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?
i think it is a great law only if you know how to use them. its a good idea to be able to carry a gun. yes i own many guns. no i have no reason to carry it.
ReplyDeleteI don’t think anyone should be allowed to open-carry a gun because of all the problems it can cause. I believe if we did there would be for deaths because if someone gets mad instead of just fighting they would be shooting. I do not own a gun and if I did I would not want to open-carry it. There could be lots of accidents if someone didn’t have the safety on, and we teach our children it is not right to have guns or shoot people. By allowing this open-carry law to happen our children would think it was okay to kill, and some kids might get into their parents weapons and kill others.
ReplyDeletei think that law would stop alot of crime. and feel that citizens that should be able to carry there guns in public.and no i do not own a gun.
ReplyDeleteI belive the open carry movement is a good idea, but at the same times its a bad ideal. It would be good cuz it would increase our safety, and make us feel safer as an american, But people will abuse the gun. They will pull it out when they are scared and if they get spooked or something, bang, there goes someones health or evan their life.
ReplyDeleteGuns would be fun to walk around with. If some fool would try to mess with me I'd pop a cap in his rear end. Fools that say I still poop in the pool, Bang Bang, they be dead homey
ReplyDeleteI think that if people are going to carry their guns, then they should carry them openly. If people carry them openly, it might decrease the amount of deaths due to people not knowing that someone was carrying a gun. It would also make things like court rooms, airports, etc. safer, not to mention it would be easier to check people for weapons. I do own a gun but I would not carry it around openly because I do not carry it around at all.
ReplyDeleteI dont think theres really a problem with guns being out in the open. I do own a gun but i dont exactly think i would carry it around with me everywhere i go. I do kind of think its bad though because you dont know if someones going to use that gun and kill someone or not but other than that i dont think its that bad.
ReplyDeletei think that not allowing us to bare arms is constitutional affensive. but i think that when those who do carry them carry them they are sisies. i think they should man up.
ReplyDeleteI think that people who are mentally stable and can have the responsibily should be able to carry a gun. Im ok with people who carry around guns because half of the poeple that carry guns, dont have the balls to use it.
ReplyDeleteI don't think it's a big deal people having guns in the open. I do own a gun to myself. but I don't think I would go around carrying the gun. because, you never know who has a gun on them and going to start fire. and kill them.
ReplyDeleteI think it's up the freaking people who want to carry guns. Screw the others who don't want guns out. It's a form of self defense if ever attacked. If you don't have a gun on you what do you plan on fighting with? Your grandma's dead body? Yes I own a gun and I would defiantly wear it in the open. Maybe even wave it around in the Altoona Mall cause a riot.
ReplyDeleteI believe that where the 2nd amendment does promise the right to bear arms, there should be qualifications on to who may actually carry guns. Just as you have to have a license to carry a concealed weapon, you should have to have a license to carry a gun in general. I personally own guns and I would not carry it openly. I believe it is something that could cause problems among people causing bias thoughts towards people who do carry them openly. This is just another way for public profiling to occur.
ReplyDeletei would prefer if people were not allowed to carry a gun in public because it scares me, and it wouldnt be safe. it would open up a ot of public shootings, now if someone has a gun in public athorities are notified, and proper action is taken. but if public gun carrying was ok than you never would feel safe, well i wouldnt at least. i get scared when people have their hands in their pockets. yes i own a gun..i have a 12 inch pink water gun. i have water gun fights all the time, just recently my cheif in commander was wounded.my gun shoots about four glasses of water per shot....but i dont own a real gun anyways. i shot a gun before. it was loud, and i have bad aim. i also shot a paintball gun once at my uncle, his leg had a huge welt on it. i would not carry a gun in public, i would get one for my house though, and ony use it for self defense.
ReplyDeleteI feel that citizens carrying their weapons in public is a bad thing! You never know who has a permet or not to have a gun and someone could just wip it out and shoot you. I dont even think that people should be able to have a gun in public ever, just in the woods or if your a cop or maybe in your car (maybe) I dont have gun but i shot one before and mom has a gun i dont think she should be able to have one though she likes to hunt a lot. My gram dont have one though she dont like guns or killing anything. If i did have a gun i would probably keep it in my car incase anything bad ever happened, but i would never kill anyone or anything unless they were trying to kill me.
ReplyDeleteI believe open-carry laws are 100% right. The constituion gives us the right to bear wepons and if you don't like it then leave!On the subject of not needing a permit to carry a gun openly into stores and other public places, I believe their sould be somthing that ditures a phycopath from owning a weapon. Yes I do own guns, many in fact, and yes, once I turn 21 I will be buying a hand gun and carrying it openly everywhere I go.
ReplyDeleteI think that everyone has the right to carry a gun because everyone has the right to defend themselves. but i also think that some establishments also have the right to ban guns at their stores or restaruants. I do own a gun and i would carry it openly to a point. i wouldnt carry it into stores or other places. it would scare the employee and would lead to move problems then it would solve
ReplyDeleteI think you should be able to carry guns. I think it is a good movement. It don't bother me if they carry them. I just hope to god that they are not in a bad mental state.
ReplyDeletethe workers at ground zero are suing the city of new york do to respritory problems. suposivly the toxic fuims breathed in from the construction workers are cousing respritory problems. the workers are suing New York for 657.5 million dollars. that is worth it.
ReplyDeleteI am completely against open carry laws and all gun control. My dad owns several guns, one with high capacity magazines, and he trains others how to fire these weapons safely. I love to go shooting at sportsman clubs all the time and I am an accurate pistol shooter at 25 yards. As it is stated in the Bill of Rights the second amendment states "A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security to a free state, the peoples right to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed." States are given powers and citizens are given rights. In the second amendment it says "right of the people." It does not mention power anywhere in the amendment. The open carry movement should not be stopped because the 2nd amendment also says "shall not be infringed" The government has already infringed our right. The open carry movement is considered legal by anyone who values American rights and the Constitution. Those who are not seen fit to carry a weapon should not even be allowed to purchase a firearm.
ReplyDeleteI believe that the open-carry laws are terrible because it is just possible that you could go rob a bank. I feel that people shouldn't carry weapons because they could end up shooting somebody if they wouldn't think. I don't.
ReplyDeletei think its alright to have them carrying a gun in public. it lets robbers know 'hey, they have a gun, i wont mess with that guy.' as long as they are hooked to their side tightly, nobody will try and steal the gun.
ReplyDeletei own about 5 guns. if they were handguns, i would carry it legally. i would all because of safety.