Late one night last week, I found myself wondering through my favorite Walmart (don’t we all have that one that is our FAVORITE?!?!?) trying to find some things to obviously waste more of my hard earned money on, when out of the corner of my eye I spotted a gentleman with a nice Ruger GP100 in a waist holster on his hip. I immediately heard a woman and her companion talking, and needless to say, both of them were SHOCKED that this “psycho” would do that!!! Eavesdropping on the conversation being openly had by these obviously “crazy” people (or maybe I’m the crazy one because it didn’t shock me!!) got me to thinking…… Is open carry such a bad idea if in fact made legal and carried out in a responsible and safe manner?
I recently read an article in G&A (for those of you who are unfamiliar: Guns & Ammo), in which the topic of discussion was the passing of a recent Open Carry law in Texas. Well first of all, let me say an emphatic “Way to Go Texas!!!!!!!” Responsible open carry may very well be one of the most fruitful deterrents to crime. If you don’t believe me, take a quick gander at the studies compiled by Criminologist Gary Kleck (see the links below for some of his studies). His works have proved that more than 90% of criminal attacks can be deterred by simply showing a firearm in a defensive situation. But according to the pundits that call themselves anti-gun activists, you’d be better off urinating or vomiting on yourself as opposed to legally defending yourself with a firearm! To those pundits we respectfully say: HAVE A SEAT!!! Fortunately, my grandpa used to tell me to never to bring vomit to a gunfight, so I’m always responsibly in possession of my EDC!!! (Check the links below to browse the list of states that currently have some form of open carry statutes on the books.)
Obviously the idea of some maniac walking around your local neighborhood market with a .357 MAG on his waist is a sketchy situation. And PSA does not agree with allowing that to happen. As always, we at PSA strongly support responsible and safe firearm ownership and would like to see more states recognize the importance of allowing the citizenry express it’s 2nd amendment rights wholly. Although in the article about Texas’ new step towards open carry we can see progress, it is important to note that the system is in no way perfect. In our opinion, the bureaucracy that governs firearms statutes in most states is antiquated and in need of a serious overhaul. Considering 6-8 month wait times for CCP licenses, crashing and non-working websites, and “misplaced” forms, the current process could use some touching up to become as efficient as it has the potential to be.
The debate between gun-rights activists and gun-control activists is one that continues to gain momentum as the days go by. Most gun-rights activists believe that open carry legislation is one way in which to standardize and normalize gun ownership, all the while deterring crime; gun-control activists argue that open carry promotes violent behavior and disrupts public events. Regardless of the side of the fence you stand on, PSA believes that those old guys that wore white wigs and long robes had it right!!!! It is the right of every citizen to keep and bear arms in protection of self, family, property, life and liberty.
***If you are unfamiliar with the current statutes that govern firearm ownership and possession in your current state please do sufficient research in order to maintain healthy, safe and responsible gun ownership. If you are having trouble finding out information about the firearms laws in your state, please don’t hesitate to shoot us your contact information and we aim you in the correct direction.
We want to thank you for stopping by our lane at the shooting range, and we hope that we were able to hit the target. We hope that you will always stay tuned to PSA for updates and new posts!! If you ever have any questions, please don’t hesitate to shoot them our way. We enjoyed shooting the breeze with you and look forward to your next visit!!
Useful Links:
http://criminology.fsu.edu/faculty-and-staff/college-faculty/gary-kleck/
http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2015/02/defensive-gun-ownership-gary-kleck-response-115082
And as always…..remember to watch your six and stay low!