Open Carry

[joeD]

As a law abiding citizen, I can't tell you how much safer I feel knowing that certain older white middle class males are protecting me from harm as I go about my business in suburbia.

They are heroes in my book. In fact, I think they should exercise their constitutional rights and use their conceal and carry permits and go to Wellston and Pine Lawn and Moline Acres and West Florissant and North St. Louis and keep the public safe. I'm quite sure they are tough enough. Imagine how much safer North St. Louis would be with our constitutional defenders walking around in their Wranglers and Reeboks with a holstered weapon at their side. Women would weep, children could play in the street, men would nod with respect. Neighborhoods revitalized.

Gun toting white douche bags bringing peace to the black and violent north side.

Yeah right. See you at Starbucks Deputy Dawg. Keep an eye out for suspicious yoga type women with large hand bags.

[mjk86]

As a law abiding citizen, I can't tell you how much safer I feel knowing that certain older white middle class males are protecting me from harm as I go about my business in suburbia.

They are heroes in my book. In fact, I think they should exercise their constitutional rights and use their conceal and carry permits and go to Wellston and Pine Lawn and Moline Acres and West Florissant and North St. Louis and keep the public safe. I'm quite sure they are tough enough. Imagine how much safer North St. Louis would be with our constitutional defenders walking around in their Wranglers and Reeboks with a holstered weapon at their side. Women would weep, children could play in the street, men would nod with respect. Neighborhoods revitalized.

Gun toting white douche bags bringing peace to the black and violent north side.

Yeah right. See you at Starbucks Deputy Dawg. Keep an eye out for suspicious yoga type women with large hand bags.

Ya know what...as someone who went to umsl and commuted using the metro link (every stop from forest park to umsl south....yikes) ill tell you its much better NOT to be armed. Be kind courteous and blend in looking harmless. Guns just bring negative attention. Nobody on here would actually open carry in an area like that. Hell I work by th ameren plant which is not even thar bad an area and it would be a terrible idea.

[MOPanfisher]

In my never to be humble opinion the guy in the Academy store in Topeka made a very bad choice. He opted to use his concealed carry weapon to stop a basic robbery, nobody was in danger of being shot at the thieves were on their way out. Basically he risked his life to protect somebody elses stuff.

[fishinwrench]

Oh, was there a Crime Stopper in Topeka ? Cool, they can layoff half the police force now and start collecting a fund for him.

[Flysmallie]

Basically he risked his life to protect somebody elses stuff.

He risked a lot of peoples lives. Those guys could have turned around and just started shooting. And for what? Some, not all, of the stuff they stole. He didn't even keep the kid there for police and they still had to go catch them. This guy was a dumbass. And what do you think would have happened if he would have shot one of those teens. That would be the mother of all shitstorms.

[MOBass]

I don't carry. Now I live up here where most of you would refuse to even drive through but I believe that firearm has an equal chance of keeping me from getting killed or getting me shot when I would not have gotten shot if I didn't pull it out.

But if any one breaks in my house there will be a terrible mess to clean up.

I am trying to follow how a concealed firearm would get you shot. Perhaps you can better explain.

As a rule you would not draw unless you were in fear for your life. Until that time the firearm remains concealed. If you are drawing then things have already started to gone sideways badly and you are well on your way to getting shot, stabbed, beaten, ect... That is why I ask for a better explanation of how a concealed firearm would get you shot if you would otherwise have not been. Personally I do not plan to rely on the good graces of a criminal to spare me or my family harm.

[MOBass]

Contrary to popular opinion, nobody wants to prevent gun ownership. Also, to the person who stated they are exercising their 2nd amendment right by carrying or having the option to, reread the amendment please. Concealed or open carry isn't mentioned, neither is the right to access any weapon you please. You can own firearms all you wish, but please do so responsibly.

There are plenty of misguided people that want to prevent legal firearm ownership and other that are just as bad that want to regulate it to the point of firearms being museums pieces. Pretending otherwise is naïve.

Perhaps you should re read the 2nd Amendment, specifically it contains the language 'shall not be infringed'. It does not state you can own them, but they must be locked up.

It may surprise you that people can own firearms, carry concealed, and do so safely and effectively. Thousands of people do it everyday and the streets are not running red with blood, there are not shoot outs on every street corner, and more than one crime is prevented by the mere presence of a firearm in the hands of a potential victim.

[MOBass]

Please understand, I'm not against concealed carrying. But there is a problem with your analogy. You buy insurance and forget it until the next bill comes due. It's not exactly an inconvenience nor anything that you have to be aware of all the time. Carrying a gun is entirely different in that regard. And theoretically, the insurance will always cover you. The gun won't always solve your problems. It's as I said before; you're taking some slight risk in carrying a loaded weapon around, and only you can weigh that risk against the chances of needing it and being able to use it effectively. Personally, the risk and the incovenience of carrying far outweighs the very, very small chance I'm going to need it. I do all the things you mentioned, avoiding dangerous and questionable areas at bad times and being situationally aware, and I figure that's good enough. With hundreds of thousands or millions of towns, schools, churches, and other places where some mass murderer COULD go off the deep end, I figure my chances of it happening at the local McDonalds when I'm there are infinitesimally small. LIke most people, I spend more time at home than anywhere else, and I suspect my chances of needing a gun at home are greater than anywhere else, so the 12 gauge is under the bed and the shells are separate but easily reachable. I call that good enough.

Thank you for clarifying. Initially I took it as you were opposed to concealed carry. I appreciate that you can make a decision that works for you and not want to impose that on everyone else.

[fishinwrench]

There IS a bit of a cover-up when it comes to CC accidents. It happens pretty frequently yet seldom makes the news.

[MOBass]

For those saying the Academy guy was in the wrong, did you read the article? This wasn't three kids running in and shoplifting. If you are ok with violent felons stealing firearms and are giving the guy that drew down a ration you really need to evaluate your priorities. Did you miss where they were in the process of committing an armed robbery and had already introduced the threat of lethal force into the situation?

Let me summarize the article and clean up the drivel it is written in.....

Three armed, masked men in the process of committing a violent felony, attempting to steal firearms and cash were slowed in their efforts by an armed citizen. Police were unable to respond in time to be effective in any capacity, but were fortunate to apprehend the violent criminals later that evening.