An Open Letter to the Open Carry Community: Let’s Talk

SSgt Michael Hacker With all due respect, that is the most ridiculous gibberish I have ever read. The writer tries equate someone waving his penis in your face with someone open carrying. Are you serious? If someone waves his gun in your face he gets arrested for brandishing. If they are convicted they can no longer own a gun. So are you saying if Jimmy waves his penis in my face he will get arrested and if convicted have his penis removed and not be allowed to have one ever again?

I am tired of people and especially the NRA constantly falling back and saying "OK we won't do XYZ in order to preserve our ability to own guns." each of these steps backwards leads to tyranny and the removal of our RIGHTS not given by man, not given by congress, not the president but God given rights as out lined in the Constitution.

Obama has blocked importing American made guns, mainly the M1 Garand, back into the United States from places they were left during the wars that our military men and women fought in using those guns. Now Russian made guns were blocked today to punish Putin.

When I grew up the United States was a free nation.

So SSgt,
Am I to understand that you are comparing people who carry a firearm openly for the defense of their selves and those around them to, quite literally sex offenders waving around the genitals around on crowded streets, in front of children? That is what it seems to be the stance you are taking, or by your linking this article, at least supporting that stance. Moreover, this kind of comparison is absurd; our founding fathers foresaw tyranny and this is the reason that the second amendment exists. If you really and truly believe that the waving around of your penis is akin to a rifle for the purposes of defeating tyranny, than by all means, feel free to walk up to the white house and demand that politicians start doing the job they were elected to do.

However, if you have no further interest in a potential "debate" as to the purpose of the second amendment and the rights of the people (keep in mind that you swore an oath defend the constitution and were never released from that oath) then by all means, i will completely ignore this thread, if your only interest is anecdotal arguments, mocking your fellow citizens then by all means, good day.

If you are interested in having an actual debate, i would be more than interested in hearing a legitimate argument against open carry/concealed carry/ owning firearms, etc.

SPC Jeff Daley, PhD I think the letter is written at exactly the right level for most of the intended audience. The two gentlemen in the last picture are probably carrying for shock value, why pose for pictures otherwise? If confronted, could they give a well thought argument for carrying? Or could they only spout "It's my right under the constitution." over and over again, like we see in many Youtube videos? What about the tactical setup? I'm pretty sure the gentleman on the left is just waiting for SWAT to call him up for a mission and that is just body armor under his clothes. On the right, brandishing a weapon is against the law, yet here he is, posing for a "cool gun picture".

Cpl Westin Sandberg and Cpl Brett Wagner The point the article is trying to make is, blatant exposure is not helping the cause. You can walk around with a rifle strapped on saying "Look at me! I'm carrying a rifle whether you like it or not because I can!", or you can wander around wearing nothing but a purple sleeve on your penis shouting " I'm gay! and you will like it!". In either situation the cause is not being helped, and in actuality it is causing animosity.

I support the Second Amendment, but if you open carry just to call attention to yourself, you're not making a good impression to me, or the people you are trying to convince about gun rights. I have no problem with the LGBT and whatever other letters you want to add community, but if you come shoving it in my face because you think I need to be more understanding, we're going to have issues. The point here is, in-your-face tactics tend to piss people off and generate opinions to the contrary of what you want to achieve.