majority of polled felons said they would much rather encounter the Police than an armed victim.

Concealed carry keeps the bad guys guessing. Open carry keeps the good guys guessing.

Seems like asking to be shot first. Say the idiotic plan of having teachers carry was put in place. You would simply shoot the teacher first. You could blast them before they even knew what was happening.

@johnpowell In all the school shootings the teachers have all been human shields for their kids so carrying will not put any bigger a target on them than they already have.

And you totally missed my point. You kill the person that you know has gun first. Knowing you have a gun or displaying one means “shoot me first”.

@johnpowell I think I could have been clearer on my point in that I cannot for the life of me imagine teachers being asked to wear side arms and I cannot also image that even having side arms would prohibit a nut job from bursting through the door and taking out the teacher first. The upside is the teachers/staff IF they had side arms or conceal carry in the next room and down the hall now have a fighting chance.

Among other things, they’re probably thinking, “I’m sure glad I’m white.”

I can’t even begin to comprehend what they think. I am not fluent in terrified moron.

I think it is a way to thumb your nose at the man. It is a way to show that liberal foreign born Muslim N***** that he cannot control real Americans or change the way we believe.

Most of the gun owners I know are responsible citizens, are happy to have their gun at hand and have no interest in open carry.

Wishing to avoid apoplexy this morning, I’ll say only this: I despise the gun carry, period.

Fourty-six states have open-carry laws now and Florida will in 2016. It’s not a big deal and it’s been around forever. It’s America. Do it or not…....you have the freedom to choose. I have always known women who carried a gun and many guys who wore holstered guns. My husband wore a shoulder holster sometimes.

I got a big kick out of the reactions to Texas adding handguns back to their open carry law. They’ve always been able to openly carry rifles and shotguns. The media made a huge deal of it, so of course those who know no better did too.

@dappled_leaves No kidding. You know if it were a black guy carrying cops will shoot him before he even had the chance to say he has a permit. They will swear he was waving it around.
@johnpowell I agree. I think its asking to be shot in the back first. I mean, if I were a criminal, it is who I would take out first. I guess it isn’t too bad then. I may have a chance to get away since he has to take the first couple of shots. So to all those, who open carry. Thanks for being my bullet dummy. LOL

Ha! My point exactly, @Pandora.

“Personally, if I’m in a situation where a group is confronted by an armed gunman, I’m all for open carry. One of the two people openly carrying will likely be dead and that’s likely to be the end of it.”

“Open carr[iers] attract the attention of cops, nuts and criminals. More for them, less for me.”

@Pandora “You know if it were a black guy carrying cops will shoot him before he even had the chance to say he has a permit.”

Wow! If I were a cop and or a black man I would be seriously offended by your statement

Yeah, well, offense doesn’t kill 12 year old kids playing with pellet guns.

@Seek I thought this question was about open carry not about 12 year olds playing with toy guns shot by bad cops behaving badly

Try as I might, I cannot get @flutherother‘s response out of my head:
”I’ve got a gun, a big gun. I’m going to open carry because I have a right to open carry and I’ll defend my right to open carry with my big gun. I’ve got a gun, a big gun….“”

@Cruiser You are right. I should’ve said a minority. I stand by the rest. I’m a minority, and female. And I have gotten some chilling looks from cops and had security people follow me around in stores. I’ve never stolen anything in my life or hurt anyone. I’m barely 5 feet, and I’ve dealt with prejudice all of my life. So I’m not going to pretend it doesn’t exist. I depend on my knowledge to help me avoid those who would hurt me. And I definitely am not alone in that.

I know there are good people in the world and good cops but they don’t come with a seal on their head verifying they are good. I do try to meet everyone with an open mind but I look for the little tells, that would tell me if I should beware, or if it’s ok to trust a little. But I am more skiddish around anyone who carries a gun and may decide that today is the day they lose their dam mind or if today is the day they decide to take out all their hatred on what they believe I represent.
Cops may have been misrepresented but it is partly their fault. They have that whole brotherhood thing going where they won’t report criminal behavior from other cops. This automatically tells us that they separate themselves from everyone else. Not just the bad guys but the public as well. They look to often the other way, and charges disappear and back room deals are made with high officials so they don’t look bad. Until all cops stand up to others and say, we don’t want your criminal mind or behavior here, than corruption will not end and the public will never trust them. I truly feel sorry for the good ones. I know they are in a tough spot. But until they all band together and hall the crap out of their houses, they have no one to blame but themselves.

Guns and a show of force are always the answer

@Dutchess_III Trying very hard to draw the connection to open carry and your tragic article?

Me too.

I love the open carry proponent in Texas who was killed by a fellow “Patriot” leader who was drunk and they argued over a gun. For sure, Darwin award winners.

@zenvelo “Drunk and arguing over a gun” is certainly credentials to win a Darwin award but IMHO not a point in time to cheer lead the moment someone loses their life to a firearm incident to further your convictions one way or the other.

@Cruiser Yes, my choice of words was a bit mean. Yet if we had proper gun control in this country, and moved away from the ammosexual drive for guns and more guns, one man would still be alive an date other would not be in jail.

It also bears mentioning that these mental giants were breaking Texas law by being in possession of a gun while intoxicated.

“Good guys”.

@Seek I think you meant “Good ol’ Boys”