Open carry allows me to educate people on gun laws.

I know there are those on here that think OC is stupid thing to do but from time to time while I OC I get to teach people about the local gun laws.

It has been a while for me but I had someone tell today that I could not OC at the local city park. The gentleman had told me that he had been ticketed by Lakewood PD a few years ago for OCing (not sure if he was telling the truth or not) because the city does not allow that. I told him that the city has no such law on the books since it would violate the state preemption law (which he had never heard of before) and I have been ocing for years and have nothing but good interactions with the Lakewood police. He then told me thanks for the info and we both went on our merry way in the park.

I love it when I get to have an overall good experience when I get to educate someone.

cpgrad08 said:

I know there are those on here that think OC is stupid thing to do but from time to time while I OC I get to teach people about the local gun laws.

It has been a while for me but I had someone tell today that I could not OC at the local city park. The gentleman had told me that he had been ticketed by Lakewood PD a few years ago for OCing (not sure if he was telling the truth or not) because the city does not allow that. I told him that the city has no such law on the books since it would violate the state preemption law (which he had never heard of before) and I have been ocing for years and have nothing but good interactions with the Lakewood police. He then told me thanks for the info and we both went on our merry way in the park.

I love it when I get to have an overall good experience when I get to educate someone.

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Educating people with the correct information is very rewarding. It is a pity we do not spend more time on public education and help prevent them from throwing their safety away on a false promise. That is probably the most vital thing we could possibly do.

If you are doing it as a conversation starter to enlighten people then I can respect that. What I think is stupid is OCing for the purpose is protection. In that case it just makes you a target and removes the element of surprise.

My only limits on Guns is who gets to carry and own them.

People should be trained to use them, they are Dangerous and Deadly to everyone.

Ignoring that fact is also Dangerous and Deadly to everyone.

BrewerBob said:

If you are doing it as a conversation starter to enlighten people then I can respect that. What I think is stupid is OCing for the purpose is protection. In that case it just makes you a target and removes the element of surprise.

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For that reason, as a CCW holder, I encourage the behavior.

Cigar said:

My only limits on Guns is who gets to carry and own them.

People should be trained to use them, they are Dangerous and Deadly to everyone.

Ignoring that fact is also Dangerous and Deadly to everyone.

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I doubt any here disagrees with you as written.

Rucker61 said:

I doubt any here disagrees with you as written.

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Even when I don't have my Gun I still have my IW-Holster on ... I fell naked :mrgreen:

BrewerBob said:

If you are doing it as a conversation starter to enlighten people then I can respect that. What I think is stupid is OCing for the purpose is protection. In that case it just makes you a target and removes the element of surprise.

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I do it for both.

cpgrad08 said:

I know there are those on here that think OC is stupid thing to do but from time to time while I OC I get to teach people about the local gun laws.

It has been a while for me but I had someone tell today that I could not OC at the local city park. The gentleman had told me that he had been ticketed by Lakewood PD a few years ago for OCing (not sure if he was telling the truth or not) because the city does not allow that. I told him that the city has no such law on the books since it would violate the state preemption law (which he had never heard of before) and I have been ocing for years and have nothing but good interactions with the Lakewood police. He then told me thanks for the info and we both went on our merry way in the park.

I love it when I get to have an overall good experience when I get to educate someone.

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Not legal here. I don't want it legal. But I understand how you feel. People should be educated on the topic. But sadly the disinformation campaign is strong with the left. It reminds me of the song from some hoakey country singer whose song said, "yea that's a real gun in that gun rack. No I don't have a permit for it."


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blackjack50 said:

Not legal here. I don't want it legal. But I understand how you feel. People should be educated on the topic.


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I understand people feelings about not wanting to OC but I have never heard a conservative say that they do not want to legal on here.

cpgrad08 said:

I understand people feelings about not wanting to OC but I have never heard a conservative say that they do not want to legal on here.

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Count me as your first. My state is extremely populated. We are also a battleground state. I don't want to rock the boat too much with too many ridiculous democrats here. We are already very pro gun as a state and we allow open carry for 5 or so activities. It is also allowed if you own the building/property or the building/property owner allows it.

Consider my position hedging my bet. We already had 1 Zimmerman who almost wrecked the whole thing. I would rather we go nice and slow and keep our numbers looking great like they do now:




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blackjack50 said:

Count me as your first. My state is extremely populated. We are also a battleground state. I don't want to rock the boat too much with too many ridiculous democrats here. We are already very pro gun as a state and we allow open carry for 5 or so activities. It is also allowed if you own the building/property or the building/property owner allows it.

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I want it to be legal - I just don't want it to be widely practiced.

cpgrad08 said:

I know there are those on here that think OC is stupid thing to do but from time to time while I OC I get to teach people about the local gun laws.

It has been a while for me but I had someone tell today that I could not OC at the local city park. The gentleman had told me that he had been ticketed by Lakewood PD a few years ago for OCing (not sure if he was telling the truth or not) because the city does not allow that. I told him that the city has no such law on the books since it would violate the state preemption law (which he had never heard of before) and I have been ocing for years and have nothing but good interactions with the Lakewood police. He then told me thanks for the info and we both went on our merry way in the park.

I love it when I get to have an overall good experience when I get to educate someone.

Click to expand...

You keep preachin' that Gospel, brotha! 'Cuz that's sooo important for every day life. I have never carried in my life, and didn't know what I was missing. But now I see fear, danger, anger, crime, mayhem, everywhere! Those immigrants! Those darned minorities! That evil Federal government! Grizzlies attacking my little kid at his elementary school! Why, what am I gonna do if space aliens invade? And if I get hungry I can just aim at the nearest bunny rabbit in the park with my semiautomatic assault rifle with high capacity magazine clips! Problem solved. Never gave it a thought before. But now I have seen the light! Hallellujah! Thank you!

:shoot

Rucker61 said:

I want it to be legal - I just don't want it to be widely practiced.

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Which is my other contention. My guess is that it would become more widely practiced. I don't want that. But I think if we give it a slow steady climb in concealed licenses...we will see more support and acceptable carrying. We may need to saw off the Miami area though.


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ataraxia said:

You keep preachin' that Gospel, brotha! 'Cuz that's sooo important for every day life. I have never carried in my life, and didn't know what I was missing. But now I see fear, danger, anger, crime, mayhem, everywhere! Those immigrants! Those darned minorities! That evil Federal government! Grizzlies attacking my little kid at his elementary school! Why, what am I gonna do if space aliens invade? And if I get hungry I can just aim at the nearest bunny rabbit in the park with my semiautomatic assault rifle with high capacity magazine clips! Problem solved. Never gave it a thought before. But now I have seen the light! Hallellujah! Thank you!

:shoot

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It would be this mentality that we are actually against. Mainly because it is completely ignorant of the law and how people carry and when they carry and what they do when they carry. I guess sheep probably hate the Sheep dogs too.

:eye roll:




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ataraxia said:

You keep preachin' that Gospel, brotha! 'Cuz that's sooo important for every day life. I have never carried in my life, and didn't know what I was missing. But now I see fear, danger, anger, crime, mayhem, everywhere! Those immigrants! Those darned minorities! That evil Federal government! Grizzlies attacking my little kid at his elementary school! Why, what am I gonna do if space aliens invade? And if I get hungry I can just aim at the nearest bunny rabbit in the park with my semiautomatic assault rifle with high capacity magazine clips! Problem solved. Never gave it a thought before. But now I have seen the light! Hallellujah! Thank you!

:shoot

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Why are you bigoted against minorities?

blackjack50 said:

Which is my other contention. My guess is that it would become more widely practiced. I don't want that. But I think if we give it a slow steady climb in concealed licenses...we will see more support and acceptable carrying. We may need to saw off the Miami area though.


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One shouldn't need a license to carry Open or Concealed.

cpgrad08 said:

I know there are those on here that think OC is stupid thing to do but from time to time while I OC I get to teach people about the local gun laws.

It has been a while for me but I had someone tell today that I could not OC at the local city park. The gentleman had told me that he had been ticketed by Lakewood PD a few years ago for OCing (not sure if he was telling the truth or not) because the city does not allow that. I told him that the city has no such law on the books since it would violate the state preemption law (which he had never heard of before) and I have been ocing for years and have nothing but good interactions with the Lakewood police. He then told me thanks for the info and we both went on our merry way in the park.

I love it when I get to have an overall good experience when I get to educate someone.

Click to expand...

I'm good with that as long as it's sidearms. I'm really not a fan of folks who choose to carry long arms just to show everyone that they can.

BrewerBob said:

If you are doing it as a conversation starter to enlighten people then I can respect that. What I think is stupid is OCing for the purpose is protection. In that case it just makes you a target and removes the element of surprise.

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That's just not true though.

victus qui se victus

cpgrad08 said:

One shouldn't need a license to carry Open or Concealed.

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I don't know if I agree with that. You don't need a license to open carry in Florida. Only a few specific reasons. Fishing, camping, hunting, and a few others. I like it that way. Less stuff for someone to screw up. I would rather it be that with a slow progression to relaxing the strictness...rather than complete removal and then some Zimmerman dumbass stirs the pot and we suffer a major setback.

This is a game of inches. Not miles.


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cpgrad08 said:

I know there are those on here that think OC is stupid thing to do but from time to time while I OC I get to teach people about the local gun laws.

It has been a while for me but I had someone tell today that I could not OC at the local city park. The gentleman had told me that he had been ticketed by Lakewood PD a few years ago for OCing (not sure if he was telling the truth or not) because the city does not allow that. I told him that the city has no such law on the books since it would violate the state preemption law (which he had never heard of before) and I have been ocing for years and have nothing but good interactions with the Lakewood police. He then told me thanks for the info and we both went on our merry way in the park.

I love it when I get to have an overall good experience when I get to educate someone.

Click to expand...

If that's what you want to do, that's fine. I'm sure you were reasonably armed and well-behaved, not like the showboaters and confronters that give us a bad name.


Me, I wouldn't do it. I carry concealed, rarely tell anyone I have a carry permit, and even more rarely admit to being currently armed. I've been among fellow work-buddies who were talking about how they had CWP and carried on the job, and I smiled and nodded and agreed that was wise and said absolutely nothing about my own personal armed status or permit.


And I live in a VERY pro-gun, pro-self-defense state. Well, "very" for a state on the eastern seaboard, even in the South.


My reasoning is, what nobody knows can't hurt me. If my workplace currently doesn't have a rule against employees carrying, my line of reasoning is keep mouth shut and don't rub it in their face... making a known issue of it might result in a change for the worse.

Immediate family and close friends know I carry. Nobody else needs to know. I'd rather it come as a surprise if the need to draw it arises.


I do have something of a reputation in the immediate neighborhood, due to a couple of incidents in the past (and small-town folks talk), which has its uses but I prefer not to broadcast my status to strangers.


I know that you feel otherwise and that's fine, as I said I'm sure you OC in a reasonable and responsible manner. I'm fine with legal OC, but it isn't something I'd do very often at all.

cpgrad08 said:

I know there are those on here that think OC is stupid thing to do but from time to time while I OC I get to teach people about the local gun laws.

It has been a while for me but I had someone tell today that I could not OC at the local city park. The gentleman had told me that he had been ticketed by Lakewood PD a few years ago for OCing (not sure if he was telling the truth or not) because the city does not allow that. I told him that the city has no such law on the books since it would violate the state preemption law (which he had never heard of before) and I have been ocing for years and have nothing but good interactions with the Lakewood police. He then told me thanks for the info and we both went on our merry way in the park.

I love it when I get to have an overall good experience when I get to educate someone.

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I don't quite understand what, in practical term, this 'education' consists of. I do hope you fire to just miss your pupils and not too many are hit accidentally - and that they, too, have "an overall good experience".

Sweden said:

I don't quite understand what, in practical term, this 'education' consists of. I do hope you fire to just miss your pupils and not too many are hit accidentally - and that they, too, have "an overall good experience".

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I'm assuming that was irony of some sort. I didn't really get it though.


He didn't say anything about shooting at anyone. I thought it was fairly obvious "education" meant informing people on the legalities whys and wherefores of open carry.

Sweden said:

I don't quite understand what, in practical term, this 'education' consists of. I do hope you fire to just miss your pupils and not too many are hit accidentally - and that they, too, have "an overall good experience".

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Well, I had 3 calls into the police while open carrying from ignorant people in one of the friendliest open carry areas in the USA. (Norfolk & Virginia Beach) Most non gun owners are totally ignorant of the laws.

About 5 years ago, a arrogant jackass called 911 and said that I was brandishing a weapon at the local WaWa. No less than 6 units pulled into the parking lot and headed straight at me as I was walking to my truck. Luckily, one of my police friends was on duty and was the last unit to pull in. He got out of the car and started laughing at me, as he realized what must have went down. The jerk that called in on me came over to me and the police acting like a hero to the public. He got a polite, but stern lecture from the Sargent on the difference between brandishing and carrying.

About 7 years ago, I got pulled over by the Beach cops one morning because the counter person at a local 7-11 freaked out seeing my weapon under my unzipped hoodie while I was paying for my coffee. She called 911 saying that I was suspicious and had a gun. Virginia Beach Blvd. was lit up like a Christmas tree with all the cops surrounding my truck. The police were super professional about it and felt bad once they checked me out. They never asked for the weapon, and asked that I just keep my hands on the steering wheel while they checked me out. One of the cops shot the bull with me about what I thought about my small frame Ruger while we were waiting.

About 3 years ago, I had a lady call 911 in a bad area of Newport News while I was recovering a property for a asset manager. Again, 6-7 of Newport News finest came racing up the street within 4-5 minutes to check me out.

One morning a years ago I was standing in a pretty long line getting my morning coffee at my local WaWa and had a belligerent school teacher start going off because I was open carrying. I knew who this windbag was because my son had her in the 8th or 9th grade and he hated her. The Windbag: I don't know who this guy thinks he is......superman, town marshal, and a bunch of other crap. Most of the people in line were just rolling there eyes. I didn't say a word to until the manager came over. She told the manager that it would be the last time she would use the store if they allowed people like me to carry a gun. Then, the windbag looked right at me and asked me why I felt the need to carry a gun.

I politely told her that it gets scratched all to hell when I drag it behind me.

Goshin said:

I'm assuming that was irony of some sort. I didn't really get it though.


He didn't say anything about shooting at anyone. I thought it was fairly obvious "education" meant informing people on the legalities whys and wherefores of open carry.

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I guess he needs an education. :2razz: