purlrider
Regular Member
I have been a member of Open Carry .org for just a short time and for the greater part enjoy and glean a great deal of good information. Here most if not all share my Constitutional philosophies. Not just our Second Amendment rights, but also all the Amendments that give us our freedoms. I personally feel, as many of you have stated and alluded to, if we lose the Second Amendment we have no defense against losing all the rest.
I also feel that making a choice to open carry brings a great responsibility. First of all I carry (open or concealed or both) primarily for defense of self, my family and all others that may need it. I also carry because I can. But because I can does not give me the right to swagger about intentionally bringing focus to my weapon. Nor do I just hang out in places waiting for others to be offended or alarmed by my right to carry. I am not trying to be confrontational I am trying to be an example to those that feel as I do but don’t realize they can. There is a question that seems to run a thread in dialogs with many folk I encounter, “do you have a permit to carry that”? Prior to my decision to carry I too was very ignorant of much of this. If I politely carry without mischief and am willing to engage without confrontation I believe this bodes well for all, regardless of what side of the fence we are on.
That being said this does not mean if approached by the “authorities” that I give in to their unconstitutional demands. I made the decision if one of the reasons I carry is to show my stand on the Second Amendment that I must and will make the same stand on all the other Amendments. So, if approached by those in “authority” the fourth and fifth Amendments will be the cornerstones of which I will stand and rely.
Once again thanks to those of you who strive to "do it in a good way".
I also feel that making a choice to open carry brings a great responsibility. First of all I carry (open or concealed or both) primarily for defense of self, my family and all others that may need it. I also carry because I can. But because I can does not give me the right to swagger about intentionally bringing focus to my weapon. Nor do I just hang out in places waiting for others to be offended or alarmed by my right to carry. I am not trying to be confrontational I am trying to be an example to those that feel as I do but don’t realize they can. There is a question that seems to run a thread in dialogs with many folk I encounter, “do you have a permit to carry that”? Prior to my decision to carry I too was very ignorant of much of this. If I politely carry without mischief and am willing to engage without confrontation I believe this bodes well for all, regardless of what side of the fence we are on.
That being said this does not mean if approached by the “authorities” that I give in to their unconstitutional demands. I made the decision if one of the reasons I carry is to show my stand on the Second Amendment that I must and will make the same stand on all the other Amendments. So, if approached by those in “authority” the fourth and fifth Amendments will be the cornerstones of which I will stand and rely.
Once again thanks to those of you who strive to "do it in a good way".