Literature to pass out while OCing

[RobertNashville]

Are you him?

I think you figured him out, Dave. (just kidding)

I've looked for REAL, scientifically conducted statistical research with multiple regressions concerning openly carried firearms vs concealed carried firearms...I haven't looked at every possible source but so far, I've found none. Oh there is plenty of "opinion" and some of the opinion sounds very convincing; even scientific...but at the end of the day, it's 99% anecdotes and opinions and proves nothing.

Does CARRYING deter crime? YES!*

• Does carrying openly deter crime? Yes
  
• Does carrying concealed deter crime? Yes
  
• Are there advantages to openly carrying? Almost certainly yes.
  
• Are there advantages to carrying concealed? Almost certainly yes.
  

All of which misses what should be the point!

* The only true, scientifically conducted research into the effect on crime of the public being allowed, in most states, to carry a firearm can be found in "More Guns Less Crime". However, statistically, there is no distinction...no stats differentiating between Open and Concealed carry. Moreover, while many states do allow some form of open carry, most do not - most require carry to be concealed (at least I believe most still require concealment - if that's no longer correct then someone please correct me). What we do KNOW is that an armed public DOES deter crime and the arguments against the carrying of weapons by law abiding civilians fall flat on their face before the tidal wave of years, and yeas of experience and stats that show, not just a correlation but a true causal relationship between the increasing number of armed citizens and reductions in crime.

I sometimes carry openly...I usually carry concealed but at the end of the day, I could not care less how anyone else chooses to carry; I just hope that they DO carry because it's better for EVERYONE if they do.

I DO care about those so bent on openly carrying that it causes problems for others (by failing to use any discretion about how/where they are carrying) or those who carry for their own self-aggrandizement or because they want confrontation and to rub their "right" to carry into the face of the great "uninformed" sheep - those who carry for those reasons/in that manner are a determent to all of us.

Edited September 26, 2011 by RobertNashville

[Guest kirkosaurus]

I think you figured him out, Dave. (just kidding)

LOL. I've met the administrator of TGO face to face. He can verify that I am not Leonard Embody.

I've looked for REAL, scientifically conducted statistical research with multiple regressions concerning openly carried firearms vs concealed carried firearms...I haven't looked at every possible source but so far, I've found none. Oh there is plenty of "opinion" and some of the opinion sounds very convincing; even scientific...but at the end of the day, it's 99% anecdotes and opinions and proves nothing.

Does CARRYING deter crime? YES!*

• Does carrying openly deter crime? Yes
  
• Does carrying concealed deter crime? Yes
  
• Are there advantages to openly carrying? Almost certainly yes.
  
• Are there advantages to carrying concealed? Almost certainly yes.
  

All of which misses what should be the point!

* The only true, scientifically conducted research into the effect on crime of the public being allowed, in most states, to carry a firearm can be found in "More Guns Less Crime". However, statistically, there is no distinction...no stats differentiating between Open and Concealed carry. Moreover, while many states do allow some form of open carry, most do not - most require carry to be concealed (at least I believe most still require concealment - if that's no longer correct then someone please correct me). What we do KNOW is that an armed public DOES deter crime and the arguments against the carrying of weapons by law abiding civilians fall flat on their face before the tidal wave of years, and yeas of experience and stats that show, not just a correlation but a true causal relationship between the increasing number of armed citizens and reductions in crime.

I sometimes carry openly...I usually carry concealed but at the end of the day, I could not care less how anyone else chooses to carry; I just hope that they DO carry because it's better for EVERYONE if they do.

I DO care about those so bent on openly carrying that it causes problems for others (by failing to use any discretion about how/where they are carrying) or those who carry for their own self-aggrandizement or because they want confrontation and to rub their "right" to carry into the face of the great "uninformed" sheep - those who carry for those reasons/in that manner are a determent to all of us.

Glad to see you actually get it!

For some reason I thought you were one of those "there is absolutely no reason to ever open carry" guys.

[Guest 270win]

I don't even hand out my business card to everyone I meet and I try to pick up a client base. Businesses in general do not like you walking around soliciting. Some restaurants have spots to post up or lay down business cards. If someone asks what I do for a living and is interested, that is the only time I give a business card.

Gun literature/business cards, that is a tough one just in public. I'd say you might find a good audience at a gun show, range, or gun club. Now if you were a gun dealer I could see again laying down business cards at local restaurants on the business card table. That might be real handy at a restaurant frequented by emergency services folks and the restaurant folks know you are the local gun dealer.

I personally don't see any advantage handing out literature just to hand out literature on the street while carrying your gun however you see fit. I'd carry my gun and mind my own business. If you carry in the open, and someone just gives you a wierd look, oh well you're legal.

[TGO David]

Wow... I've been away from the computer for the past three days and this thread is still going strong. Nice!

If you set aside practical notions, this topic really boils down to a matter of personal convictions much the same as a person's choice in religion, choice in political party or even the choice to carry a firearm for their protection in the first place. And while we may occasionally see defectors from one side of the argument to the other, having been persuaded either by a really convincing argument or just a personal epiphany, the majority of what will be accomplished in this threads is just "churn".

I'm not saying these threads are bad or should be avoided, I'm just making the observation that a lot of energy is being expended and not a whole lot of motion is resulting from it. If you've ever watched a riverboat hold a line of barges against the current, you've got the same mental picture I do when I read this thread. LOTS of churn, lots of noise... can't really tell if it's moving anywhere, but it's really damn impressive to watch.

Personally I'm against the "tactics" of open carry but I support everyone else's right to do it so long as they aren't causing me any harm. Where we have a problem is when folks do it irresponsibly or to make a political statement and end up causing the whole Pro Carry movement to lose ground. Jackasses like Leonard Embody come to mind.

So I'd leave you all with this:

If you choose to open carry, do it for the right reason. Making a statement really should be so far down the list behind a bunch of really good reasons that it doesn't even enter into the equation. If it's not, then maybe you should re-evaluate not only why you're open carrying but also why you're carrying a gun in the first place.