The Open Carry Movement
Lately, the debate over gun control and the rights given by the Second Amendment have focused on the specific issue of unconcealed weapons. "Open Carry" as it is known, is legal in 38 states - including Pennsylvania.
The article “Locked, Loaded, and Ready to Caffeinate” explores the recent phenomenon of “meet-ups” in which open carry advocates gather in public, often at popular shops and cafes:
Gun owners in California and other states that allow guns to be openly carried have tested the law by showing up at so-called meet-ups, in which gun owners appear at Starbucks, pizza parlors and other businesses openly bearing their weapons.
“Our point is to do the same thing that concealed carriers do,” said Mike Stollenwerk, a co-founder of OpenCarry.org, which serves as a national forum. “We’re just taking off our jackets.”
The goal, at least in part, is to make the case for liberalized concealed weapon laws by demonstrating how uncomfortable many people are with publicly displayed guns. The tactic has startled many business owners like Peet’s Coffee and Tea and California Pizza Kitchen, which forbid guns at their establishments. So far, Starbucks has resisted doing the same.Students: What do you think about open-carry laws and the related movement? How do you feel about citizens carrying their weapons in public? Do you own a gun? If so, would you carry it openly? Why or why not?
