Open carry advocates can put police in tough situations

[SecularMotion]

There was a day before Bluetooth and hands-free cellular phone communication when if you saw someone talking to themselves walking down the street, you might think that person was emotionally disturbed. I must admit that sometimes when I see someone, in public, walking and talking to themselves, I still do a double take to see if that person is talking on a phone or trying to beam themselves up to the mothership.

Now let’s consider that same person talking to themselves walking down the street with a holstered handgun. Would you think this was odd or suspicious? What if that person was walking toward a school, mall, place of worship, through a neighborhood, on a beach, in a park or parking lot? Would you call the police?

In times like these, many of you would call the police, because you would not want to have it on your conscience that something terrible was about to happen and you did nothing. Bravo! You should call and have the police check it out, if you believe that anyone appears out of sorts, armed and potentially dangerous.

Now put yourself in the shoes of the police officer who just received the “man or woman with a gun” call. “Officer” you will no doubt be thinking of Columbine, Aurora, Sandy Hook, Fort Hood or any other school, theater, mall, fast food restaurant or parking lot where some deranged pathetic loser has opened fire and killed or wounded innocent citizens or children for whatever reason their twisted mind concocted.

http://www.mlive.com/news/ann-arbor/index.ssf/2014/04/rich_kinsey_column_open_carry.html

[DonP]

1. How about some examples of open carry that erupted in murder?

The examples given in the article seem to conflate planned attacks by mentally deranged people that were already banned from owning any firearm with Open Carry participants.

An example or two of actual ordinary citizens open carrying and going instantly berserk would support your implied need for concern.

I'm sure your Google file must have dozens of them from places like Arizona where it's common, right?

[Warpy]

2. I see anybody besides the cops and military swaggering around with a gun

I leave the area. I just want to be away from any crossfire.

This state is bristling with guns and people on the outskirts of the cities and farther out need them, it's still wild and dangerous country. However, the guns here are necessary tools, not accoutrements to masculinity or security blankets to be toted in public.

[Jgarrick]

4. Based on crime statistics, "wild and dangerous country" describes many of our cities, not wilderness

Making the carrying of firearms there all the more appropriate, yes?

[SevenSixtyTwo]

3. You should be

More concerned about the cell phone. It's infinitely more like to be the cause of distraction and a traffic accident leading to your early demise.

[Eleanors38]

5. "Tough situations" require tough data. Anyone out there?

[blueridge3210]

6. Bueller? Bueller? (NT)

[Duckhunter935]

14. I am sure he will be right here

[merrily]

7. Tough issue.

I know. Duh.

However, I've thought and thought and that's the best I can do. I don't know.

[stone space]

8. If I see somebody who is not a cop with a gun, I call the cops. (nt)

[IronGate]

9. Chances are that if it's legal where you live,

the cops will ask if the person is brandishing it, or threatening anyone with it, if not, they'll probably tell you that they're doing nothing illegal and have a nice day.

[clffrdjk]

10. I bet you can identify a concealed weapon from 100 yards

You don't happen to have a can of beans or a bicycle wheel on you?

[ileus]

11. Holstered firearm in public = not an issue.

[Nuclear Unicorn]

12. Please tell me Kinsey doesn't get paid to write this silliness.

[SecularMotion]

13. Kick

[Duckhunter935]

15. Thats sad

all you are left with is kicking a 6 month old Google cut and paste. Must be really slow times in the group you host.

[sarisataka]

16. Scary

[beevul]

17. That guy in the picture is carrying a gun.

Someone call the police.

[DonP]

18. See post #1: still waiting for examples, a year later and nothing?

No police shootings of open carriers?

No open Carriers gunned down by criminals?

So, aside from annoying the piss out of some folks for a year, what have you and your friends got to show for all your "sturm und drang" over it?

Must be frustrating to be so consistently wrong on an issue year after year.

[friendly_iconoclast]

19. Reviving zombie threads doesn't seem to be working as planned...

Not only does it smell of desperation, unanswered questions like yours point out
the intellectual dishonesty of their movement.