Anyway, my 'truth' is just real world experience, 20 years of LEO work and understanding that thugs jump cops all the time, cops who are in uniform and carrying openly. A Professor may quantify the world from the safety of his office, but in the real world of street criminals, they simply ain't afraid.
I'm not fight picking and don't want to start a flame war. No point, you can't convince a man who thinks the sky is pink it's not. Fair enough. But instead of constantly trying to tear down the argument of someone who simply disagrees, why not approach your position from a common sense point of view?
Just because you have not been targeted doesn't mean you can't be or won't be. The fact you haven't been yet may be more a factor of grace or luck than any towering intimidation over evil doer's that openly carrying presumably offers. Common sense, bro. Why tell anyone what you have, how many rounds you have and where that instrument of defense is?
If you presume you need to carry a weapon because some potential threats exists, why scream out in waves of HD clarity "HERE'S MY GUN, ON MY RIGHT SIDE, IN A NON RETENTION HOLSTER, HERE IT IS. I HAVE A 1911-A1, I HAVE 8 ROUNDS AT MY DISPOSAL. JUST SO YOU KNOW."
SWAT teams and the military don't call the bad guys an hour before they arrive and tell them how many good guys are coming, what kind of weapons they have, when they'll arrive and from what direction. Hate to use a pornographically overused word, but "tactically" speaking, why would one throw away every "tactical" advantage like that? For what? Because "I can."?
For me personally, that's not a good enough reason to risk , even if I'm the first one ever, being an OC that gets keyholed and relieved of my weapon and have it possibly used on me and my spouse. No thanks. My hide and my wife's life are worth a heck of a lot more than "Because I can." And I'm sure the first guy who gets distracted by the pack animals of the street and is being 'degunned' might be thinking "Wait, this never happened before! The stats show this shouldn't be happening!" That'll comfort him, I'm sure.
I don't need lawyers, professors or NRA stats to provide me with common sense. If a predator isn't afraid to jump a cop in uniform, acting under the color of law, who is open carrying, and that attack will bring heavy criminal charges, then he won't have any fear at all about attacking an untrained, average civilian carrying his piece around, not dutifully keeping his 540 perceptual vigilance, walking in 'white mode'.
Simply put, a street carnivore who ain't afraid of 6'1" uniformed street cop or state trooper is NOT going to be afraid of Joe Six pack toting around his plastic Austrian pop gun.
Look, carry openly if you want. Fine. Your skin. But throwing around Internet stats and straw man '2nd Amendment right' arguments can't change the fact that OC throws away the most critical elements of carrying a gun for self protection - anonymity and surprise.
But on this topic, I'm 10-8. The opposition argument can't be said any clearer, and besides I've had my enjoyable fill of "Let's BBQ Anyone That Doesn't March In Lockstep On OC Carry!" It was fun while it lasted, but this topic has become wearisome, and frankly there is nothing new to see here, on either side of the debate. Carry open if it's worth the risk to you, don't if it's not.
Peace and good will to all, God bless and may no one here ever have to find out which side of this argument is most correct.
Via Con Dios.
