What do you think about Virginia's open carry gun law?
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![Laura Schermerhorn: %2526quot;Compared to a gun being concealed, [a gun] being out creates a sense of mayhem. Anybody who sees a gun is going to be freaked out.%2526quot;](/files/imagecache/partial_width/images/field_images/question-web-schermerhornl_0.jpg "Laura Schermerhorn: %2526quot;Compared to a gun being concealed, [a gun] being out creates a sense of mayhem. Anybody who sees a gun is going to be freaked out.%2526quot;")
Laura Schermerhorn: "Compared to a gun being concealed, [a gun] being out creates a sense of mayhem. Anybody who sees a gun is going to be freaked out."Hook staff -
Tim Andrus: "I don't think people need to be carrying guns, especially in Charlottesville. This is a safe place."Hook staff -
Margaret Schermerhorn: "Why does that person have a gun? That's my immediate reaction. Especially an assault weapon."Hook Staff
![Laura Schermerhorn: %2526quot;Compared to a gun being concealed, [a gun] being out creates a sense of mayhem. Anybody who sees a gun is going to be freaked out.%2526quot;](/files/imagecache/max_viewable/images/field_images/question-web-schermerhornl_0.jpg "Laura Schermerhorn: %2526quot;Compared to a gun being concealed, [a gun] being out creates a sense of mayhem. Anybody who sees a gun is going to be freaked out.%2526quot;")
26 comments
I open carry all the time, and I've not seen too many people who are "freaked out". People who carry a firearm in the open should be the least of anyone's concerns. It's the felons and gang-bangers carrying an illegal firearm in the waistband of their jockeys that people should be concerned about. If you see someone openly carrying a firearm, it's a pretty safe bet that they're one of the "good guys".
When people open carry there is no sense of mayhem - most people will not see the hosltered handgun, or will not care, or will support open carry. See WTAE TV News - Public supports Pittsburgh open carriers in restaurant at http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature...&v=-yA2MavZeLw
I open carry from time to time. I also conceal carry. I believe it is a misconception that open carry creates chaos. In fact, I live near GMU where there are students that come from other states where open carry is not allowed. I have yet to have a negative experience with other people when I open carry.
Love the freedom of our state, including the open carry law. I have yet to see mayhem caused by the people I have seen.
The "law" is as it should be. Considering recent events, I would prefer an armed person defend him/her self or others to the usual outcome seen on the news. Too often folks say, "That kind of thing doesn't happen here" right after it has happened here.
I open carry on a daily basis and have not seen any "mayhem" or "odd looks" from anyone, or even had a comment from anyone about it, as it should be.
I love the freedom to Open Carry. I think when people see armed citizens that act responsibly, there is actually less mayhem and more peace!
It doesn't bother me. It's cmforting to see and realize you're among the honest people. You can be sure the carrier isn't a thief, or felon and to some extent, the person has been vetted by the state as a person of good standing.
The same can be said if you glimpse the bulge of a concealed carrier. The bad guys tend to tread a bit more lightly when they see this, so there is generally less crime at a location with a carrier.
Groovy
"a sense of mayhem"? You must be kidding. There isn't even a glance from people as I open carry throughout Virginia.
It's my constitutional right. I will exercise it as long as I live.
The law is fine. I OC and CC all the time. While open carrying I have had someone who was carrying concealed come up to me to ask what caliber (45) I was carrying. Most people aren't aware that I am open carrying. They are busy going about their own business.
As a LEO myself I have no problem with open carry. Like previous people have said, I am more worried about the criminals with concealed weapons than with citizens carrying openly displayed weapons. Its the same as when people call in all the time about hunters walking around with shotguns and rifles. Visible firearms are much less likely to be used in a crime.
I am only disturbed to see LEO with openly carried weapons, considering how reckless many of them are and how frequently they get away with murder.
The sense of mayhem you experience when seeing a free human being is a common side affect of waking up, if you have any sense at all then do what you are told and go back to sleep.
If the firearm is worn open, then more than likely the person is not a felon. That person also feels comfortable wearing it open, and has probably practiced with it quite a bit to make sure it's dependable, and safe. Also, it's a deterrent to a criminal. Even if the wearer isn't the intended victim, a criminal would hesitate attempting a crime, worried that a bystander would come to their victim's defense.
Anybody who is 'freaked out' by a law-abiding person carrying an inanimate object has issues. Why shouldn't a free citizen be able to protect themselves, in a legal manner, as they see fit?
The responses appear to be decidedly one-sided.
I have seen dozens of people open carry around town and it does not bother me at all. Never have understood why people have a problem with open carry.
I believe there should be no laws about open carry, either preventing or allowing. The very creation and history of our country proves that an armed people is a secure people. Why should you be ashamed or afraid of that?
Also, criminals have a "need" to hide there guns. If a citizen has a gun that is visibly displayed, this should not instill fear in anyone except for in the hearts of criminals with ill intent.
A law enforcement officer is a citizen, no different than any one of us. Do people get upset when they see a law enforcement officer with a gun? Of course not. Because it is commonly accepted that they are a good person. Criminals very, very rarely commit crimes in front of an armed police officer out of fear of punishment.
The same rules apply for any other citizen. We all assume everyone we walk by is a peaceful citizen until the behave otherwise. Why should that change because of a tool they carry? If that peaceful citizen is now seen in the possession of a firearm, you should be immediately identify them as a good person (as you do when you don't see a weapon) and as a deterrent to the bad guys doing something stupid.
It is a constitutional right "to keep and bear arms." In fact private citizens bearing arms, openly or legally concealed, make us safer than we would be otherwise.
While I open carry once in a while, I have been to various restaurants and businesses where I have seen law abiding citizens open carry. And as of yet, I have not seen the blood bath that the anti's tells us will happen. I think it is a good law. Let's keep it!
I open carry whenever I can. VA's law is more than sufficient to allow it. It is a right not a privilege and more people need to realize that they alone are responsible for their safety, Not the cops, government, or gun grabbers out there,
There is no reason to "freak out" or fear mayhem when you see a person openly carrying a firearm. It is perfectly legal in this Commonwealth (as it ought to be), and the person openly carrying a firearm is no more likely to shoot you than an unarmed person is likely to beat you to death with a chair. In fact, I understand DOJ statistics show more people are murdered each year with blunt instruments than with firearms.
First, there is no "open carry law". Laws prohibit an activity, like robbery. There is no law in Virginia that allows open carry. Since no law prohibits it, that makes it legal to do.
I prefer concealed carry, but I open carry sometimes. I don't care how someone carries, just carry and know how and when to use it to protect yourself.
I don't typically open carry because I feel that I am giving up an advantage when I advertise the fact that I'm armed. I don't have a problem with it though. Try approaching and talking to them. See for yourself that they aren't anarchists or whack jobs. Just normal Americans interested in protecting themselves and their families.
First, there is no "law" authorizing open carry. It is the natural condition of a free society that laws only exist to prohibit behaviors, not to authorize them. That which has not been prohibited is legal. Americans need to remember this about all laws while the remnant's of this freedom still exist. Too many folks seem to think there needs to be a law to authorize things to make them legal.
No one has ever freaked out about my pistol on my hip. I conduct myself in a peaceful and respectful manner, as all citizens should.