Hello fellow Oklahomans and good afternoon,
My intentions here first of all are not to start a flame war.
A little background first: I live in a small town in north central Oklahoma - hunting country - very pro-gun. I served 8 years on the city council here and four years as Police Commissioner. I'm very conservative politically and a member of the NRA, and, I feel I have a good understanding of the second amendment and fully support it.
After receiving my concealed carry license I took all of the advanced training courses I could find and am still training. I believe in constant training; have my own private range at the farm, and shoot on a regular basis - day and night.
I carry everywhere that's legal and have worked hard to master my equipment and the art of concealment. Carrying my pistol is like putting on my shoes in the morning.
I just came home from church (where I don't carry) and stopped at our local grocery store to get a gallon of milk and there it was - the Beretta with the red line through it. When I leave my little country church 5 miles east of town my snub goes IWB. I had my Chief 36 IWB and under my coat when I got to the store and went in anyway.
To make a long story short, this was my fear of Open Carry -- that you will begin to see business after business start posting. The only advantage I could ever see in open carry was that I would not have to be so conscious about printing any longer.
I never intended to open carry -- as I feel it just makes you a target. I never wear any clothes or do anything that would indicate I'm carrying. I'm just a harmless old man out living life and going about my business and will make every attempt to avoid any kind of confrontation. I will still continue to go into that grocery store and carry my piece concealed.
Some people, it seems, want their 10 minutes of fame. I can't understand for the likes of me why someone would want to walk into a place with a big pistol carried in a manner for all to see and scare the **** out of people. That's just the way it is -- when many in the general public see a gun they just freak out.
That was my main fear of open carry -- that business after business where concealed carry was never an issue, will begin to post.
Again, I'm not trying to **** anyone off; if someone wants to open carry that's their business and their right. But, once these signs go up, many will never go down.
I was just happy with the law the way it was.
My intentions here first of all are not to start a flame war.
A little background first: I live in a small town in north central Oklahoma - hunting country - very pro-gun. I served 8 years on the city council here and four years as Police Commissioner. I'm very conservative politically and a member of the NRA, and, I feel I have a good understanding of the second amendment and fully support it.
After receiving my concealed carry license I took all of the advanced training courses I could find and am still training. I believe in constant training; have my own private range at the farm, and shoot on a regular basis - day and night.
I carry everywhere that's legal and have worked hard to master my equipment and the art of concealment. Carrying my pistol is like putting on my shoes in the morning.
I just came home from church (where I don't carry) and stopped at our local grocery store to get a gallon of milk and there it was - the Beretta with the red line through it. When I leave my little country church 5 miles east of town my snub goes IWB. I had my Chief 36 IWB and under my coat when I got to the store and went in anyway.
To make a long story short, this was my fear of Open Carry -- that you will begin to see business after business start posting. The only advantage I could ever see in open carry was that I would not have to be so conscious about printing any longer.
I never intended to open carry -- as I feel it just makes you a target. I never wear any clothes or do anything that would indicate I'm carrying. I'm just a harmless old man out living life and going about my business and will make every attempt to avoid any kind of confrontation. I will still continue to go into that grocery store and carry my piece concealed.
Some people, it seems, want their 10 minutes of fame. I can't understand for the likes of me why someone would want to walk into a place with a big pistol carried in a manner for all to see and scare the **** out of people. That's just the way it is -- when many in the general public see a gun they just freak out.
That was my main fear of open carry -- that business after business where concealed carry was never an issue, will begin to post.
Again, I'm not trying to **** anyone off; if someone wants to open carry that's their business and their right. But, once these signs go up, many will never go down.
I was just happy with the law the way it was.