Which brings up the scenario of which would you prefer? Being killed cause you were unarmed or having to explain why WERE armed and had to defend your life? Pretty easy answer imo.
People don't give a dam what could go wrong. Everyone just wants their "rights"; which translates to, "I want to do what I want." Dam right.
In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king. If he has a gun! Actually, of more import: Three guys are on the first tee. The foresome in front of them is taking forever to get to the green. They are all over the fairway, hitting balls this way and that. Finally, one of the threesome approaches the marshall and complains. The marshall, dismisses his complaint, and explains the foresome is made up of totally blind golfers, but with the laws and such, they can play golf, too. Well, one of the threesome is an liberal attorney and he starts carrying on about the rights of the blind, and the documentation that the club has to have in place, and all the compliance. He goes on and on. When he finishes, the second golfer, a liberal's liberal starts up about the club building ramps, and walkways, and caddies that can lead the golfers and all the stuff the club must do. When he finishes, they turn to the third member, a successful self made businessman. He simply says, "Hell, let'm play at night."
The whole idea that our society encourages people to act as judge jury & executioner is completely opposed to our past history. We are a nation of laws and institutions to administer justice. To me the idea of open carry is a comment that our society no longer can be trusted to do so. When framed as has been done by the radicals in the NRA that people should carry, in church, a bar (scary alcohol & guns? stupid), while shopping at schools is a direct challenge to the whole proposition our country was founded upon. People are NOT law enforcement. If law enforcement and the judicial system isn't working well than MAKE IT BETTER & WORK. Each person being his own Judge Dredd is social devolution not a solution. Now if you are going hunting or alone in a deserted area or in your home then these special circumstances can justify carrying you weapon openly. In Louisiana at least that is possible without an open carry law. It seems to me the advocacy of the in your face of those open carry laws is the wrong path to take.
I have very mixed feelings about open carry. I think it is unwise to carry in public places like stores, schools, churches, ball games, etc. It frightens people, makes police suspicious, and marks you as a possible nut job. It introduces a gun into situation where guns can be dangerous. There is really no threat in such situations, it makes me think someone is just trying to be a movie cowboy . . . or is looking for trouble. The idea of one of the neighborhood walkers carrying a shotgun with him is really ludicrous. There is a very old man in his late 80's who goes to my neighborhood pharmacy. He takes 6-inch steps, walks with a cane, and has a small oxygen bottle slung over his shoulder and a tube under his nose. The guy is obviously very fragile and helpless and he likely thinks so too, because he carries his WWII .45 automatic on his belt every time I have seen him. I can't help but thinking that it probably makes him feel safer, but he'd probably be a danger if he pulled it, to himself and everyone around him. Any perp with a pulse could probably take it away from him and use it on him. But the old duffer is ready to defend himself. On the other hand, there are times I carry openly. A friend has a warehouse in a high-crime part of town and I have some stuff stored there. I am armed whenever I go there, sometimes with a pocket pistol, but as often with a .357 revolver in a holster on my belt. I wear it when I walk my timber property. There are always snakes to be shot, varmint coyotes who kill my deer, and sometimes armed poachers and timber rustlers to be run off. When I pull into a interstate rest area late at night, I sometimes clip the small pistol on my belt openly. I want any low-lifes hanging around to know that I'm armed and dangerous and not the victim they are looking for. I would hate for any laws to get in the way of carrying and put decisions into the hands of the local Barney Fifes.
Well said Red. I agree with your comment. It seems to me the activist push for laws and demonstrations where people bring weapons as a show are doing you and those of us who feel the same a disservice. Your last sentence is spot on as well. With that said I believe that these actions of the NRA are dangerous to our society. The lack of respect for the institutions they display is corrosive. There is a difference between disagreeing with the people in power and positions they hold and challenging the offices they hold.
