Open carry or concealed carry…the debate never ends!

Billy Denton 07/16/2018
McCalla, AL

Before I get started let me make something emphatically clear! I do not promote any one method of firearm carry over another. I open carry probably 95 percent of the time. What I do promote is simply carry how you wish, BUT PLEASE CARRY! I promote carry as much and as often as you can. I said this so I will not be misquoted or accused of being one of those CRAZY OPEN CARRY ONLY people. I’m not! But it is MY PREFERRED method of carrying. It does not have to be yours and there are some people that open carry that should not be doing it. That’s a discussion for another day lol.

Let’s talk about the concept of open carry. When we say open carry we are talking about carrying your firearm exposed where people can actually see it. We all know about concealed carry. The courts have ruled that concealed carry is a government privilege. What I find funny among concealed carriers who argue that it is the only right and proper way to carry is that they are promoting a privilege instead of the ONLY legal way to carry that IS NOT a government privilege, at least in my state. Go figure.

I stand amazed at all the myths and falsehoods that are promoted and talked about by those that are concealed carry only people. Let me state it again. I do not care how you carry. Carry open or carry concealed; just carry but do not make foolish statements to us that OC that are your opinion as if your opinion is law. There is a lot of bad information out there about open and concealed carry. It is as bad as discussing Alabama / Auburn football or Glocks vs 1911’s. There have been divorces, fights, and friendships ended over both. Let us look at the most common myths that are talked about.

The first myth you will hear is that a bad guy will shoot the person who has an exposed firearm first and without warning when they initiate a crime. Ok, I will give you the fact that this SOUNDS like it makes sense. Anytime open carry is brought up on social media we will surely hear this myth. Yes, I call it a myth because the truth is…IT DOESN’T HAPPEN! Criminals are not skilled members of a highly trained special operations group operating in superman mode. To listen to people on social media you would be led to believe that criminals are going to choose a place to rob, walk in and look for anyone open carrying and if they see someone that is open carrying, walk up calmly, coolly, and with a tactical skill found only in elite operators, behind the open carrier and cap him in the back of the head. It sounds possible. Maybe even sounds reasonable. Truth is…IT DOESN’T HAPPEN!

Listen, the guys that hold up gas stations and the local corner store are not skilled at anything. They’re criminals’ not highly trained tactical gurus! I cannot recall in all my years of ever reading a story where an open carrier was targeted first, then shot and killed as a crime was being initiated. I have had conversations when I was working in a jail ministry where a criminal would tell me that if he thought that there would be some kind of altercation he would just move on and look for an easier target. Yet we continue to hear the myth that a bad guy is going to come in and shoot you first. It is exactly that…a myth! The truth is more likely that a bad guy walks into a corner store; sees a customer open carrying a handgun and will decide quickly that he does not want the confrontation. He will either leave and go somewhere else or wait around until that OC’er leaves. You say I cannot prove this is so. Other than the years of jail ministry as I have stated above and the many other interviews with criminals by numerous other groups that testify that criminals do not look for altercation then no, I cannot. However, you have no proof that it isn’t so either so let us be fair, shall we? I think the better information is on my side.

Does anyone here think that two bad guys walk into a store or restaurant look around and say to each other, “I wonder how many people are concealed carrying”? “Since we don’t know we better leave until we do know”! Nope, doesn’t happen. And no concealed carrier has a tactical advantage because to have a tactical advantage is to be on offense. Concealed carry is a defensive maneuver and there is nothing tactical about it other than it being a defensive maneuver. I think you are more likely to get into a gunfight concealed carrying than open carrying because the bad guy engages in a criminal act BECAUSE HE SEES NO WEAPON.  If he sees you are armed most likely he leaves or waits until you leave. I believe open carry possibly stops more criminal acts than carrying concealed.

What I find funny is that the same people who promote concealed carry have no problem promoting their first amendment right. That is good, but I wonder why these people promote their first amendment right OPENLY and promote their second amendment right…HIDDEN? I mean come on now. Do you promote your first amendment right in secrecy, hidden away as you do your second amendment right? I listen to these people as they go on and on that open carrying cause’s fellow citizens to be angered or annoyed or made to feel uncomfortable and it will ruin our chance of winning an anti-gun person over. Really? I bet exercising your first amendment right publically has angered and annoyed a heck of a lot more people than exercising your second amendment right publically. Here is a comment made about CJ Grisham and Open Carry Texas that was made by a second amendment supporter:

“Whether it’s OC demonstrators or assless chap wearing gay paraders crossing the line from enthusiasm to downright foolishness, once is too much. Acting out in such fashion to often only puts off others who might otherwise be sympathetic to their cause”

Had Mr. Grisham not went to jail for open carry and founded OCT afterward Texas would not be an open carry state today.

Do you think we should stop exercising our first amendment right openly and publically since we all know it can be offensive and irritate you know what out of our fellow citizens? Shall we practice “concealed speech” and not share our political views openly because that is offensive and omg we can’t be offensive can we even though it is free speech! So all you OC bashers please tone it down and do not voice your political opinions publically again. After all, you might offend or anger someone or hurt someone’s feelings. You see now how silly your arguments are. For the most part, I believe that anyone who is irritated to see a law-abiding citizen going about his business with his/her firearm on their hip doesn’t support the right to keep bear arms in the first place. Probably nothing you will ever do or say will change their mind. They hate guns, they hate freedom and they hate you!

Having said this I believe that when you open carry you are helping the cause of gun rights. I heard someone ask the question, “How many times does a citizen who frowns on open carry have to be in the presence of somebody carrying a firearm on their hip and nothing happens before they realize that, well, nothing happens”? Open carry helps to desensitize the ridiculous fear that people have of seeing a law-abiding person carrying a firearm on their hip. Someone said that if the public sees firearms every day then they begin to not give them a second thought. They are in fact desensitized to the fact.  You think not? Just look at how we have become de-sensitized to…wait for it…I’m going to use a word most people laugh at…SIN! Adultery, fornication, and a host of other perversions no longer bother us like it did fifty years ago. Heck, we have even passed laws making some sin legal.  What we see on TV no longer bothers us. Frankly, we watch filth while sitting on the couch with our kids with no sense of wrong but you want to accuse OC’ers of being insensitive to the feelings of others! Get out of here lol.

Again, as far as I am concerned when you conceal carry you are “hiding” your second amendment right. Please tell me how concealed carry promotes our right to keep and bear arms? It doesn’t! Are you going to promote your first amendment right of free speech by being silent? I heard someone say that If we open carry it’s the same as “speaking your mind boldly like an American”. Yes, the left would have me sit in the back of the bus but that is not going to happen.

As for Alabama, around 1840, when Montgomery County Sheriff Reid was arrested for concealed carry, Yes, I said concealed carry, he took his case before the AL Supreme Court (ALSC) based upon the right to bear arms in the AL Constitution. Finally, in their decision, the ALSC split apart open carry and concealed carry making them separate topics. They made open carry the right as acknowledged by the State Constitution and gave the state legislature the authority to regulate concealed carry. Today, open carry in AL is an inviolate right while concealed carry is only legal as a licensed privilege under AL law. This, of course, is unconstitutional in the mind of any conservative constitutionalist.
State vs Reid

“I promote freedom not a government privilege.”

Don’t misunderstand me there are times when carrying concealed is the better choice. For twenty-plus years I carried concealed in the pulpit. That was my choice and I believe that how you carry today should be your choice. I am convinced reading social media posts that many of those people that are against open carry are against it for no other reason other than their LE friend does not think they should. Many police officers do not like open carry. I get it. But it is legal and thousands of people all over this country do like it. It is the preferred method of carrying for them. Ask an officer if he thinks you should inform him you are armed if he pulls you over at a traffic stop and 9 out of 10 will say yes. In Alabama and other states, one does not have to. I read every week on social media someone say; “I always inform an officer that I am carrying”. In my opinion that is not wise. It is legal to not inform an officer and those that do inform many times are doing so hoping to get out of a ticket. Some I am convinced do it because they think it is cool to let an officer know they are packing. I have seen the other side of the story and more than one person paid dearly for informing an officer that they were carrying. If you choose to inform that is fine I am not going to call you names or get mad at you if you do. I expect the same courtesy. Let your conscience be your guide and I’ll do the same.
A lot can be said about not informing…also for another discussion lol.

If you live in a place where you can open carry, then there is no real reason not to unless you are simply not comfortable with it. I do, however, believe if you are going to carry openly then you NEED to learn the safe and proper way to do so. Educate yourself about retention holsters and how to physically retain your firearm if someone were to attempt to take it. In all my years, I have only heard of one incident where this was attempted.
Let me sum this up with one statement.
Carry the way you feel comfortable carrying…but DO carry!

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