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It would be reassuring to see someone with an unconcealed sidearm and know that by definition, they're not a criminal."
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IF legal open carry were tied to having a CCW permit, I still don't see how you'd know someone carrying openly was not a criminal any more than if you saw the flash of a "concealed" weapon under the hoodie of a thug who, presumably isn't carrying concealed legally.
I can see how that would apply if open carry were allowed without a permit. But I'm not sure that I'd want to be driving through an iffy area seeing thugs legally carrying openly. Of course they'd likely be criminals who shouldn't own a gun anyway, but how would you (or an LEO) know?
In states with open carry not requiring a permit, how do police deal with that?