the "problem" with OC (and CC, really)

[jg1967]

This has been kinda going around in my mind for a time ... it seems to me that there is a generally critical attitude people take towards it (not you guys here, obviously). So why may that be I was wondering?

- a lot of people want to believe bad things can't happen to them
- if they do they firmly believe that somebody else will come to their aid
- it's fairly unpopular these days to want to take responsibility for anything least of all for carrying a gun and potentially having to use it
- part of that stems from the fact that creative lawyers talk courts into making decisions that defy most common sense. The fear of being sued is not mere paranoia
- the media does their darndest best to make it appear as gun = crime / danger

Sideline note, I'm German but have lived here for 12 years so I am looking at this from an outsider&insider perspective.

A long time ago in ye days of ye olde wilde west (no, I was not around already for that) everybody carried and people "took care" of problems on their own and were used to that. They had a very self-reliant approach to life and it's problems. Nowadays we want to push our problems off into somebody else's lap.

[SouthernBoy]

There is a good measure of truth in your assessment of contemporary views in general. By that I mean this same logic can be applied to any one of a number of situations the public might encounter during their day-to-day travels. As far as, "it seems to me that there is a generally critical attitude people take towards it" relating to the carrying of a defensive arm, that may depend a lot on where one lives. Attitudes and demographics do play a significant role in public opinions about carrying a firearm, open or concealed.

For what it's worth, I carry open probably over 95% of the time and have only had one negative encounter, which was from a customer in a MacDonald's.

[Jay]

Accountability has taken its leave of us. An attacker is not willing to take accountability for his actions, but if his actions adversely affect me or mine, I will hold him accountable. Folks who insist, or would see to it that others are held accountable, as best we can, are those of us who frequent this board, and many others like it. I hope our numbers are not diminishing........

[Raoul]

Americans have come to believe that someone else will take care of the problem. We've become soft and dependent on government, the military, and LE to "take care of us". In the process we continue to give up our rights and freedom so we can drink beer and watch sports.

[wuzfuz]

As noted in my signature, whether it was 18th century France or the Wild West of 1880, an armed society is a polite society. If it was understood that if you overstepped the bounds of courtesy and regulating your actions to the acceptability of your society, there were consequences, and each person saw to their own safety and security. As so-called 'civilization' spread to the west, fewer and fewer people went about their normal business armed, and the weak sisters among us began having the vapors when they spotted a sidearm strapped on someone's hip. Then, in the last century, believe it or not, the SCOTUS ruled that the police do not have a specific duty to protect you because they have a general duty to protect society and preserve the peace. Outside of my duties as a peace officer, I only drew my weapon one time, when confronted in a dark parking lot at night, with my wife beside me, by three unsavory individuals carrying a sawed off pool cue, a bicycle chain and what appeared to be a car radio antenna. I got my wife behind me when they asked if we had any money, and drew my .45, holding it down alongside my leg. I said, "Now, we aren't going to hurt one another, are we?' Seeing that I was an armed citizen prepared to defend my wife and myself, they suddenly remembered they had someplace else to be. It is my sincere belief that citizens who care for and respect our country and our laws should be carrying, ready to accept the responsibility of a good citizen to defend the public good.

[NavyLCDR]

This has been kinda going around in my mind for a time ... it seems to me that there is a generally critical attitude people take towards it (not you guys here, obviously).

I agree with what you say except for the bolded part above. There are plenty of "pro-gun" and "pro-2A" people who hate or are afraid of open carry. There are even "pro-gun" and "pro-2A" people who are against Americans carrying firearms unless they possess a license that requires training to obtain. I think the reason being is they have been so accustomed to the anti-gun rhetoric and propaganda pushed by the anti-gun crowd that some of it sticks with them.

[Sheldon]

people want to feel safe, violence on TV is only surreal, hence not here, many people tend to deny any such issues as "can't happen here" the rest of us carry guns and train........

[6shootercarry]

I agree with what you say except for the bolded part above. There are plenty of "pro-gun" and "pro-2A" people who hate or are afraid of open carry. There are even "pro-gun" and "pro-2A" people who are against Americans carrying firearms unless they possess a license that requires training to obtain. I think the reason being is they have been so accustomed to the anti-gun rhetoric and propaganda pushed by the anti-gun crowd that some of it sticks with them.

Compromise... They feel like they will get more by compromise, or so I've read.
Go read the thread "This just in from NRA-ILA" for some of that mindset...

Open carry or conceal carry. Right and responsibility... Embrace it and exercise the right and responsibility with love and devotion. Or choose not to, but infringe not on the right of others to do so as they choose.

[Sheldon]

I feel this trepidation could be more in line with well let me ask you this... How many people do you know that cannot change a light bulb unless the instructions were written on the bulb...

That every time they get in a car you know they are just an accident waiting to happen, or do real stupid things on a regular basis unsafe things.....

Now imagine that person turned loose with a gun, their first gun ever, they watch TV they don't need anyone to tell them how one works or how to use it.... Now they strap it on the hip and are going to go for a walk where they want to because they have a gun, feel safe and just like in the movies they can point and shoot and the bullet will magically go where they want it too (yes a bunch of these people voted for BHO)....

Ignorance promotes extremely unsafe conditions when it comes to firearams, (and other stuff) but I know of people I like, and consider friends but flat out would want to be in the next county if they ever purchased a gun and just threw it on before going on a walk.....

You can accuse me of being elitist if you want but I was taught about gun safety, and how to shoot by my very pro gun Uncle as a young child, have the benefit of 50 years experience and training on top of that, and have read way too many news stories of someone who is unexperienced, shooting themselves or someone else by accident because they were careless at the wrong place and wrong time...

Bottom line we do not need any negative Google Page Ranking because of lack of knowledge, we get enough of that now every time some gang banger shoots another gang banger, and every time that happens there is some weeping adult telling the world how their baby (16-29 year old with a rap sheet) was a good kid and the evil gun was at fault..... N yes the media soaks this kind of barn yard fertilizer up like a kid picking up candy on Holloween.....

[jg1967]

Pardon me but I am from Germany so I plan on cc the same way I drive: Shall we say observantly. I use all my mirrors and keep an eye open for the what's goiningg on around me. I don't normally use my phone, eat yoghurt, read the car's manual or any of the myriad idiocies I have to observe every day in traffic.

Personally I do plan on attending training courses although all the training probably can not really prepare you for a situation where you may have to draw.