This is a rebuttal to an article on concealednation.org,
Why
I Will Never Open Carry: 5 Reasons. The original piece is basically an attack on open carry,
thinly veiled as personal opinion, but using specious logic to justify what
ultimately is a personal choice in mode of carry.
First off, as the article states, Concealed Nation is about concealed carry, not open carry. It has
its interests to protect. Additionally, the author Brandon states that “I am not against open carry, it’s just
simply not for me.” That’s fine, but we don’t need an article to tell us how you justified your opinion phrased like those who carry openly are doing things wrong.
The article was preaching to the concealed carry
supremacist choir on why their particular religion is the only way. If you've seen my website, you'll quickly see I don't favor one method over the other.
Let’s get a couple things straight. First, we’re not
discussing open carry of long-guns, which is what most lay people tend to picture as open carry for some reason. For various different reasons, that is
alarming and controversial to the public. The open carry of rifles into Chipotle versus a guy
running errands with his H&K USP .40 on his belt are two totally different
topics.
Second, geographical considerations must be made. Open carry is going
to be a lot more controversial in Texas than it is in Nevada or Arizona. People
are much more likely to freak out in a place where the culture frowns on open
carry. On the other hand, to remind people it’s totally harmless and used to be
a normal part of life, some Texans will have to thumb their noses at the naysayers and start open carrying.
Most of the objections to open carry are rooted in off-duty
police officer’s opinions. Cops are a huge element in the concealed carry culture
and moonlighting or retired cops often work as concealed carry instructors,
passing along their opinions and biases to their students, most of whom are
just average Joes. Cops have a vested interest in not being identified
off-duty. Would you want your customers to bug you, especially if ‘bugging you’ could mean violence? Of course, this is mostly a problem in anti-gun states and a
relic from decades past when mostly it was just cops carrying.
The arguments are overlapping and repetitive. Numbers 1, 3, and 5 are essentially “I don’t want the bad
guy to know I have a gun”, while Numbers 2 and 4 are basically “I don’t want
everyone else to know I have a gun.” Those are the concealed carry supremacist
objections to open carry in a nutshell.
“1. I like the element of surprise”
Concealed carry supremacists like to think that a bad guy
will assume them to be unarmed and either ignore them totally or pay less
attention to them. The
concealed carrier will then draw his weapon and fire, hopefully arranging a
totally unexpected ‘surprise’ meeting with either Jesus or the Devil for the
criminal. Of course, they imagine these who were openly carrying are now lying dead on the floor.
This whole scenario depends on the skill of the concealed
carrier, his situational awareness, as well as the situational awareness of the
bad guy. I think this is a whole fantasy that the concealed carrier will be
minding his own business, the shit will hit the fan, and then they can pull out
their gun and be the hero. In their minds, the poor open carrier will be too
busy checking out Call of Duty 27: Romans vs. Internet Marines to notice the
hoodie wearing thug trying to knock over Best Buy.
Surprise depends totally on circumstance, situational
awareness, the skill not to fumble your draw, and luck.
See number 5 for more on this topic.
“2. I don’t like drawing attention to myself”
This statement comes from someone who probably hasn’t open
carried before or much at all. I liken it to someone who covers up their sleeve
tattoos to look “more respectable” and avoid judgment or a woman who, sensing
male eyes on her cleavage, suddenly readjusts her low-cut top. Ever notice all
the shirts with provocative 2A/Patriot slogans like “Don’t Tread on Me”, “F---
Isis”, or “I’m Pro-Gun, Something Something, Second Amendment?” Isn’t that
drawing attention too?
I don’t open carry because I want people to pay attention to
me (though it would be really, really great to meet a cute gun loving woman). I started openly carrying a pistol
while waiting for my concealed firearm permit. Boldly I went forth, constantly
scanning for threats and potential soccer
moms who wanted to give me a tongue lashing. Nobody said anything, no one
called the police.
The vast majority of people don't care. One day, I decided to ‘out’ myself to my liberal girlfriend (now ex) from California who said nothing about me carrying around Fresh and Easy. She
actually was interested in going to dinner with the open carry group I’m a part
of to see what it was like. And yes, I’m a total moron for letting her get away
from me. Sorry Rachel. On the other hand, I had another date totally freak out when she felt my concealed pistol on my hip during a hug.
Having done nothing rebellious during my teens, I open carry
now as an inward gesture to ‘sticking to the man’ for frowning on armed
citizens and open carry. 'Attention' is about 10% of my reason for open carry, but as I mentioned above, since no one cares, it's kinda moot. Even so, open carrying a revolver with cartridge belt
in full cowboy get up on Las Vegas’ Fremont Street while a concert was going on
drew only the attention of women and a couple tourists who supported the 2nd
Amendment.
I’m a dude who finds an openly carried gun to be more comfortable
than a full-size Glock stuffed in my pants. Normalization isn’t my thing and I’m
not trying to draw attention to ‘the cause.’ Yes, I’m prepared to talk about
open carry and hand out cards for my website, but frankly, I simply go about my
business. And you know what? No one cares (at least in a negative way; I’ve
gotten lots of positive comments). A glance down at my waist and the observer
simply goes back about their business.
Worrying about what others think is really self-absorbed.
Only in a social environment where opinions do matter (such a family, church,
work) should others’ opinions be given consideration. I guess the objection is
that it could trigger emotion reactions to guns, thus damaging reputations or
that the gun, in certain circles, could become the focus of negative attention,
much like conservative grandparents criticizing their granddaughters new
eyebrow piercing and tattoos. But strangers? Forget them.
I’ll be the first to admit I’d rather not have a co-worker
see me carrying openly. A lot of the people I work with are the kind with big
mouths who would say things at work and cause problems. While I obey the short-sighted
policy of the company and remain disarmed (because liability is
more important than lives), I really, really don’t want to have to lift up my
shirt and twirl in a circle in front of my boss or deal with the inane comments
some of the office jackasses would make.
The debate is largely a matter of taste and environment. A
citizen carrier with anti-gun customers or friends may want to protect
themselves without alienating others. Some may feel uncomfortable carrying
openly. Whatever the choice, it is a personal one and not to be judged or
criticized.
“3. I maintain the upper hand while carrying concealed”
This objection is a misnomer and as Brandon refers to number
1, they tie in together. He says that concealed carry gives him control, and
then uses an example where he is ordered to the ground by a robber. That’s
losing control right there. Then, while the robber is momentarily distracted,
he will draw his firearm and shoot the robber. Yeah, I guess that could happen.
His example against open carry is that three bank robbers
walk in, see the open carrier, and blast him. What if they just start randomly
shooting people? In that situation, regardless of how or even if I was
carrying, I’d be scrambling for cover or an exit.
See number 5 for why this isn’t exactly a plausible scenario. Both of these scenarios are implausible and either way you
go, you’re screwed. Concealed carry might have the theoretical advantage here,
but statistically speaking it is very, very unlikely and can be mitigated by situational awareness.
“4. I don’t like people knowing that I have a firearm”
See number 2 for my explanation on civilians not wanting
other people to know they are carrying.
This assumption is generally false in the absence of
evidence that an openly carried weapon leads to victimization. Abundant
evidence is available that open carry is indeed a deterrent to crime. Concealed
carry lacks that deterrent factor. The 'gray man' element, appearing unremarkable
and blending in with the crowd, only has application when one may be
specifically sought out; such as in the case of a police officer. The desire
not to be spotted carrying a firearm or otherwise identified typically comes
from the police influence in the concealed carry training world.
“5. I don’t want to make myself a target”
The number one reservation and objection to open carry is
that people are afraid of being the first person targeted by a shooter.
A concealed carrier is just as likely to be a target as anyone
else who is unarmed. Blending in with the sheep only has
advantages for those who know they are going to be targeted anyway. A wolf will still attack another wolf in sheep’s clothing, but that same wolf
isn’t going to go after another wolf that looks just as fierce as him.
Brandon posits that the shooter will likely be suffering
from tunnel vision induced by an adrenaline rush and thus fail to notice the
gun on someone's hip. Cell phones and pouches on the belt are common and a gun
could be mistaken for a phone (vise versa). Allegedly, this is in the open
carrier's favor. This goes along with Team Open Carry’s argument that most
people are too oblivious to notice an openly carried gun. Both are kind of
falling short of reality.
The Bank Robber
Reality does not confirm this. I've worked actual bank robberies. Robbers have either extensively planned out
their crime or have at least cased the location. They wait until there are no
cops around and pick the best times for their crime. They want as little
resistance as possible as their goal is to score, not kill people. That makes
it harder for them to make their score and successfully get away. It is more
advantageous for them to pay attention, size up the situation, and wait until
any potential threat leaves, rather than execute an armed citizen and instantly
complicate their plot at its inception.
Think about how you would rob a bank. Would you go in
without any idea of what awaited you, shooting away? Or would you case the bank
first, check for security guards, cameras, etc., then try to sneak in
undetected and delay the firefight until the last possible second? Of course
you would! Experienced criminals want to survive and leave with the greatest
chance of a clean getaway—none of these things entail an opening act of
shooting an open carrier in the back of the head.
Most robbers or terrorists who are likely to preemptively ambush an open carrier have the tenacity to succeed at their diabolical goal, concealed carry hero in the crowd or not. Those not specifically looking for a fight will wait or walk away if they see an open carrier. Not every bank robbery is like Point Break.
The Addict
Those who would kill an armed citizen on sight are probably
going to be the ones doped up or otherwise too nervous to notice someone who is
nonchalantly carrying a holstered pistol. A magical discovery of the open
carrier would have to come into play and intertwine with said open carrier’s
total lack of situational awareness.
Most criminals who kill do so on impulse. They are the ones
who are desperate and/or high, rushing into a liquor store for a quick score.
These are the ones who shoot at compliant, unresisting clerks—the ones startled
by a frightened customer, who they quickly ventilate in a panic. Those are the
wild cards that only a fast draw from behind cover and an accurate shot can deal
with. Even so, these people are so emotionally and psychologically all over the
map they are just as likely to crap themselves at the sight of a gun.
The Terrorist
Terrorists are another story. They are the ones most likely
to target open carriers. However, I would hope that the average citizen carrier
has the presence of mind to notice the Middle Eastern dude or white kid with
the crazed look in his eye whipping an AK-47 out of a duffle bag. For the
terrorist scenario to be plausible, the terrorist would have to blend in until
it was time to ‘go loud’, surveilled the area, ID the open carrier, and
hopefully draw and fire without the armed citizen noticing. From the attacks I’m
aware of, the shooters came in guns blazing (of course, these were mostly
gun-free zones). Watch the video of the North Hollywood Bank shootout and tell
me that you wouldn’t notice two dudes in body armor with automatic rifles walk
into the bank.
I’ll sum this up another way: how many open carriers have
been ambushed and shot versus how many unarmed citizens killed?
5b. Gun Snatchings
Two cases of open carriers being robbed (or attempts at
robbing them) of their weapon have occurred recently.
The
first was in Oregon, which occurred on a street corner where a young man
was showing off his new, unloaded pistol to a friend in the middle of the
night.
The
second one was in Washington where a deranged man approached a man who was
open carrying and, as far as we can tell, tried to snatch the gun.
Note: GET AND USE A POSITIVE RETENTION HOLSTER
Oregon
The 21 year old victim had purchased the gun earlier in the
day. At 2 AM he was on a street corner with his cousin when he was approached
by another male who, after asking for a cigarette (a common ruse to get close
to someone without making them suspicious of ill-intent), brandished his own
gun and robbed the young man of his new pistol. Thanks to sound-byte reporting,
we don’t have all the details, just a brief blurb about the basics.
There is enough information in the article to lead me to
believe this was not an incident of a person open carrying a loaded firearm for
self-defense. No mention was made if the weapon was loaded or even holstered. Comments
around the internet lead me to believe this wasn’t exactly a great area of
town. Also, nothing good happens after midnight, or so the saying goes.
Rather this reads as a young man, unprepared to use the gun
he was carrying, inexperienced with guns, showing it off to his cousin. On a
street corner, in the middle of the night. That whole thing should sound fishy
on its face.
Washington
A Washington State open carrier, Brandon Walker, was
attacked recently in the sport goods section of a Wal-Mart, while shopping with
his children. A disheveled man, Trevor Zumwalt, came into the aisle and
approached Walker. The man eye contact with the citizen carrier several times.
Zumwalt then drew a baseball bat from the rack and raised it to a swinging
position. Walker realized this was an attack, so he stepped into the swing to
lessen the force of the impact and turned his shoulder to take the hit from the
bat.
Walker was carrying a Sig Sauer P226, a double-action
pistol, with an unloaded chamber. After the initial swing, Walker drew his
pistol, racked the slide, aimed it at Zumwalt, and ordered Zumwalt to the
ground. Zumwalt complied. Walker had a Wal-Mart manager call the police, who
arrived and arrested Zumwalt, who is now facing felony assault charges.
Walker will not be carrying openly anymore. He feels that he
was targeted by Zumwalt (and he's probably right), yet not carrying concealed
is not a mistake. Situational awareness saved Walker's life. However, what the
hell is someone doing carrying a gun without a round in the chamber? If you are
too frightened to carry ready for action, you probably shouldn't be carrying at
all.
Concealed Carry Isn’t
a Cure-All
Oh yeah, don’t forget
the
guy in Florida who was carrying concealed, but was spotted holstering his
weapon, and tackled by another wackjob crying wolf, earning himself a mental
health hold and an assault conviction. We hear stories all the time about
concealed carriers who end up shooting someone, saving their skins or saving
the day. How many of these shootings could have been avoided if the suspect
knew their ‘victim’ was armed? Frankly, I’d rather not shoot anyone at all, and
if an openly carried gun and situational awareness can do that for me, I’ll stick
firmly on the OC side of the OC/CC debate. Until more details emerge, or we
have regular stories about open carriers getting their guns snatched, I am not
going to worry.
(UPDATE:
ConcealedNation posted
this story about a concealed carry who was disarmed during a gun fight).
The advantage of concealed carry lies in the fact that it
may be possible to carry in places where open carriers would be shunned or
asked to leave, such as casinos. Legally speaking (in Nevada), the advantage is
with open carry, yet due to modern sensitivities, the discreet option of
undetected concealed carry would prevent any debates with anti-gunners or
objections to having the weapon on private property where the owner/management
might prohibit it. Also, given one’s choice of dress or activities, concealed
carry may be more appropriate.
At the heart of the argument, people just don’t feel
comfortable having an exposed handgun. Their reasons are various and frankly,
the only one that has real merit across the board is personal comfort. If you
don’t feel comfortable with open carry, then don’t, but don't sell you choice with bad logic and mistruths. As a devout Christian
myself, I don’t feel any need to put a fish symbol on my bumper or a John 3:16 decal
on the window. Some feel that the gun would become an elephant in the room, and
while it might or might not, the important thing is that in the carrier’s mind,
the visibility of the gun is a problem. At the end of the day, it’s all a
personal choice.
What I’m trying to counter are the same tired and mostly
empty arguments that stretch logic, defy real-world experience, or apply
primarily to cops, security, and bodyguards. Please don’t mislead the masses
into think open carry is wrong, unnatural, hazardous, or undesirable with
flawed reasoning. Again, aside from very specific cases, the only reason not to
open carry is personal.
The whole point is that the open carry/concealed carry war
is stupid and pointless.
Each has their own advantages and disadvantages.
Neither is inherently superior. This should be a short, quiet conversation and
a personal choice. Arguing loudly about who is right and wrong and using logic
not borne out by reality, but by personal opinions and perceptions, is as
useful as trying to settle the age-old debate of Ford vs. Chevy or baseball vs.
football.
