jimmy eat jazz
Well-Known Member
Perhaps if people had more of an understanding about guns, they wouldn't be so scared of them. I don't think anything of seeing somebody open carry, it's not a big deal. Most of the time, they forget they're even carrying, but it's nice to have when you need it. 20 years ago we were all driving around with rifles in a gun rack in our pickups. Somehow, nobody got shot.
But hey, keep on thinking people just wanna open carry to show off or be intimidating. Some of them? Sure, but they are the minority. Meanwhile, lets stick to the facts. Has it caused a problem anywhere? Can't say it has. Great assumption that some guy carrying is just gonna whip his gun out if somebody disagrees with him though. Talk about fear mongering.
Perhaps if you had more of an understanding about things from the perspective of people who are not 2nd Amendment fanatics, and a bit more common sense to boot, you'd comphrehend better why an armed and open carrying citizenry creates an intimdating, threatening social culture/environment. More, I'm not scared of guns, I'm wary of the people who wield them. You'll note from my other posts that I fully support gun ownership rights, so that's a box you'll need to take me out of.
I've not suggested that the ONLY reason people want to carry is to show of or be intimidating. I recongize there may be a number of reasons, but it's naive to dismiss the ego/social statement factor here, as ego, and the desire to make social statements about ourselves (including, for example, what clothes we wear, what car we drive, what house we buy, etc.) drives so much of what we do. I'm very hard pressed to believe that those openly packing are immune from such a fundamental human need.
As for the dangers of an armed and openly packing citizenry, I belive the many, many, many examples of accidental shootings, escalting disputes, rash decisions, ill-perceived threats, etc. in which guns are used to violent or deadly means (which far drawf the times guns are used by law-abiding citizens for legitimate self defense purposes, or to defend others) more than adequately attests to why we should be concerned about an openly gun packing citizenry.