Should we legalize long gun carry?

[Lumber_Jack]

I have zero desire to carry a log gun in public. That would be a true pain in the ass.

However, I don't think it should be illegal either. Too bad we can't trust our own to exercise good judgment. If this law were overturned every retard in the state would run to Walmart or Starbucks with their loaded AR that they barely know how to shoot.

[gregintenn]

You guys are effing ridiculous. You think we should have the right but anyone who exercises that right is an egotistical troll who should be tared and feathered. I can't believe what I'm reading.

You are entitled to your opinion. It isn't against the law to come to my table at a restaurant and fart while I'm eating, but it wouldn't be the prudent thing to do either.

 

Eric, I don't think you are old enough to remember when parents actually taught children manners, etiquette, right and wrong, and a basic respect for their fellow humans. Most things didn't need to be illegal for us to know we shouldn't do them. Sadly, it appears that time has passed. 

[Guest confidence]

I don't believe it's a good idea just because of recent events, do I think it should be illegal? No, if I want to walk into WalMart with it slung across my back it's no one elses damned business what I'm doing. Open carrying a pistol in general is a follied idea in my opinion just because it paints you as a target, though illegal. I wish there would be a day where one could walk into a store with a rifle or pistol exposed and not a person would a bat an eye but alas, that time has yet to reveal itself. Those whom went to Starbucks were apart of a country wide protest so I support that whole heartedly, as they weren't seeking to cause a panic as people like Voldemort do just randomly. I like the idea Voldemort is trying to push forward as far as open carry is concerned but he goes about it in the WAY wrong, and usually asinine, direction.

 

I believe you meant:

 

...just because it paints you as a target, though legal.

[Guest confidence]

You are entitled to your opinion. It isn't against the law to come to my table at a restaurant and fart while I'm eating, but it wouldn't be the prudent thing to do either.

 

Eric, I don't think you are old enough to remember when parents actually taught children manners, etiquette, right and wrong, and a basic respect for their fellow humans. Most things didn't need to be illegal for us to know we shouldn't do them. Sadly, it appears that time has passed. 

 

Ah, the nostalgia of yesteryear....Where people in previous centuries knew better than to....um....uh.... Wait, didn't they carry long guns in public in previous centuries?

[TMF]

You guys confuse the hell out of me. You tore apart the guys who openly carried rifles into Starbucks yet 85% of you think we should legalize this process?

I'm wondering what percentage of our members are bipolar

So in your world if you think something is stupid it should be illegal?

In my world I believe there are lots of stupid things people can do that should be legal. I don't have to support or even agree with a person's actions for me to agree with the legality of those actions.

Your argument sounds similar to a conversation with a statist I had the other day in regard to legalizing drugs and prostitution. He said that since I would support the legalization of those things I should have no problem with my son being a druggie and my daughter being a hooker. Folks like you and him just don't get it. You really need to not project your own statist view on others; the concept that if you disagree with something you must make it illegal.

[Erik88]

So in your world if you think something is stupid it should be illegal?

In my world I believe there are lots of stupid things people can do that should be legal. I don't have to support or even agree with a person's actions for me to agree with the legality of those actions.

Your argument sounds similar to a conversation with a statist I had the other day in regard to legalizing drugs and prostitution. He said that since I would support the legalization of those things I should have no problem with my son being a druggie and my daughter being a hooker. Folks like you and him just don't get it. You really need to not project your own statist view on others; the concept that if you disagree with something you must make it illegal.

 

I never said it should be illegal. What I'm pointing out is the hypocracy here on TGO where all of you turned against other gun owners who exercised their rights to carry long guns but they claimed TN should legalize it.

 

I don't think the government should be restricting our right to carry long guns, but I'm also not going to chastise people who chose to exercise that right. Let's face it, there really isn't a good place to open carry an AR-15. So whether or not they chose to do it at Starbucks or Wal-Mart it makes no differnce to me. Some of you don't make a damn bit of sense.

Edited October 24, 2013 by Erik88

[Erik88]

So in your world if you think something is stupid it should be illegal?

In my world I believe there are lots of stupid things people can do that should be legal. I don't have to support or even agree with a person's actions for me to agree with the legality of those actions.

Your argument sounds similar to a conversation with a statist I had the other day in regard to legalizing drugs and prostitution. He said that since I would support the legalization of those things I should have no problem with my son being a druggie and my daughter being a hooker. Folks like you and him just don't get it. You really need to not project your own statist view on others; the concept that if you disagree with something you must make it illegal.

 

You are entitled to your opinion. It isn't against the law to come to my table at a restaurant and fart while I'm eating, but it wouldn't be the prudent thing to do either.

 

Eric, I don't think you are old enough to remember when parents actually taught children manners, etiquette, right and wrong, and a basic respect for their fellow humans. Most things didn't need to be illegal for us to know we shouldn't do them. Sadly, it appears that time has passed. 

 

I'm not sure what point you are trying to make Greg. I never said the open carry of long guns was a good idea. But if it's the law then I'm not going to yell at someone for exercising their right. If we are suggesting that TN should allow open carry of long guns, but we are then going to bitch about everyone that does it then what's the point?

[McGarrett]

Never crossed my mind that you could not carry a long gun in TN.

 

No need for a permit to carry a long gun anywhere in Ga. Or any gun in your car.

 

I have an AR 15 in the window gun rack of my truck an drive all over TN. It never crossed my mind that TN would restrict long guns in any way.

The thought of having a long gun visible in a window rack in the pickup would concern me. It might be too tempting for someone to break the window and steal it when your truck was parked and not sure I would want the extra attention.

 

Do you have a locking rack? Sometimes I would not mind having the AR in the vehicle but I would not like for it to be visible. The vehicles I generally drive are not very high security, old pickups locks don't work good, so I am not sure about leaving long guns in there unattended, especially in plain sight.

 

I believe in the "shall not be infringed", but I do not see my self carrying a long gun in public under normal circumstances. Vehicle maybe, but just walking around in public probably not. I have an hcp but have never carried the long gun in my vehicle yet, but you never now.

Edited October 24, 2013 by McGarrett

[TMF]

I never said it should be illegal. What I'm pointing out is the hypocracy here on TGO where all of you turned against other gun owners who exercised their rights to carry long guns but they claimed TN should legalize it.

Go back and read my post again. Digest it and rethink your answer. From what you have written here you didn't come close to comprehending what I said.

[Erik88]

Almost, but not quite. The tarring and feathering is a little much. Here's the thing, just because something may not be a good idea for whatever reason, does not mean that the government should be making laws against it. I don't think it is a good idea to use IV drugs like heroin. I also don't think the government has any business making it illegal and stealing from the populace to wage a horrendous drug war against them to stop a consensual activity. No victim, no crime.

 

Edited to add: Just because I don't think there should be a law against what somebody is doing, doesn't mean I can't tell them that they are a dumbass for doing it.

 

Nope, go back to the Starbucks thread where many of you said OCers "should be hit upside the head with a stick" and you'll see that the tar and feathering isn't that unreasonable. You all seem to think open carry is only acceptable when it's convenient for you but the fact remains that many people(especially on this forum) think that even open carry of a sidearm is inappropriate. So again, let me ask the question, if you don't agree with it they why legalize it? You're just going to talk sh*t about the few people who have the balls to exercise that right so why don't we just make open carry of anything illegal if you all feel it's so irresponsible?

[Erik88]

Go back and read my post again. Digest it and rethink your answer. From what you have written here you didn't come close to comprehending what I said.

 

Of course not, you're never wrong. I fully understand what you're saying. You compared my post to a conversation you had with some statist.

 

You said "so in your world you think something is stupid you think it should be illegal". This is not what I said, nor what I think.

 

You think it should be legal, but you're also going to belittle anyone who dares exercise this right. Or am I wrong? You were the loudest voice in the Starbucks thread.

[TMF]

Of course not, you're never wrong. I fully understand what you're saying. You compared my post to a conversation you had with some statist.

You said "so in your world you think something is stupid you think it should be illegal". This is not what I said, nor what I think.

You think it should be legal, but you're also going to belittle anyone who dares exercise this right. Or am I wrong? You were the loudest voice in the Starbucks thread.

You still don't get it. I'm sorry that you don't, but I can't wave a magic wand to suddenly increase your reading comprehension. If you can't grasp my intention or the intention of others based on what we wrote, and you continue to ignore what the word "context" means, you will go on believing something that isn't so. You have the right to do that, but you're wrong.

You just want to be pissed off that people like me think that people who walk around crowded areas with an AR15 strapped to them with the INTENTION of inciting panic are friggin morons. Fine, get pissed off, but don't misunderstand what I say.

Edited October 24, 2013 by TMF

[Erik88]

... :up:

 

forget it.

Edited October 24, 2013 by Erik88

[McGarrett]

I'm really happy for the turnout on this poll! It's interesting to read each of your opinions... Thank you! Keep 'em coming!

Possible can of worms opening after reading the last few posts. Oh well, it makes for an interesting discussion.

[Chucktshoes]

Nope, go back to the Starbucks thread where many of you said OCers "should be hit upside the head with a stick" and you'll see that the tar and feathering isn't that unreasonable. You all seem to think open carry is only acceptable when it's convenient for you but the fact remains that many people(especially on this forum) think that even open carry of a sidearm is inappropriate. So again, let me ask the question, if you don't agree with it they why legalize it? You're just going to talk sh*t about the few people who have the balls to exercise that right so why don't we just make open carry of anything illegal if you all feel it's so irresponsible?

You are ascribing the views of others, which I have neither stated nor endorsed, to me. Please don't. If you want to debate others for views they hold, cool, but that isn't what I have said so don't expect me to defend other's positions. I do OC on occasion. I would like long gun OC legalized because I can foresee times where it would be appropriate. I don't think strapping my AR to my back and heading down to Starbucks (who doesn't want my gun there in the first place) and all but screaming "look at me!!!!" falls under the heading of appropriate. That still doesn't mean I think the government has any business making a law against it. Just as I don't want other folks using the government against me to legislate their idea of what is or is not a good idea, I refuse to do the same to others. Laws should not be used to protect people from themselves. There is a vast difference between me saying, "what you are doing is stupid and you are a dumbass for doing it" and "what you are doing is stupid, so we made it illegal. Now turn around and place your hands behind your back." One of them is the expression of an opinion, the other is an act of violence. Like I said before, just because I don't think an action should be illegal, doesn't mean I can't call you a dumbass for doing it.

[Mark@Sea]

Yet another instance of .gov assuming that the unwashed have to be told what, when, where and how.  I'm waiting for the 'wipe your rear end when you finish your business' law. 

[Clod Stomper]

Let's face it, there really isn't a good place to open carry an AR-15.

Not in an urban setting, maybe. But if I want to walk the 1/4 mile down the rural road to my uncle's house or the next 1/4 mile to my brother's to see if he wants to go hunt some coyotes with my AR, I either have to 1) not walk and drive instead or 2) carry the gun there and then go back for my ammo in order to be absolutely legal.

I can come up with several more that do not involve Walmart or Starbucks.

I see what you're saying. You smell hypocrisy from those who berate some activists for carrying long guns in public and then say that it shouldn't be illegal. But it isn't hypocrisy to think that something is stupid but still shouldn't be illegal. It's a respect for liberty. Some of us still adhere to the old quote "I may not agree with what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it".

The statists are the ones who say "I don't agree with what you say so there should be a law against you saying it.

Another anecdote. My sister-in-law smokes cigarettes. I jump her case about it all the time. I think smoking is stupid. But I don't want to be able to call the government and have their enforcers come haul her away. On the contrary, if someone were to try that, they would have to face me first.

I don't see the inconsistency there.

[whitewolf001]

I believe you meant:

Lol, yes I did, thanks. ;)

[JAB]

You guys are effing ridiculous. You think we should have the right but anyone who exercises that right is an egotistical troll who should be tared and feathered. I can't believe what I'm reading.

 

There is a difference between going about one's business while carrying a long gun down the street, etc. or even into a truly gun friendly business and being an activist who insists on carrying them into a place of business that doesn't really want to be part of the debate and is trying to remain neutral - thereby causing a resultant curbing of the ability to carry in that place of business by those who recognize that the place of business in question just wants to sell friggin' coffee and does NOT want to be a battleground for the issue.  For that matter, the same is true regarding open vs. concealed carry of a handgun.  What is so difficult to understand about that?  Having the 'right' to do something doesn't mean that one shouldn't still exercise enough common sense to decide when actually doing so is appropriate or not.  I have the 'right' to free speech but getting up and talking about how Obama is destroying the country in the middle of a wedding, halting the service and interrupting the couple's wedding vows still isn't an appropriate thing to do.  What is so confusing - or conflicted - about that?  Seems pretty simple and, again, a matter of basic, common sense, to me.

Edited October 24, 2013 by JAB

[M1_Garand]

Voted yes, although I can't think of any reason why I'd carry a long gun out in public.

[Jonnin]

I would love to see a reversal of the norms so that carrying a weapon is normal and not a threat nor a concern to the average citizen.  But I do not think that can be done overnight.   I would love to see long gun carry not draw the police to you nor be an issue, but it IS.  

 

So its not being hypocritical to say we would like to see *arms* made legal yet do not recommend "Voldemort" tactics to get us there.   We are the good guys.  We are not stupid.  We should be able to find a POSITIVE way to do this rather than strapping on hardware and scaring the crap out of everyone.   No matter what, a few liberals and idiots are going to be scared by any weapon, and those can be ignored -- what I am talking about is doing something that has every other person who sees you calling the cops which leads to 4 officers having a talk with you every 15 min (ok, that is gonna happen some, so far so good) and then responding like a jerk about it -- giving the cops a hard time (hey, they were CALLED in because of YOUR hardware, and are just doing their job (PROTECT and serve) and doing the in-your-face negative publicity.   Of all that, only the last bit is the problem: do it, respond calmly to the cops, let them look at the weapon, let them see your ID, and put on your church manners for em.  Be polite.  Let them know you are not hurting anyone.  Grin and bear it.   If the gun owning community could just trade a little pride in, we could return the country (or parts of it, anyway) to a state where having a weapon is not an immediate reason to dial 911, but instead a commonplace thing that is of no concern.   It will take years, but people adapt well if given a little encouragement, I would bet inside 5 years the fear over weapons would be mostly cured.

[LagerHead]

You guys confuse the hell out of me. You tore apart the guys who openly carried rifles into Starbucks yet 85% of you think we should legalize this process?

 

I'm wondering what percentage of our members are bipolar

 

If you thought really hard you could probably come up with 1,000 things I think are really, really dumb ideas. Out of those 1,000 I probably think 2 of them should be illegal. Just because I think it's a terrible idea in no way means I think the government is going to come up with a better one.

 

So yea, it should be legal AND I think the folks that carried them into Starbucks were wrong. No contradiction here. 

[tnguy]

I would rather be in a crowd of AR or AK totin people than the same folks with loaded bolt action deer rifles or shotguns.  A great many traditional guns seem to fire when dropped, dunno if they are antiques or flawed or what but you here time and time again of someone throwing or tossing or even gravity pulling down a gun leaned against a wall and it discharges.  Modern rifles seem to have a better safety system.

Though you have to wonder how much of that is not strictly the truth. Like when people die "cleaning their guns".

[tnguy]

Not in an urban setting, maybe. But if I want to walk the 1/4 mile down the rural road to my uncle's house or the next 1/4 mile to my brother's to see if he wants to go hunt some coyotes with my AR, I either have to 1) not walk and drive instead or 2) carry the gun there and then go back for my ammo in order to be absolutely legal.

Here's where we could perhaps draw a distinction. How about legalizing unloaded carry but allow ammunition to be carried separately. I think that would be fine with me but I'd rather people not carry loaded without good reason.

[whitewolf001]

Here's where we could perhaps draw a distinction. How about legalizing unloaded carry but allow ammunition to be carried separately. I think that would be fine with me but I'd rather people not carry loaded without good reason.

That pretty much is the aforementioned law. There shouldn't be any regulations on it regardless of it being loaded or not.