Open Carry Specific > OC Questions

Why Open Carry?

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TheQ:
My friends,

I've given this exact same speech at a number of rallies.  I now would like to put it in writing.

Stay with me for a moment, and I hope the following question won't turn you off.  Would you be willing to refute the truthfulness of this statement:

Regardless of how you feel about the matter, in the past 20-30 years the GLBT (Gay/Lesbian/Bisexual/Transexual) community has gained acceptance for themselves and who they are?

I don't think you have to be pro-sexual preference choice to agree with that statement -- it's simply a fact.  Now the question becomes, "how have they accomplished this?"  I'm going to tell you how: THEY'VE COME OUT OF THE CLOSET!  Their families, friends, and neighbors have all seen nice and otherwise "normal" people come out of the closet and shamelessly tell the world they are homosexual.

That's what you do for gun ownership the day you start to open carry and everyday thereafter that you continue to open carry.  You walk around your neighborhood in the evening for exercise (physical) and you're open carrying -- you're showing your neighbors that you're a gun owner.  You go to you local grocery store while openly carrying, you're showing strangers in your town that it's not just cops and criminals that carry gun -- but good, respectable, law abiding people carry guns too.

When the topic of gun control comes up, these people (some of whom may have been on the fence) remember you and you become the face of gun owners.  They remember the nice conversation they had with you.  They ask themselves: why should we limit his rights?

So I invite you: come out of the closet, but be polite in everything you do.  Become the change that you seek.  Be the face of gun ownership to your family, friends, and your community.  Let people know that you are proud to be someone who takes defense of yourself and your loved ones seriously.  Be a proud gun owner/carrier.

Carry on and carry proudly...

/s/

Phillip Hofmeister
President
Michigan Open Carry, Inc.

* Nothing in this article is intended to besmirch nor endorse the GLBT community or those who are gay, lesbian, or bisexual.

TexasSupporter:
Well said, and a great angle on it all Q.  I would say that really sums up the whole argument for "Why Open Carry?"

At the heart of the issue is exactly that - that it is our right, and to protect the right it must be visable so that others can see and experience the right in their normal day to day life.  Otherwise, it does damage to the right, and places an undue burden upon the people to keep the right alive in the national conscience.

I look forward to the day when I will hear your speech, Q, live and in person.  And just as a side note, though I live in Texas and am trying to unseat the infringement here, I talk with friends all over the country about OC, and am winning my brother from Michigan over to gun ownership and OC too.  Will try to get him on board with MOC as soon as possible!

JaccFrost:
great answers, this is spot on. I have heard the argument of element of surprise with CC and OC makes you a target. I try to explain and help others understand but some are so set in their ways and small minded to see things in any other way. Don't get me wrong, if you don't like guns, don't want to OC or whatever, so be it, but don't try to impose your beliefs upon me. I think it really comes down to 'de-sensitizing' the public on responsible carry. Good people carry guns too, and they don't always wear a uniform. Many are your brothers, sisters, sons, daughters, fathers, mothers, friends and neighbors alike.

Another thing, I don't understand how people come to the conclusion that restricting law-abiding citizens to carry (whether OC or CC) makes them any safer, or even deters crime?

MOC provides an invaluable service and a wealth of information. Education and being informed is our key to win.

Thank you MOC and all of its Members!

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