I’ll keep mine concealed, thanks.
Others may look at it differently, but I never want to give away the element of surprise.
As is your right. I actually agree with you. Not everyone does, and who gave the government the right to tell them or anyone how they may carry? IMHO that would be an infringement. This law spells that out for semiliterate judges who can't figure out a simple declarative sentence. Everyone who is pro 2A should support it on that basis.
I understand your concern for surprise. But there is another issue here; that of visibly exercising our right to carry so that the public never forgets.
Here in Connecticut we have a carry permit law which covers both concealed and open carry. Some here occasionally carry openly just to emphasize to everyone that we have that right. If we don’t, it’s easy to lose the right over time.
I watched the NRA representative at the Florida Senate Criminal Justice Committee when they were debating this bill. She recounted how a concealed carry holder was waiting in a hospital emergency room for a fishing buddy who had been injured. His concealed gun was in his pocket, but the barrel had worn a hole in his pocket. As a result, about 1/4 inch of the barrel could be seen. A security guard in the emergency room informed the individual and suggested he take the gun to his car. The individual agreed. The security guard had previously called 911, so as the individual exited the emergency room, a swarm of police officers made a felony arrest, threw the poor fellow on the ground and cuffed him. The cuffs were applied so tight that it resulted in nerve damage to the guy’s hands.
In the end, the charges were dropped and he sued and won a civil suit against the officers and the department.
This is an example of why this new law is necessary. The police have no common sense when it comes to accidental firearm exposure.
When all is said and done, only a tiny minority of CCW permit holders will choose to carry openly, but it will protect those of us who conceal carry and accidentally expose our weapons.
Florida will be the 44th state to allow open carry in some form or other. It’s not a problem in the other 43 and won’t be a problem here.
Me too - almost always - though I can envision numerous situations where being able legally open carry - where we can't now - will be very convenient.
I couldn't believe this:
Charles O'Meara of Shoot Straight, a firearms store, thinks the law would scare those who don't own guns and create opportunities for crime.
"I don't think it's fair to make those people feel uncomfortable, but the bigger part is, what happens when someone walks up behind the gun owner and pulls the gun out of its holster? Now you have someone who should not have one, with a gun in their hands," said O'Meara.
I've given my local Shoot Straight a ton of business over the last few months. I sent them a polite but very firm email noting my extreme displeasure at seeing this jackass employee of theirs shooting his mouth off.
>I’ll keep mine concealed, thanks.
>
>Others may look at it differently, but I never want to give away the element of surprise.
I can understand that psychologically; however, the “element of surprise” argument is perhaps overrated: the only time it is ever a factor is *after* the shit has hit the fan. {Unless you’re a hit-man, walking up to your mark and using “the element of surprise” to do the deed.} Open carry, on the other hand has been shown to deter crimes by making the otherwise-victim into a more difficult/dangerous target: it is the same effect as when DC home robberies went down after the USSC said in Heller that residents thereof could indeed have firearms for home defense.
I agree. Tactically it’s just better to not advertise my weapon in advance of needing it.
Open carry needs to be legal, mainly because it’s practical for those times when carrying concealed I might inadvertantly expose it. It shouldn’t suddenly become illegal. That, and there are a few occasions when it might be useful to have the option to just strap on a holster in the open. Not many, but some. It’s just illogical that if it’s legal when concealed it can be illegal in the open.
As will I. But, I would like the option to open carry.