Open Carry Day in TN?

[The Rabbi]

Sorry for posting this as a newcomer to the forum. I did a search and didnt see anything on it right off.

We know that TN allows open carry. For lots of reasons I dont particularly recommend it and myself dont open carry.

But for a while I had the thought that an Open Carry Day would be a good thing. There are, AFAIK, about 250,000 permit holders in this state of 7M people. My idea is that one day it would do everyone good to see how many of us carry, and also what kinds of people do it. What an eye opener for someone to see his doctor or his accountant carrying a weapon. It would bring weapons carry into the mainstream and maybe make people a little more comfortable with the concept. Heck, might even encourage a few to apply for their permits.

What do you say?

[Guest Hyaloid]

I'd prolly do it.

[molonlabetn]

I open-carried all day yesterday, across seven counties, stopped several times with no problems, as usual. Met GlocKingTN and his wife in Bolivar and we both open-carried during dinner before my wife and I picked up our new puppy.

[Donnie]

I'd be up for that.

[molonlabetn]

I'd be up for that.

I'll be OCing when I come pick up my Tantal... they e-mailed saying that it would likely ship this week.

[TGO David]

I open carried on my way to and from the USPSA match the other night, out of necessity. Does that count?

[saintsfanbrian]

I open carry every day on the way to work. I have stopped on numerous occasions to get breakfast or gas or money and no one has even looked twice at me.

[Donnie]

I'll be OCing when I come pick up my Tantal... they e-mailed saying that it would likely ship this week.

My 226 should be in this week (fingers crossed)

[Guest looneeetunes]

my idea on open carry is i like the element of surprise. in my opinion just a chance to have it taken away from you if one draws your attention and the other goes for it.. this reply may open a can of worms, but just my opinion..

[Guest looneeetunes]

although rabbi i see your point also and i do agree, it would be great to see who all does carry, and make more folks aware that there are alot of us

[molonlabetn]

my idea on open carry is i like the element of surprise. in my opinion just a chance to have it taken away from you if one draws your attention and the other goes for it.. this reply may open a can of worms, but just my opinion..

Might work in some limited circumstances, but the element of surprise also generally involves a slower reaction time (slower draw), when YOU are the one who is surprised.

If it's summertime, and I'll be riding in a vehicle, there are many advantages to making my handgun as accessible to draw as possible, while keeping it dry and me comfortable.

If somebody is so determined to do me harm that they ignore the fact that I am obviously armed... all the 'surprise' factor in the world won't change the fact that I will have to defend myself quickly. I'd rather have the ability to draw a bit more rapidly, instead of unpredictably escalating their rash course of action.

Concealment, IMHO, is more a social issue... for when I know that I'll be in situations where other people will be in close proximity to me. Moreso a retention method.

[Guest Phantom6]

I, like looneeetunes want the sight of my pistol to be the first of two (and most likely last) surprises the bad guy will have coming from me that day. I do see your point though. How cool would it be to see my pastor with a S&W #66 strapped on his hip?!! Way cool!

[Guest Hyaloid]

OC day with a march around the State Capitol to protest our inability to carry in certain well frequented locations?

Maybe we should just start small though, and I would worry about the timing (VT et al.)

[Guest mrnord]

Hello, I would partisipate in a statewide OC day. That being said, I advocate CC. CC IMO is much better and safer. There are good arguments on both sides of this issue, I happen to agree most with the CC side.

Carl

[bteague2]

Maybe we should just start small though, and I would worry about the timing (VT et al.)

If nothing else the VT shooting makes this a more important time to show that the majority of legal gun owners are good citizens. I'm a college student and I have atleast one gun in my apartment at all times and I tell people that, if they don't like it they can get the hell out and I tell them that too.

[Guest Steelharp]

Bill... you sneak... I know you! You just want an open carry day to indentify potential new customers!! "Oh, look... HE doesn't have one!"

[Guest Voodoo_1]

All of the Memphis guys could meet in front of WMC TV 5's building, on Union, so they could do a back-up story about us "PACKING HEAT":devil:

[shaftbass]

I'm out.

[The Rabbi]

I'm out.

Whats your issue with it?

I would really like to avoid thread drift into a discussion of open vs concealed carry. That isnt the point. The point is to adopt one day in the year when we all open carry as a political protest of sorts by law abiding gun owners.

I'd propose the 4th Saturday in March, which is the day the TN State constitution was adopted.

[Guest DeeZee]

Whats your issue with it?

I would really like to avoid thread drift into a discussion of open vs concealed carry. That isn't the point. The point is to adopt one WEEK in the year when we all open carry as a political protest of sorts by law abiding gun owners.

I'd propose the WEEK of March 4th, which is the day the TN State constitution was adopted.

There, I fixed it for you.

I think 1 day wouldn't be enough.....A week would probably be enough time for folks to get acclimated to seeing a good portion of our population open carrying. I'm a proponent of CC but a PROTEST of ridiculous Gun laws is what this country needs. They took our Right to bear arms away and replaced it with a PRIVELEDGE, sounds like good ole fashioned Bull ****e to me.

Count me in Rabbi

[shaftbass]

Whats your issue with it?

I would really like to avoid thread drift into a discussion of open vs concealed carry. That isnt the point. The point is to adopt one day in the year when we all open carry as a political protest of sorts by law abiding gun owners.

I'd propose the 4th Saturday in March, which is the day the TN State constitution was adopted.

I agree. We don't need to get into open vs concealed carry.

I just don't really see what carrying openly for a day or even a week will accomplish. People see my carrying my gun.. ok, now what?

Best case scenario, what do you think it would accomplish? Obviously I read your post so I know what you would want to happen, but how would carrying openly for a day accomplish this?

[The Rabbi]

I agree. We don't need to get into open vs concealed carry.

I just don't really see what carrying openly for a day or even a week will accomplish. People see my carrying my gun.. ok, now what?

Best case scenario, what do you think it would accomplish? Obviously I read your post so I know what you would want to happen, but how would carrying openly for a day accomplish this?

It's not that people are going to see you. It is that people will see 250,000 permit holders openly carrying.

It does 2 things:

1) It affirms that open carry is legal here. That's a bigger deal than it sounds because a lot of people (including LEOs) think it isn't or will hassle people carrying openly.

2) It demonstrates how widespread carry is. It also demonstrates the broad range of people carrying. Most discussions from the anti side (just check the comments on the Tennessean website) focus on gun owners and permit holders being yay-hoos with no teeth. In fact ministers, doctors, lawyers, etc etc are also permit holders.

If the general populace sees how many people carry it will remove some of the stigma attached to carry. That is the point.

[Guest GlocKingTN]

It's not that people are going to see you. It is that people will see 250,000 permit holders openly carrying.

It does 2 things:

1) It affirms that open carry is legal here. That's a bigger deal than it sounds because a lot of people (including LEOs) think it isn't or will hassle people carrying openly.

2) It demonstrates how widespread carry is. It also demonstrates the broad range of people carrying. Most discussions from the anti side (just check the comments on the Tennessean website) focus on gun owners and permit holders being yay-hoos with no teeth. In fact ministers, doctors, lawyers, etc etc are also permit holders.

If the general populace sees how many people carry it will remove some of the stigma attached to carry. That is the point.

Very good point Rabbi! I OC just about everywhere I go, within reason of course! I haven't had a problem one, well, except little kids pointing and things like that. But my town is small enough that just about everyone knows I carry, including the LEO's. So carrying it concealed here, would be a personal preference issue. OC or CC, either or, people know either way. I would be all for the OC day(week)! As I do it most of the time anyway! I try not to OC in towns that dont know me, but I do sometimes forget!

[Guest Len]

Hmmm....

Getting an idea here...

Pretty much every interest group out there has a "Day on the Hill" during the legislative session. For example, there is a Higher Education Day when a bunch of students/faculty/staff/big shot administrators from TBR and UT basically roam the halls of the legislature, press the flesh, hold news conferences, present reports, advocate for whatever legislation is around, asking for more money in the budget, etc.

We cant do "carry day on the hill" since firearms are not permitted in govt buildings, but maybe as part of a state-wide carry day, a carry day outside the capitol (on a Nashville public street -totally legal), hold a news conference, have a rally, open carry, etc.

Then we invite all the media to board a chartered bus, take them out to a range somewhere and have a "media shoot," (no, not "shoot the media"!) where we introduce the media and any govt officials who come along to shooting. Have a variety of handguns, get corporate sponsorships, have instructors and RSOs available for mini-lessons & safety. Bring out the ACS folks and have them talk about the charity shoot they do, have someone from the NRA Foundation talk about where all their grant money goes, etc...

And of course, this is all sponsored by TGO, and everyone present gets an invite to join TGO.

The idea here is to build some positive visibility, which I think was The Rabbi's original plan, in a controlled setting.

We would do this next March, on "TN Constitution Day" so would have plenty of time to plan.

Thoughts?

[shaftbass]

It's not that people are going to see you. It is that people will see 250,000 permit holders openly carrying.

It does 2 things:

1) It affirms that open carry is legal here. That's a bigger deal than it sounds because a lot of people (including LEOs) think it isn't or will hassle people carrying openly.

2) It demonstrates how widespread carry is. It also demonstrates the broad range of people carrying. Most discussions from the anti side (just check the comments on the Tennessean website) focus on gun owners and permit holders being yay-hoos with no teeth. In fact ministers, doctors, lawyers, etc etc are also permit holders.

If the general populace sees how many people carry it will remove some of the stigma attached to carry. That is the point.

Well I hope if/when this happens that it produces the results you desire.