Open Carry

"It's a political statement," he told The Boston Globe. "If you don't use your rights, then you lose your rights."

That statement was pulled from an AP article posted on Yahoo! covering the completely shocking details of a protest outside where the President was giving a speech. If you don't know, about a dozen of the protesters were openly carrying firearms as they demonstrated, including one AR-15.

Shocking, right? Guns around masses of people? The article cites a lot of people who seem to be concerned about gun-owners practicing their right to carry. Apparently it's a pretty touchy subject, especially so when it involves people in close proximity to each other and political events. Damn. I'm glad that the police have always been responsible enough to be the only side of the line that is authorized, in most places, to carry firearms. Oh, wait.

I live in a city in Colorado where open-carry is legal, but I've never seen it. I'd love to see it. I'd love to see it every time I went out. I'd love to see a stocked holster on every person's hip as they emerged from their car. It's not socially acceptable right now and you know that a majority of suburban mothers would feel it in their hearts to shun the person carrying as they KNOW that somebody's stupid kid will blast his friends face off and onto the wall, or $300 Slim PS3. Good deal, eh? If I hadn't already bought one, I'd head over to Sears aaaaaand - probably just buy a drill-press. Oh look, my birthday is coming up... Anyone? Anyone?

People probably won't fuck with you if they are uncertain, and I mean uncertain in the context of carrying being an option, if they are uncertain that you're carrying. I'm a pretty skinny fellow: 130lbs and 68" and I carry a knife with me about 75% of the time. I'd carry a firearm if I had one, and I'd make certain my wife carried as well if she weren't a mother dead-set on having none in our home, explaining why I don't. Am I concerned that something will happen to us while we're out, while we're at home? Not really, although if my son or my wife and I were threatened, I wouldn't hesitate to blast somebody's fucking skull off of their neck. I'd carry more on principle, one of the few ways that I'd feel proud to be an American. And yeah, there is always that chance. I may as well mention, target shooting and sport hunting are actually a pretty good time.

I find it inspiring when people break social norms an execute their personal rights as granted by the Constitution. Like tits on TV - firearms are good to see shown off around town, pretty reasonable and not as offensive as people make it out to be, but it's just not normal to see in cities. The more exposure to publicly displayed firearms that people receive then the less shocking it will be, just like breasts.

I praise people who promote freedom through protest, even when carrying firearms is perfectly within legal boundaries so it shouldn't be considered protest! I don't intend to focus entirely on gun-rights, which, along with the fact that I'm terrible at writing essays, only wrote this as commentary to something that I read online. Outlaw guns, and only the outlaws will have guns.

Oh shit, I just read up on the Colorado laws: it's a misdemeanor to carry a concealed knife, I think. I should read more into it.