"I would guess that very few would want to go back to the early west appearance where people carried guns strapped down on their hip,” said Ken McNair, a retired police officer and executive director of the Oklahoma Sheriffs’ Association.Yeah, Ken--we've documented case after case of you "Only Ones" being the...uh...only ones rootin', tootin' and shootin' enough to carry on the Old West tradition without stampedin' the herd.
Somethin' about a tin star makes the cud go down easy...
I do want to say a word about open carry--a subject I've been covering more of recently because it's becoming more of a phenomenon. I write about the movement positively because I believe in the choice, but I'm actually not a big proponent of the practice. I don't like giving tactical advantages, telegraphing intel or making myself a target.
That said, if you choose to carry openly, more power to you. It's none of my damn business, although if I see you doing it, I may come up and introduce myself.
9 comments:
I'd say guessin' ain't your strong suit, Ken, and I'm sorry we share a name.
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"but I'm actually not a big proponent of the practice. I don't like giving tactical advantages, telegraphing intel or making myself a target.
That said, if you choose to carry openly, more power to you. It's none of my damn business, although if I see you doing it, I may come up and introduce myself."
I feel the same way, that open carry is a liability. I'd be willing to take that liability occasionally for the political purpose of educating folks and de-programming them to be scared of armed citizens. Probably would meet some good folks in the process too :-)
Depending upon the situation, I have open-carried. If I am on my own property, or out wandering in the back-country, I like to open carry. It is just easier and more comfortable. I even used to open carry a lot in town when I lived in CO. No one but tourists gave me a second glance.
If I am in "unfriendly" territory I like the advantage of an ace up my sleeve or a .45 under my clothes, though.
Sure openly carrying a weapon makes you a target, just like a cop's openly carried weapon makes him a target. But just as much the openly armed cop or the openly armed citizen is a deterrent against petty crime being committed in the vicinity.
My Great-aunt, b. Feb 1869 – d. Aug 1971, used to tell me about life in the 1880s-90s just off the great plains of west Texas. I recall a conversation in which she related that her favorite TV show, Gunsmoke, was fairly accurate as far as clothing, living conditions, and the like was concerned, but that not everybody habitually carried a gun. She said everybody owned a firearm of some kind and that people carried their weapons when they were going to be away from home for a while, but hardly anybody wore a handgun because handguns weren’t considered to be as accurate or dependable as a long gun.
Aunt Zona went on to say however that the sight of somebody carrying a firearm, whether a long gun or a handgun, was not unusual and did not cause alarm. Whether a person chose to carry a firearm was not a matter of anyone else’s concern. That was probably because the game of soccer was not introduced into the area until well after she passed on and she never knew soccer moms and dads existed.
The lady lived her life in an era in which self-determination and self-sufficiency were still virtues. Her greatest fear was that she would become a burden to others whether it be family, or the state. To my knowledge, never in her 101 years did she ever apply for, or accept, any government money. Nor to my knowledge did she ever feel the need to resort to calling the police or any other government agency to take care of any problems that arose.
Aunt Zona lived her life without poking her nose into other peoples’ business and politely discouraged others from poking their noses into hers. We, as well as the anti-gunners and the state, could learn something from our fore-fathers/mothers. However, it is an established fact; “You can lead an idiot to water, but you can’t make him think”.
I OC quite often.
Mainly because it's more comfortable. The only handguns I have are full-sized and since I'm not yet 21 it's a pain to get exactly the type of handgun I want.
I open carry on my property on a regular basis; ease of handling, too many garments is a no-no in these parts and most of all it drove the mailman, delivery guys, and other busybodies up a tree. I give away nothing, tactical or otherwise. There's always an open invitation to anyone who might believe otherwise.
I've open carried for years, but I've never seen anyone notice. As far as giving a tactical advantage, I'd say maybe that there's a minute chance that some bandit would target me first, but I doubt it. He'd better be confident in his shot! I don't think too many crooks around here are daring enough to try it, but up north in DC they may be bold enough.
O don't open carry much anymore on public. Different story at home. Guns are always on or near me.
One time years ago, I frequented a liquor store on the East side of Indy. The guys there knew me and didn't care. One said he was glad I was around. Turned out that way one night. One guy was malingering out front and the other was 'checking things out'. He saw my gun and left quickly. Shortly after, these guys were caught. They had perped a number of robberies on 10th Street. I had the cops nab em soon after.
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