Open carry at political protests

Posted by Mostly Genius – August 17, 2009

Open Carry at a protest where Obama is going to be. I am not sure how I feel about this one. It’s good that the police aren’t overreacting, but this has a lot of potential for going sideways in a hurry. A crackpot or a plant could create a lot of bad (worse) press.

  • JR
    A lot of potential? Give me a break. Open carry at town halls has invariably meant no crime. Town halls without law-abiding gun owners deterring crime have erupted in some cases.
  • The issue here is not random crime. Read MG's comment again.
  • Yeah, you have a point. Gun owners should just stay in the shadows, deep in the closets lest somebody attempt to do something to smear them.

    Sorry, but as much as I generally enjoy your posts, this one is drivel. To say this 'could go south' is to speak just like Helmke, Sugarmann, and any number of anti-gun people.

    If nobody shows up, it's because gun owners are a minority.
    If everyone shows up and nothing happens, it's a crazed mob.
    An agent provocateur can cause mayhem and harm us regardless if we show up or stay home.

    We lose via the press regardless. Why not show the rest of the country how normal gun owners are rather than hiding?
  • So before we begin leaping into hyperbole about hiding in the shadows, perhaps we should consider a few things:

    There are law abiding gun owners that are idiots. Take a look at YouTube or your local public range. The potential for disaster is certainly present in larger gun owing community.

    The open carry activists in CA at least had a plan for interaction with law enforcement and seems like they are well prepared for those interactions. I don't know that the same level of thought went into open carrying at Obama protests.

    Now we have random people carrying guns under a massive amount of scrutiny. I am not saying they shouldn't be permitted to do so, nor am I saying that they are not good people, or safe and sane gun handlers. I am saying there is no guarantee.

    So before you start tarring me with same brush as Helmke, etc. I would like to consider the potential for a lone crazy/idiot/plant to screw things up for the rest of us.

    So before you burn a bunch of electrons denouncing me, why not write a nice thoughtful post about how to plan and execute a safe, media savvy, open carry protest at a high visibility event.
  • "So before you start tarring me with same brush as Helmke, etc. I would like to consider the potential for a lone crazy/idiot/plant to screw things up for the rest of us."

    Not saying you ARE the anti gun people, I'm saying your position is the same as theirs. Everyone should suffer because *one* person *might* do something wrong even though the chances are slim to none.

    I'll write up something more tonight. Too busy at work to be coherent enough.
  • We lose via the press regardless. Why not show the rest of the country how normal gun owners are rather than hiding?

    Normal people don't go around with AR-15 slung over their shoulders in public. If you want people to see how normal gun owners are, the first requisite is to act normal. I think there are a lot of ways to promote that kind of normalcy, but this way isn't it.
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