I was hoping that I wouldn't have to be the one to prove that reactionary intolerance, mischaraterization and demonizing had become a tool of the firearms community. Luckily, I didn't. Perusing the above responses clearly articulates that it has.
Before I sign off, I would like to correct some incorrect statements about my intent or my statements:
Fact: Open Carry is not a constitituional right, it appears nowhere in the 2ndA, it is an interpretation of the courts. You can cheer if a court interprets something your way, complain when it doesn't. But the fact is OC is NOT spelled out in the Constitition and you don't have a "right" to do it, you're allowed to do it by state law or court inpretation - that is not the same thing. If you don't understand the distinction, then you don't understand how laws work in the US.
Fact: Carrying openly displays your weapon publicly, and if any goblin is looking for trouble, the guy carrying openly will be seen first. Period. Dress it up with all the rhetoric you want, but common sense doesn't tip their hand if they feel they need a weapon for protection in first place.
Fact: No one said "blood would run down the streets", what I said was it was a really bad idea tactically and politically and the potential to be targeted is much higher if you're exposing your means of self defense.
Fact: Never claimed to have 'an abundance of intelligence', I said many intelligent people disagree about the issue of OC and can articulate real world reasons why it's a bad idea.
Fact: I said that some supporters of OC were becoming radicalized, intolerant of anyone disagreeing and would resort to the tactics of the counterculture when someone did disagreed....
smokingdog: "You sir should really not be carrying a badge and by your own standards, I ask the mods to determine your identity and expose your rants to your superiors. THAT is the world you advocate."
....that certainly doesn't sound like 'big tent', discussion oriented rhetoric. And I'm curious how an opinion on a forum regarding OC suddenly disqualifies me in my job or requires my chain of command to be notified that I...what?...disagree with you????
Fact: I am not stating that OC is the equivalent of carrying a nuclear backpack. What I said was that there are limits to types of weapons that can be owned and how they can be carried. This was stated only as an illustration so as to point out that there ARE reasonable limits that should be in place, and every right in the Bill of Rights has, at some point a natural limit. Carrying an M4 or Glock 21 openly to go to McDonalds for a Big Mac or Cinemark to see a movie, in my opinion, should be a natural limit. Carrying CCW is not a limit, carry away, the more the merrier. Openly? Un-needed attention in every possible way.
Fact: For 239 years this nation has looked upon laws as a whole, in balance and in compromise. The people vote, the legislature writes, the courts decide. And at times, things have to be tweaked, changed or repealed. The balance that exists here is between what OC supporters believe is their 'right to openly carry' versus the rest of the population's right to feel safe and secure in their community. The polls show Texans are in favor, by a huuuuuuuge margin, of CCW. So am I, great concept. The polls are a lot tighter about OC.
Instead of asking me "what right of yours is being infringed by my openly carrying" it could be rephrased as "what right of yours is being infringed by my not having weapons hanging on strangers arms or waists openly while I dine in peace with my wife?" Why do you think that your so called 'right' (which doesn't appear in the 2ndA) is more important or relevant that other's 'right' to not worry that someone sitting beside their family members could be the lightening rod that gets them hurt in an ugly confrontation?
The very foundation of the question "Do you REALLY believe in the 2nd Amendment?" suggests that if you don't agree with OC, then you don't. False presumption, loaded question. I could ask the same question, "Do you REALLY believe in the 2nd Amendment?" then answer "Then why do you carry rifles and pistols around folks in public when you know it upsets them? You're hurting our cause." See, it cuts both ways.
Obviously, no one here is going to convince anyone else of their point of view. I seriously mean now, or meant earlier, any offense to anyone who disagrees (except the goons of Open Carry Texas, who I couldn't give a flip about being raging red hot torqued off at me - they've demonstrated time and again they believe in the worst type of bullying and intimidation to get their way, they are the worst evangelicals for the 2ndA in the memory of my lifetime. I hope folks of that stripe do get mad at me, it means I'm most likely doing something right).
In sum, I'm agreeing to disagree, here. If you want to OC in Texas, go for it, the current legislature just allowed it. But if you're going to get molten hot over some guy on a forum that says "It ain't the best idea," what are you going to do if you get a live person that gets in your face over it? You wear openly, you open that door. Another reason to not do it.
Let's let tempers simmer down, it's a moot point. It's law. Reality and time will be the judge of it's prudence, not open warfare on a forum.
God bless ya' all, agree or disagree.
G'night.
