Open carry is either trying to make some sort of statement or showing off. The last thing I want is someone knowing that I am carrying.
I carry for two reasons, first, defense of self and others.
The second reason is more important. The primary reason that I carry is for political purposes. As a member of the gun culture, of mature age and independent means, the chances of needing an EDC for defense of self and others are fairly low. The chances of needing to defend the Constitution from clear and present political dangers are everyday and common.
Carrying a firearm confirms the right of citizens to use force. It confirms that the ultimate sovereign is the individual citizen, not the State. It confirms that the federal and state constitutions mean something; are not infinitely malleable by the courts, and that government is limited by the rule of law.
Openly carried weapons visually and boldly declare that the Second Amendment is not merely faded ink on dusty parchment, and that the right to self defense is known and cherished. It is the equivalent of the rattle on the rattlesnake or the May Day military parade. It warns our enemies, foreign and domestic, “You do not want a piece of this!”