An open carry observation

Here's an Alaskan open carry hero! Making friends for the firearms community! Cocked and Locked 1911 in an Anchorage Costco. Friend sent this pic to me a couple years ago.View attachment 793911

A) I think that guy looks like a jerk with that inappropriate get up.

And

B) the other folks in that picture don't appear to be in the least horrified by his presence.
 
In Florida, it's simple... We will all have to pay Personal Income Tax if open carry is ever adopted. It decays tourism, which is why we don't pay income tax. Tourists don't want to see non-LEOS carrying a hog-leg while their kids worship the Imaginary Rodent. The Leg always brings it up, and it always gets voted down. Solid planning.
Interesting point but only if you have data.
Can you link me to that?
I am well aware of how lower crime rates affect tourism, which shows in the data. If open carry had a meaningful effect, then I would expect the opposite of your contention.
Let us know what you've got.
 
In Florida, it's simple... We will all have to pay Personal Income Tax if open carry is ever adopted. It decays tourism, which is why we don't pay income tax. Tourists don't want to see non-LEOS carrying a hog-leg while their kids worship the Imaginary Rodent. The Leg always brings it up, and it always gets voted down. Solid planning.
No...We won't...46 states already have open carry and 1/10th of 1% of the population actually does it.

It will make zero difference in "tourism", just like it did everywhere else...Most people in Central Florida would like a few less tourists anyway, (not that this issue is going to matter one way or the other),.
 
No...We won't...46 states already have open carry and 1/10th of 1% of the population actually does it.

It will make zero difference in "tourism", just like it did everywhere else...Most people in Central Florida would like a few less tourists anyway, (not that this issue is going to matter one way or the other),.
I think maybe some of our brothers here might appreciate reading "More Guns, Less Crime" by John Lott.
On our forum here, the possibility of a deterrence effect is welcomed when associated with concealed carry, but sorely unwelcome when the consideration is associated with open carry. Lott suggested that any deterrence effect by CCW would be undetectable until or unless the practice reached critical mass.
 
I only OC while hunting, my CHOICE. I am not against OC, make your choice accept the result.

All I read here is speculation with nary a fact or data to prove anything. A couple of snatches over the many years is your argument?
 
I think maybe some of our brothers here might appreciate reading "More Guns, Less Crime" by John Lott.
On our forum here, the possibility of a deterrence effect is welcomed when associated with concealed carry, but sorely unwelcome when the consideration is associated with open carry. Lott suggested that any deterrence effect by CCW would be undetectable until or unless the practice reached critical mass.
Lott's cherry-picked secondary analysis of his favorite other folks' data totally ignores the fact that crime generally is down dramatically nationwide, with violent crime highest in the early '70s, a second, lower peak in 1995/1996, then a much smaller peak towards the end of COVID isolation (which had not yet happened when he published the book). No one in the social research field takes it, or Lott for that matter, seriously.

One of many, many critiques:

Lott has argued that mass shooters seek out gun-free zones, despite evidence to the contrary. And research has consistently demonstrated that states with less restrictive concealed carry laws actually have higher rates of violent crime than states with no such laws. Even conservative researchers have detailed issues with Lott's work, and questioned why some media organizations continue to repeat his findings.
Another:
Stanford Law Review: Lott's Central Hypothesis Is "Without Credible Statistical Support." In a Stanford Law Review report titled "The Latest Misfires in Support of the 'More Guns, Less Crime' Hypothesis," Ian Ayres and John J. Donohue III studied how coding errors in data undermine Lott's "More Guns, Less Crime" hypothesis. The authors explain: https://www.mediamatters.org/john-lott/who-gun-advocate-john-lott
 
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I go to the VA hospital several times a year and they have signs prohibiting firearms in the building, but have never herd of any restriction in a vehicle parked in the parking are. I wonder if the rules vary according to location?
The sign at the entrance say's "No Firearms or Weapons allowed on these premises." So I think you can get burned leaving it in the car. I leave it with my Wife while the Doctor or NP does whatever they need to do. My Wife shops until I give her a call to pick me up. I carry under LEOSA, so would they prosecute? Probably not, but I'm not gambling with the best Health Care I've ever had, free of charge, and they pay me for 100 miles I travel. Private Health Care sucks badly compared to the VA. I only open carry when I'm here or someplace like it. Then it's a handgun AND a Rifle or Shotgun. IMG_3424.webpIMG_3502.webpIMG_3435.webp
 
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The point is that it's Federal Law because it's a Federal building....That's the point.
I still don't understand. I thought that was self evident . Every VA I've ever been to with the exception of the one at Space Center that's in a shared parking lot. There is a sign at every entrance to the property, stating that this is a federal facility and it's a violation federal law to bring a firearm or any other weapon on the premises.
 
In general I've had a good experience with the VA. Except for the sleep apnea people.

Going back to carrying on VA property. People with much more legal knowledge than me have stated at least twice in this discussion that walking around a VA facility with an empty holster would cause most folks to have a reasonable suspicion that you had a gun in your car.

Every time this discussion comes up I say the same thing I'm going to say it again all it's going to take is the wrong VA cop on the wrong day.

I'm not going to chance it. I'm surprised when people walk into the VA with an obvious pocket knife.
 
He's attempting to state that his opinion is that you are violating the law regarding possession of a firearm on VA property by entering the parking lot with a gun in your car. I have no idea if that's true or not . . .
If the parking is VA property he's right. I made it very clear that the VA Clinic I go to is in a shared parking lot. The VA doesn't own it.

The only thing posted is the door into the clinic
 
Clayguy, I can't speak for every VA facility, but the one that cares for my dad clearly allowed no guns on the entire property. I will PM you the name. The first time that I took my father to the VA I was carrying concealed, having no idea that I would pull into their parking lot past a sign that clearly said "No Weapons Allowed on VA Property" or something to that effect. So I am in an immediate quandary. I obviously cant make my handgun disappear. So, I pull up to the main entrance to let my father out near the door. Here comes a young twenty-something valet who wants to park the car for us. Dilemma deepens. So I explain to him that I am armed as a retired state trooper and that I wasn't aware of their policy restricting guns in the parking lot. I thought he was going to stroke out. He starts stammering around in a manner that makes clear that I have just completely rocked his world. After two or three minutes of this standoff, I finally convince him that I can secure my gun in the car and he relents, saying, "We never had this discussion".
The V.A. also asked written questions in one of my visits about whether I owned guns or not. I don't think it is any of their business, and I don't even remember how I answered. One would think that they might trust a Vet since that is who they are supposed to serve. All the vets I know were trained how to handle guns and did so if the duty situation called for it. Know they don't want you to even own a gun? I keep wondering if I on their list of, "Known gun owners."

I think you took the correct action, and you got lucky with the valet. They could have made life a little miserable for sure. Hopefully things have changed a bit now.
 

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