Edit] ] ] ] Deterrence: Which is a more effective deterrent?

Edit] ] ] ] ] ] During crime: Which is more effective during attack/crime?

Edit] ] ] ] ] ] A target: Does concealed carrying make a person less of a target?

Edit] ] ] ] ] ] Rights: How do individual rights play into this debate?

] Edit] Pro That some "can" open carry doesn't make it a good idea. Martin Albright. "Open carry is a bad idea." The Truth About Guns. August 24th, 2010: "[Open Carry] advocates claim they’re simply capitalizing on the fact that there’s no law against strapping on a gun and walking around in public in most parts of the United State (even in urban areas). Yes, but— there’s no law against carrying a gun openly for the same reason as there’s no law against break dancing in the middle of Death Valley in July while wearing a fur parka. It’s something that very few people would even consider doing." Concealed carry adequately protects right to bear arms. The right to bear arms is fully protected with concealed carry laws. The US Constitution does not specify what guns and what types of carrying methods should be lawful. It specifies only that "bearing" is a right. A restriction that disallows open carrying and allows concealed carrying is, therefore, fully consistent with the US Constitution's right to bear arms.

] Edit] Con Right to bear arms confers right to carry openly. If the Second Amendment confers a right to bear arms, as the Supreme Court officially ruled in 2008, then it is a fairly logical extension of that right that one should be able to exercise it openly. Making concealment a condition of that right hardly makes it a right at all. Free speech rights allow an individual to openly scream absurdities through a megaphone in Times Square. A right to bear arms, analogously, should also preserve the right to openly express that right. Open carry is an opportunity to express individual rights. Expressing one's rights openly to the public is an uplifting experience for a citizen. Carrying a gun openly is a valuable opportunity for law-abiding citizens to express their right to carry a weapon, connect more viscerally with their broader rights and the laws that enshrine them, and inform others of those rights. A right unexercised is a right lost. If a right is not exercised, then individuals, bystanders, and even law enforcement officers will cease to think of it as a right and will infringe upon it when it is actually exercised. It is often seen, for example, in States that have open-carry laws on the books, that Cops, because they rarely see people openly carrying, will stop, question, and even detain an individual on the grounds that they are causing a "public disturbance" by merely carrying openly. This would not happen if people were more used to seeing guns carried openly. For this reason, a right unexercised is a right lost.

Edit] ] ] ] ] ] Bystanders: Is concealed or open carry more respectful to bystanders?

] Edit] Pro Bystanders often feel intimidated by openly carried guns. It is common that bystanders will feel intimidated and threatened by an open-carry weapon. A deadly weapon gives another individual over-powering lethal force, and bystanders are forced to make judgments as to whether the person bearing the weapon is likely to use that force responsibly or brazenly. Forcing other citizens to make this kinds of life-or-death calculations and run flush with nervousness and apprehension is simply disrespectful. This is particularly true in a town or culture that is not accustomed to seeing weapons openly carried. Many open-carry merely to incite reactions. TripleDigitRide on Tennessee Gun Owners Association Forum in 2008: "Because I see no reason, other than the 'I can' factor, I would presume that a large percentage of people who OC want to gain the attention of others. In a nutshell, it's negative attention seeking, IMHO."

] Edit] Con Open carrying need not be seen as intimidating. The idea that openly carrying a weapon is about brandishing it and intimidating other people is misinformed. It relies on a prejudiced view of the intent of gun owners and those that choose to carry weapons openly, ignoring the fact that they are probably attempting to a. deter and prevent crimes against themselves and other citizens, b. carry their weapon comfortably if they are intent on carrying, c. offer easier access to a weapon in case of need, d. express one's second amendment rights, along with other reasons offered in this article. If people take the time to try to understand these reasons, instead of passing judgment, then they should not feel intimidated. Law-abiding citizens carrying openly makes people feel safer. Nikil Arora. "If US states allow open-carry of guns, why not Britain?" Christian Science Monitor. March 16th, 2010: "The BBC news on Thursday night featured a report on the upcoming Supreme Court decision on the Chicago gun ban; litigation launched after the successful case of DC v Heller, which overturned a similar outright prohibition on handguns in Washington DC. [...] the BBC’s report was worth watching. It largely focussed on the effect of laws already in force in Wisconsin, which allow the open-carry, but not concealed-carry, of handguns. It showed how responsible, law-abiding citizens carrying guns openly leads to people both feeling and being safer." Open carrying helps foster politeness between citizens. "Open Carry" Simple musings from a guy with guns. June 24th, 2008: "I suspect that people are much more likely to be impolite when they do not know for a fact that you are armed. I do not think of this as intentional intimidation on my part, but as the old saying goes; 'An armed society is a polite society.'"



Edit] ] ] ] ] ] Public affairs: Which is better for the gun-rights PR?

Edit] ] ] ] ] ] Comfort: Is concealed carry comfortable, compared to open carry?

] Edit] Pro Concealed weapons can be very comfortable. This is particularly true with the right set-up. Often, concealing a weapon means that you can use the same hip holster as someone who is openly carrying, but that you simply must wear a lengthy or baggy vest or coat to ensure that the gun is concealed. There are also chest holsters that hold the gun at around the left or right rib cage, and which are very comfortable (perhaps even more comfortable than a hip holster) and which need only be concealed by a vest. Comfort, therefore, is not a good enough reason to open carry

] Edit] Con Open carrying is more comfortable than concealed carrying Concealed carry can often mean that the gun is hugged closely to the body, often around the wasteline. This can be uncomfortable, particularly for individuals with large waste-sizes. Open carrying takes the gun off the body, allowing greater comfort and mobility in the hips, etc.

