Open Question to the Open carry threads..

[weekendracer]

First off, I've lived in the south my entire life. Every state I've lived in has been a fairly open to firearms state: Louisiana, Texas, Arizona. Maine seems to be fairly open to gun rights at the moment.

Moving up here has been an eye-opening experience in how far the banners have come. My only real interaction with anti-gunners has been dealing with California and it's gun laws.

That said, is the 'in your face' open carry making head way into the general population? It seems to me that every story I've read on this issue in the press, in general, has been turned into a 'gun nut shows up at XXXX event'. I don't get local channels, so my interaction with local press is limited.

The Detective in the one post seemed to me to be very professional in how he was forced to deal with the issue. The situation was resolved in a peacefull manner and all parties went seperate ways. This does not seem to be the case in most instances and the press dumps on the pro-gun issue.

Long story short, is this working to forward the pro-gun agenda? Or is there a negative overall effect in regards to opening up gun laws in the restricted states?

If you feel the need to flame me, go ahead, but it's a serious question from an outside point of view. Hopefully, I gave enough backstory to tell you all where I'm coming from on this topic. It just seems counterproductive to me in general. I've posted pictures of my inventory, so I'm not a troll .

 

[Blitz1]

It's basically about people waking up.

The 2nd amendment protects the other 9.

If your not from here then you don't know what we've dealt with. Free Staters have no idea of the crap we endure.

Welcome to the forum.

 

[cekim]

It's basically about people waking up. The 2nd amendment protects the other 9.

I have to admit, I've had the same thoughts as the OP, but in the end, I think what we are seeing in our laws today is the result of decades of trying to "take the high road" and not try to "shock" people as liberals so often have with the political tactics...

"We" (more conservative and/or libertarian types), find that sort of thing distasteful and usually unnecessary...

But, here we are... decades of letting this issue creep further and further towards the "rights of the state" over the "rights of the individual" (as expressed in this context by stripping our right to defend ourselves under the assumption (false) that the state will protect us).

Time for us to hold our nose and learn from the liberals and anti-establishment types on how to sway the masses to try to reverse course here... As Blitz says, the other 9 mean nothing without the teeth of the 2nd... The courts are only barely respecting 2A right now (still talking about "Reasonable Restrictions"). So, we need to hold on to what little we still have if we hope to get back to freedom and liberty in a peaceful manner...

If that means spooking the sheep and putting it "in their face"... So be it...

 

[vellnueve]

Honestly, I think that these events will have been forgotten within 2-3 days.

 

[cekim]

Honestly, I think that these events will have been forgotten within 2-3 days.

It does seem that the harder the media tries to "bring to the fore" gun issues, the more the sheeple are getting tired of hearing about it...

The old "desensitization" trick working against them on this one...

Witness the polls on CCW and gun laws generally in the face of the media blitz on gun violence and rampages earlier this year...

Not that I am a fan of violent rampage, but it was heartening to see people keeping these things in context WRT to curtailment of our rights in a futile attempt to stop crazy people from doing crazy things...

 

[Hanwei]

Honestly, I think that these events will have been forgotten within 2-3 days.

Not if "these events" continue to take place again and again.

 

[ShadeWPI]

I live in a OC State (New Hampshire) but I am close enough to MA to understand much of what goes on down there.

While the initial reaction to most of the Open Carry protests has been portrayed as negative by the media, the media has often shown these protestors to be calm, rational, intelligent and well spoke individuals. I believe the result is positive and getting more so as this happens more and more with peaceful results.

For an example of just how bad things have gotten in MA:

Open Carry was "over-ruled" by a judge who was officiating a trial and decided that a person openly displaying a firearm in a public setting was guilty of Assualt since a "Reasonable Person" viewing an openly displayed firearm "would feel threatened"

The State Police took posession of a single round of spent brass that was picked up by a youngers following a parade. They told his mother on national TV that he was "lucky" they didn't charge him. - Being in posession of ammunition or ammunition components (Like Spent Brass) without a Firearms Identification Card, is illegal.

The Attorney General has decided to use Consumer Product Safety laws to selectively band the sale of firearms unless his office certifies them as "safe"

The State Legislators were so scared of the end of the Clinton "Assualt Weapons Ban" that they bypassed much of the ordinary flow of legislation to pass a state version of it. Hense MA "Pre-Ban" and "Post-Ban" issues while most of the US States dont' care any more.

Local Police Chiefs have the purely arbitrary discression to decide if any applicant is issued a License to Carry Concealled or not. You can not challenge this decision in court or to the State Police.

 

[Blitz1]

I'm wary of newbies that post controversial subjects.

When I first came here it was for information. Mostly about MA law, licensing, the effn list, etc...

Not to make waves.

JMO

 

[Revolver]

Had another open carry sighting in Arizona at an Obama rally...


http://www.nypost.com/seven/0818200...ter_busts_out_the_big_gun_for_obam_185147.htm

 

[redtail]

I think you make a very good point. It is an example of the MSM and their ability to show what they want. A perfectly normal, rational and intelligent person can show up at any political rally open carrying, but they can portray what they want to the neutral or anti's just by the language they use telling the story.
At first when I heard of a march on DC I thought it was a good idea. But then I realized that it would be so easy for MSM to find all sorts of people they could use to show how whacked we all are: start by looking for those who dress different, look a bit different, and just start talking to them on camera for the national news. It would simple for them to portray us all as loose screws who ought to have more controls placed on us.
I totally support open carry, but if you choose to exercise this right don't have tunnel vision in what you may think you look like to a neutral or anti, always remember to be very careful. Lots of people out there think it is just plain wrong for us to show up at a Presidential rally openly armed, and not all of them are card toting members of the Brady bunch.

 

[jcr]

An Open Carry Demonstration is the most effective way to get a non-discretionary CCW law passed in a state that already has judicial recognition of an RKBA.

Currently, that is only Wisconsin.

The crazies respond to the Open Carry Demonstration with PSH. The reply is, "We'd be glad to carry concealled, but you've blocked our attempts to pass a law allowing it."

It works because there is no way to ban the OC there.