With the work that we do as activists, we have a tendency to focus on getting our message out to those who do not see things the way we do. Part of why Florida Carry has monthly Open Carry Fishing Events is so that we can get out in front of people in a low key affair. Yes, this is the dreaded “Open Carry as activism” that so many gunnies deride, but it has a positive impact and shouldn’t be dismissed.
We choose fishing piers because of two reasons. One, because we are fishing, Open Carry is legal. Two, while hunting and camping are the other activities that allow OC here in Florida, they are not events that can generally be seen by the public. Piers are public places and thus are a much better avenue to pursue for exposure. A fine line is walked for our events. We don’t want to seem in your face about it, but it’s actually difficult to get people to notice a gun on your hip. You’d be surprised how many people are beyond Condition White and live in Condition Translucent.
Generally, we’re out there to try to reach out to people who aren’t ‘gunnies’. It’s easy to assume other gun enthusiasts are just as well versed in our rights as we are, and that can be a mistake as this weekend’s even showed.
One gentleman fishing near us was rather taken aback by us openly carrying a firearm, especially around ‘families’. He didn’t notice that the other OC’ers had brought their families along with them. Soon into the conversation, it was apparent this guy was a gun owner, had several of them, had used one in self defense (while fishing off shore!) and was looking at picking up another handgun in a few weeks. While he was aware of many of the problems with laws violating the 2nd Amendment, he was most definitely not aware of the laws pertaining to Open Carry as well as many other things that we’ve been fighting for. The conversation I had with him was worth every minute I was out there this weekend as it opened the eyes of someone we would normally pass by as ‘one of us’.
How about your friends? The ones you just know see things the same way as you? Are you sure they’re onboard with what it takes to protect and restore our liberties? Don’t overlook those on your side, you might just miss a good ally.