Recent shootings Effect on OC

[DanM]

Originally Posted by Done Deal

You keep claiming that you don't see peoples perceptions which is absolutely not evidence that they think some OC folks are fruitcakes and cause for concern.

The subject of this thread is "In light of these recent shootings at Fort Hood,and Orlando. Do you think that Open carry will be looked at differently?" I and others who OC are reporting so far that we are observing no difference in how we are looked at, based on real world interactions with others during our OC in the real world, from before the recent shootings as compared to after the recent shootings.

Your subject of "do you (or don't you) see people's perceptions that OC folks are fruitcakes and cause for concern" is a different issue. I suggest you start a new thread. That is not what THIS thread is about. Whatever it is we see (or don't see) as far as other's perceptions, we are reporting no difference in that as we OC after the recent shootings as compared to before the recent shootings.

If there was a difference in how OC is looked at by the general public, we should look for sustained increases or decreases in contacts with security, store management, police, folks expressing something negative about OC, etc. Such increases certainly aren't happening. We are just offering these multiple observations to help in directly answering the question of the OP. Feel free to offer any real world observations or info to the contrary. So far you haven't.

[autosurgeon]

Originally Posted by Done Deal

Ok bad azz, cruise on down to Fort Hood and stroll around with a gun and ask those folks what they think of it....

You keep claiming that you don't see peoples perceptions which is absolutely not evidence that they think some OC folks are fruitcakes and cause for concern.

And that would be an unlawful act as OC in Texas is prohibited as well as the fact that this is a federal installation which also prohibits OC... Nice try though DD.

[Done Deal]

Originally Posted by DetroitBiker

In light of these recent shootings at Fort Hood,and Orlando. Do you think that Open carry will be looked at differently?


Im thinking the public would be more on edge seeing someone carring openly say in a mall,or heavily populated area.

Yes, with all the mention of guns killing people of late....one could reasonably assume that a gun openly carried in a crowded area might very well put folks more on edge.

Just because some of the folks that advocate OC are not mind readers does NOT mean that people are on edge enough to acutally do something about it. I mean....people get on edge about beatings and rapes yet they do not make their concerns know to the person doing the assaulting either----and they don't even get involved enough to call the police to check it out.

Like it or not, OC does concern people and, with the recent rash of highly publicized mass shootings, OF COURSE people are going to be more on edge---it is as common place as taking your foot off the pedal or checking your speedomete when you see a police car in the median. People can deny that fact until they are blue in the fact but....their refusal to acknowledge the existence of different perceptions of others is but one additional fallacy to their arguments.

The presence of the gun being noted very easilymight put people on edge. Out of sight, out of mind......

[autosurgeon]

DD I would think if these people are so upset that we would be seeing letters to the editor or call in's on radio talk shows discussing this fear... however I have not as yet seen any of this... quite the contrary I am hearing people that don't carry expressing interest in carry. I have handed out twice the number of flyers on OC and CC since the Ft Hood shooting as I did in the same amount of time before.

[Done Deal]

Originally Posted by autosurgeon

DD I would think if these people are so upset that we would be seeing letters to the editor or call in's on radio talk shows discussing this fear... however I have not as yet seen any of this... quite the contrary I am hearing people that don't carry expressing interest in carry. I have handed out twice the number of flyers on OC and CC since the Ft Hood shooting as I did in the same amount of time before.

Oh....there is a flip side to the public reaction to the shootings and that is the one that you mention....more people see a need to take up arms in their own defense. Since there have been a rash of shootings of late....public awareness has increased due to the additional publicity that has been generated.

But....answer me this....if people weren't on edge, do you really think that they would be more interested in carrying for personal protection?


The bottom line is....there are negatives and postives that will come as a result of all the media exposure. But, both will be a direct result of people being on edge.

[autosurgeon]

I can agree with that ... I do think though that I am seeing more of a positive reaction on the West side of the state....

[Done Deal]

Originally Posted by autosurgeon

I can agree with that ... I do think though that I am seeing more of a positive reaction on the West side of the state....

I am in the middle of the mitten and haven't seen OC in a couple of years. But, I do hear lots of talk and know that more and more people are thinking of getting firearms, either for carry or home defense.

I mean....if the military is defenseless against one criminal with a gun....how about the average citizen who may not have seen a police car on their road in months.

Nobody here can discount the fact that certain things put people on edge.

But, nobody can fault anybody for wanting to secure a little peace of mind either...

[OpenSights]

Originally Posted by DanM

Actually, the issue of this thread is:



What do you think?

Well I guess I get that for reading the conversations and not re-reading the OP.

I don't really think so, at least most people, some sure. I think there really isn't that many Americans that are neutral about the sight of a gun that would fall to one side of the isle or the other. You have gun nuts who love to see average people with guns, and you have gun haters who would freak at the sight of a gun and would like nothing more and an all out ban. The rest, they're going to be the ones who grew up with a gun in the house or had a family member who had guns, and just aren't in to them one way or another.

I think the way most non anti gun nuts, would and do react would be "is that legal?" and their reaction would be based on that... Most people can't stop and think, why would a Bad Guy calmly walk around with a gun in plain sight, giving fair warning that he was about to do Bad Guy things.