But no, I don’t think whitey is scared by open carry.
Now, caveats abound – Gun activists (like myself) find these polls easier than the non-interested, so we’re going to be a bit more likely to have a higher representation than we do in real life. However, even here in Florida where OC is illegal, you’re going to see that most people really wouldn’t care.
I believe that if OC was permitted here, very few people would actually engage in it, especially in the beginning. I would, but that’s because I enjoy carrying a firearm and it’d be soooo much more comfortable to use an OWB holster, something with retention, of course.
I would hope that possibly like Linoge and WizardPC over at Walls of the City that I could have meaningful conversations with people who are interested, but that’s not the main point. My main concern is simply getting people used to seeing firearms. When they occasionally see someone openly carrying a firearm and do not see any uptick in crime, the connection between gun and criminal becomes even less ‘factual’ in their minds. When people start realizing guns are not the problem, then hopefully they start pressuring their representatives to fix the real problems instead.
That, and it’d be an excuse to get a BBQ gun and a nice leather holster.
My main concern is simply getting people used to seeing firearms. When they occasionally see someone openly carrying a firearm and do not see any uptick in crime, the connection between gun and criminal becomes even less ‘factual’ in their minds.
it will ... eliminat[e] the danger ... that some scaredy cat calls police screaming about a Man With A Gun.