Open Carry Saves Lives and Reduces Crime

Open carry is legal in 28 states without restriction.  In another 14 states, a license is required.  As ABC entitled a recent report, “Open carry is on the rise.” 

Shane Belanger is the head of the Maine Open Carry Association.  He organized a rally where attendees were carrying openly.  He told ABC news that the purpose of the public display was to accustom people to seeing guns and realize that they are not threatening.

As San Bernardino County (California) Sheriff’s Sargent, Dave Phelps said, “Gang members aren’t known to open carry.”  Criminals by definition don’t obey laws and if open carry were legal, criminals would continue to illegally carry concealed weapons.

Other reasons for open carry include providing a visible deterrent to crime and providing more comfort and quicker access than concealed carry.  A 1985 Department of Justice survey of incarcerated felons reported that 57% of the felons polled agreed that “criminals are more worried about meeting an armed victim than they are about running into the police.”

Researcher Dr. Gary Kleck found that 92% of criminal attacks are deterred when a gun is merely shown (or, rarely, a warning shot fired).  By inference, this means that open carry would have the effect of deterring crime in the same way that a thief might choose another restaurant when he sees police eating at his intended target.

Also, larger handguns with more potent ammunition are easier to carry openly.

A mayor in New Mexico recently proposed banning open carry in his city.  A hearing was held in Ruidoso, New Mexico with an overflow attendance.  In defiance of the mayor, but consistent with the state’s explicit constitutional protection of the right to open carry, many who testified were openly carrying.  The mayor’s proposal was shot down, so to speak.

 Awareness of an armed citizenry has been shown to lower crime.  In 1982, Atlanta suburb Kennesaw required all households to have a gun.  The residential burglary rate subsequently dropped 89% in Kennesaw, compared to the modes 10.4% drop in Georgia as a whole.

Ten years later the residential burglary rate in Kennesaw was still 72% lower than when the ordinance was passed.

No wonder open carry is on the rise.

Texas Falls Further Behind Oklahoma

Today, Governor Mary Fallin signed into law the Open Carry/Omnibus gun bill, Senate Bill 1733. Senate Bill 1733 is an omnibus firearm bill containing significant improvements to Oklahoma gun laws, including allowing concealed carry permit holders the choice of open carrying.

Other important provisions include language prohibiting persons, property owners and companies from banning ammunition in locked vehicles; changing the “immediate notification” requirement when a permit holder is stopped by a law enforcement officer to notification at “first opportunity” while also greatly reducing the associated fine for non-compliance; a provision allowing people to carry firearms openly without a permit on their private property; and revisions to the current Oklahoma statute striking the word “concealed” from Oklahoma firearm permit citations and applying the lawful open carrying of firearms to Oklahoma's firearms preemption law. Additionally, this legislation will allow Sooner State military personnel stationed outside Oklahoma to obtain an Oklahoma permit. This new law becomes effective November 1, 2012.

Texas is one of only five remaining states that prohibits open carry of a handgun, with or without a permit.

Surprise of the Day

Hardy a day goes by that something doesn’t surprise us. Here’s one for today…

Oklahoma Governor Says She Will Sign Open Carry

Oklahoma Governor Fallin said on Saturday at the State Republican Convention, that she she will sign SB1733 into law.  Once signed, the law will go into effect on November 1 of this year.  OK2A, a Second Amendment Civil Rights group was instrumental in passing Open Carry legislation in Oklahoma.

 OK2A’s ultimate goal is constitutional carry. Citizens didn’t lose our rights overnight, nor will they regain them overnight.  The all or nothing attitude of some of the gun’s rights organizations reap more of nothing. That recently happened in North Dakota when open carry died in the legislature.

SB1733 isn’t everything OK2A wanted but it is a step toward Constitutional carry.  Another bill, already signed by Governor Fallin, that will go into effect on November 1 will help get Oklahomans to their ultimate goal. 

SB1785, which grants reciprocity to people from constitutional carry states, blows holes in any arguments against constitutional carry.  If residents of the constitutional carry states don’t need a government permission slip to exercise their Second Amendment rights, why should Oklahomans?  If someone from Arizona can be trusted, why not an Oklahoman? 

OK2A is compiling a list of nightmare stories about the OSBI’s inability to properly manage the application process.  If you or someone you know has had problems getting their permit on time or have been rejected for some minor misdemeanor from years gone by, they want to hear about it.  You can report these stories on the OK2A forum.  Click here for the forum website.

Texas is falling far behind in the fight for gun rights.  Most states require no permit to carry a holstered handgun openly. Yet incredibly, Texas is one of only 6 states to outright ban open carry! Yes, that’s right, law abiding Americans can “open carry” without any permit in Pittsburgh and Seattle, but not Dallas or Houston.

Even if you don’t plan to open carry, Open Carry legislation in Texas would allow citizens to carry full size handguns without the threat of being arrested by over zealous constables and other law enforcement officers, if their weapon is accidently exposed or prints under their shirt.  Sign Texas Open Carry petition here

"Out in the West Texas town of El Paso ..."

Mothers, don’t let your cowboys grow up to be crooks

Three armed felons crossed the US border and attempted to rob an off-duty El Paso police officer dressed in civilian clothes while he stood in front of a bank.  The plan was for two of them to grab his backpack and toss it to an accomplice on a stolen motorcycle.  However, the well prepared police officer shot all of them, killing two immediately.  The third was shot in both arms and bled to death before the ambulance arrived.

This is how much the US Taxpayer would have had to pay to prosecute these thugs:
·     Arrest and detention for 1 night = $6,000
·     Transportation for deportation back to Mexico the next day = $1000
·     Air time for Obama to apologize in 30 minute speech = $25,007,000
 
What it actually cost:
·     Four .40 rounds = $1.00
·     Taxpayer savings = $25,006,999.00
 
These cowboys picked the wrong person to rob this time.  There Won’t Be A Next Time!
 
THE AVERAGE RESPONSE TIME FOR A 911 CALL IS 4 MINUTES.
THE AVERAGE RESPONSE TIME FOR A .40 S&W ROUND IS ABOUT 1200 FEET PER SECOND.