The Argument Against Open Carry Laws

 

The controversy surrounding open carry laws is one that splits the divide between gun enthusiasts all over the country. It isn't just something that the left-wing, anti-gun crowd rails against. Rob Pincus and James Yeager are hardly flower-frolicking beatniks, but they present a very interesting arguments as to why they are not supporters of the open carry movement. Thankfully, no judge has ever suggested that the Second Amendment denies us of our open carry right, but even Chief Justice Antonin Scalia, who has almost universally backed the rights of gun owners, believes “the Second Amendment right is not unlimited. It is not a right to keep and carry any weapon whatsoever in any manner whatsoever and for whatever purpose.”

Pincus is fine with open carry if one is out in the woods hunting or on a range. But when it comes to urban environments, he is very much opposed to it. For him, there is really no advantage to carrying a weapon openly in such a situation. Sure, he admits there might be an immediate sense in which open carry gives one quick access to one's firearm. However, he is adamant that with proper training and proper placement of the firearm, concealed carry is equally as efficient. Like much of the gun movement, it only takes one feeble-minded idiot to ruin it for smart and reliable gun owners.
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One area where Pincus is vehement is with regards to individuals making political statements by carrying in the open. He argues that this kind of “ass-clownery” only leads to further gun restrictions (as with what happened in California) and ultimately paints a negative picture of gun owners in the broader social discussion. Some of you are probably already fuming at the ears hearing such a statement, but before you close yourself off to his argument, the key is to remember that we all want less gun restrictions and need to figure out what the most effective was for ALL OF US to support that.

Likewise, Yeager is against open carry as well, with one notable exception: the few places in the country that don't allow for concealed carry but DO allow for open carry. In these niche locations, open carry is the only way that one can carry legally and thus, for Yeager, open carry is acceptable. Of course, that opens us up (pun-intended) to a whole other argument, and many people simply can't understand why open carry would be allowed while conceal is not. We're certainly scratching our heads on that one here at GC.

One thing that both men emphasize is that they are unequivocally for the rights of gun owners, which is not hard to believe given their backgrounds. They just think that open carry creates far more problems than solutions, and that really the benefits of open carry are quite negligible. Check out the discussion below and let us know what you think and why.