Daily Herald Editorial on Open Carry

[jumar]

http://www.heraldextra.com/index.php...r+your+vote%21

IN OUR VIEW: 'Open carry' goes too far
Daily Herald

Those would-be John Waynes who are carrying around pistols in plain sight need to use a little more common sense.
A story in the Sunday Herald talked about the "open carry" movement, a fledgling effort to exercise the right to carry a firearm openly. The story profiled men and women along the Wasatch Front who tote their pistols on their hips as they work, shop, dine or drop their children off at school.



Open carry is legal in Utah, so long as the gun is unloaded -- and that's just fine. But the radical gun-righters don't exhibit the sense that God gave a pencil eraser. Just because something can be done doesn't mean that it should be. In today's society, the presence of a handgun on somebody's hip -- other than an officer of the law -- is likely to make people uncomfortable.

If the advocates' theory is that forcing the general public to see the guns on the hips of law-abiding individuals will eventually result in more public acceptance of guns, we think they are mistaken. Their boat-rocking is more likely to bring on restrictive legislation.

"Well," advocates of open carry say, "I have a permit for concealed carry, but concealed weapons are uncomfortable and make me feel furtive, like I've got something to hide."

Yes, folks, you do have something to hide, and you should hide it -- not because guns are bad or because you're a threat, but because guns make a lot of people uncomfortable, and they think you might be a threat. After all, most of the people in the grocery store parking lot don't know you, and from their point of view you could be a threat. Odds are that you look more like a criminal than a lawyer.

So why would you want negative thoughts crossing the minds of a bunch of total strangers?

Open carry has become something of a cause. A Web site backing the idea, opencarry.org, claims more than 4,000 supporters who want to make guns as common a sight in public as cell phones.

But the Wild West is long gone, folks. The strutting of deadly machismo is unnecessary. Be happy with your concealed guns.

Though carrying an unloaded gun openly in a holster should remain legal, this doesn't mean people should go out of their way to rub the community's face in it. We can also see how, in some circumstances, police might view this as just one more thing to worry about -- even the rank-and-file officers who, unlike much of police leadership in America, are friends of private firearms guns and the right to self-defense.

This is not to backtrack at all from the importance of liberal concealed-carry laws. Research indicates that states that widely allow concealed-carry permits show decreases in crime, with no rise in gunshot accidents. Permit holders are among the most law-abiding people in the country.

Some of the best known evidence for the benefits of liberal concealed-carry laws comes in the work of John Lott, author of "More Guns, Less Crime." So it is revealing when Lott expresses doubts about "open carry."

On his blog, johnrlott.blogspot.com, Lott recently wrote that, compared to open carry, "there are probably greater social benefits to people carrying guns concealed since it protects people who don't carry. In addition, if a criminal is going to attack a group of people in public, he can wait for the people who are openly carrying to leave the area or [he can] take those people out first."

In an e-mail to the Daily Herald, he added, "I understand the desire for some to carry openly to show that people do it and to get others comfortable with law-abiding citizens with guns. That is something valuable. On the other hand, I think that it is more useful with regard to crime for you to have concealed carry." In other words, with concealed carry, every person on the street might be packing. This is a deterrent because a criminal doesn't know who might be able to defend himself.

The open-carry movement just goes too far. Socially, it's thoughtless; politically, it's short-sighted; and even tactically, it's unsound.

It's better all around for those who want to pack a weapon to get a concealed-carry permit. In today's world, we doubt even John Wayne would strap on his Colt .45 just to go shopping at Costco.

[Don]

The open-carry movement just goes too far. Socially, it's thoughtless; politically, it's short-sighted; and even tactically, it's unsound.

I agree. I understand the desire to educate but open carry for the sake of open carry is not the way to do it.

[parrothead_madness]

I open carry occasionally. I don't see what the big deal is. Open, concealed, who cares? If someone really has an issue with it, they probably have an issue with guns in general, even if the say otherwise.
In the editorial it says open carry is legal with an unloaded gun, while true, a concealed firearm permit holder may carry loaded. I did get a comment once about my 1911 being cocked and locked in its holster. Usually people just say it's pretty.

[Wasatch]

Nice gun parrot. I OC quite often, and yes with a CCW it is legal to carry fully loaded. OCing can be an advantage and also a dis-advantage. Who ever wrote the article is an idiot. OC has nothing to do with the gun, it's the person that you should worry about. The last time I checked my gun does not fly around the place looking for someone to shoot. Yes, OCing is also a political statement, and I commend anyone who has the nerve/gut's to do it openly and knowing that mis-informed LE can and will detain you until they find out that it is ok in Utah to OC with/without a CCW. Also, I could give a RAT's ASS if my gun scares you, it's for my personnel protection, not for your liking it.

[JP]

Someone needs a lesson on resizing pics

[parrothead_madness]

Someone needs a lesson on resizing pics

It fit on MY screen! More better now?

[JP]

Someone needs a lesson on resizing pics

It fit on MY screen! More better now?

Yea, all better

[DaveOU812]

I don't open carry. Well...just from my truck till I get in the door everynight. But thats just because it's in my center console and it's too big of pain in the ass to get it back in there for only 20 steps. I perfer to carry concieled. It's like my little secret. Oh and please excuse the misspelling and what not. I believe my nightly meds are kicking in.

[Glockguy]

I am down with OC'ing, although I usually only do it at home or out on the boonies. I think everyone should have the right to OC.

The following is link to an interesting story where a CCW was used in a shooting. Had he been OC'ing he probably would be dead today.

http://1919a4.com/forums/showthread.php?t=15727

[Gutpiler_Utahn]

Nice gun parrot. I OC quite often, and yes with a CCW it is legal to carry fully loaded. OCing can be an advantage and also a dis-advantage. Who ever wrote the article is an idiot. OC has nothing to do with the gun, it's the person that you should worry about. The last time I checked my gun does not fly around the place looking for someone to shoot. Yes, OCing is also a political statement, and I commend anyone who has the nerve/gut's to do it openly and knowing that mis-informed LE can and will detain you until they find out that it is ok in Utah to OC with/without a CCW. Also, I could give a RAT's ASS if my gun scares you, it's for my personnel protection, not for your liking it.

My thoughts exactly.

[Brian in SLC]

Nice gun parrot. I OC quite often, and yes with a CCW it is legal to carry fully loaded. OCing can be an advantage and also a dis-advantage. Who ever wrote the article is an idiot. OC has nothing to do with the gun, it's the person that you should worry about. The last time I checked my gun does not fly around the place looking for someone to shoot. Yes, OCing is also a political statement, and I commend anyone who has the nerve/gut's to do it openly and knowing that mis-informed LE can and will detain you until they find out that it is ok in Utah to OC with/without a CCW. Also, I could give a RAT's ASS if my gun scares you, it's for my personnel protection, not for your liking it.

Out of sight, out of mind. I don't think most of the general public would appreciate seeing open carry firearms.

I used to hunt grouse off my mountain bike, and, had a 12 gauge strapped to the frame for quick acquisition. I thought it was a pretty nifty way to carry. But, I started noting folks' expressions as I rode by. They didn't think it was cool. I could tell it really bothered some people. So, that made me nervious about it.

I don't care to make other people uncomfortable. And, that, really, is what open carry does. Concealed doesn't do that.

If it was commonly done, my bet is that you'd see it banned pretty quickly.

Its does draw attention. Which, can be a bad thing.

-Brian in SLC

[stefan]

Out of sight, out of mind. I don't think most of the general public would appreciate seeing open carry firearms.

i think there is a lot of truth to this.