By Jim Duke

A month ago on November 1, a new law allowing the open carry of firearms in Oklahoma took effect. To the surprise of no one, in the days and weeks leading up to the change I heard just about every doomsday prediction imaginable regarding the new legislation. Sheriffs and liberal politicians saturated the airwaves with their propaganda about how Oklahoma would soon be a lot like the “Wild West.” Blood would flood the streets and that no one would be safe from the wackos that were bound to slither out of the woodwork to do violence on an unsuspecting populace. I even talked to a few people here and there who were drinking the Kool-Aid and just knew that we were in for full-blown Armageddon. Now that a month has passed, I’ve noted a shocking development: I haven’t seen a single, solitary gun. Not one . . .

I know there are people in Oklahoma who are open carrying because I read an Oklahoma gun forum and members will sometimes will post about their experiences. I just haven’t seen them for myself. When I leave the house I’m always on the lookout for someone with a gun on their hip, but they must be avoiding me because I can never seem to catch them in the act. What gives? Where are all the rabble rousers who are supposed to be out there rousing the rabble?

I have also been keeping one eye on the streets, checking to see that the gutters and sewer systems aren’t being overwhelmed by all of the blood that was predicted to be flowing by now. So far, all I’ve found are some water puddles, a tree limb or two and a crushed Red Bull can. I guess I can cancel that flak vest I ordered.

I listen to the news on my commute each morning and watch the local news most evenings and I’m always alert to anything related to shootings. While we still have our share of nut jobs out there shooting at each other just like we always will, I havn’t heard that a single incident has been attributed to the public’s new-found right to openly carry firearms. It appears that people who go through the trouble to become licensed to carry a gun actually tend to be responsible citizens. Who could have predicted that? And here I thought I was gonna get some juicy good Youtube videos out of this new law.

So what about all those anti-gun folks out there that made those apocalyptic predictions of blood and carnage? How could they have been so utterly wrong? Surely they were basing their predictions on sound statistical data based on what had happened in other states, right? I think not.

In fact, something like 44 states have open carry to some degree. That’s right, 44. You know what else? You know those wild prognostications the antis made if open carry was passed in Oklahoma? They haven’t come to pass anywhere. Not even a little bit. The fact is that all of the people who were against open carry in Oklahoma or any other state and offered their predictions of the doom and gloom lied.

They knew those things wouldn’t happen because there are just too many other states with open carry and it hadn’t happened anywhere. Those people knowingly and willingly lied because they couldn’t support their position with facts. Here is a news flash: if you can’t use available facts and data to support your argument, then your argument is wrong. You can have your own opinion, but you cannot have your own facts. Creating your own facts to try to win an argument is simply dishonest. If you’d like an example of that, watch MSNBC for five minutes.

You may also notice that the kerfuffle surrounding the new open carry law died down almost immediately after it went into effect. Believe me, if there was any truth at all to any of the things the OC opponents said to scare people into opposing it, we would be hearing about it constantly. They’d be gleefully rubbing our collective noses in our own failure. But the reality doesn’t quite support the narrative they presented to us. Not that the outcome is much of a surprise since all you had to do was employ a little rudimentary Google-fu to know exactly what would happen once OC became law the law of the land in The Sooner State.

So now I happily venture forth to begin each morning with my trusty (and concealed) .45 at my side, confident that my day will progress without incident. To my fellow carriers, I say, “Hello” and “Good to see ya”. And to the anti-gun people who opposed my right to carry and would happily strip me of my 2nd Amendment rights altogether, I offer a sincere “Nana nana boo boo, stick your head in doo doo.” Or something like that.

A version of this article originally appeared at unsolicitedbiasedopinion.blogspot.com

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36 COMMENTS

  1. Dan, what gun is that in the second photo? I’ve been staring at it for awhile yet I can’t figure out the make and model. Thanks.

  2. “Blood in the streets!” They ALWAYS say that and it NEVER happens because law-abiding people do not suddenly become criminals just because they’re armed. Duh.

    • A close friend of mine from Az had this same discussion a few months ago. He (a gun owner and avid shooter) thought it completely insane that people in Az can carry firearms with no license pretty muh everywhere they want to go. Blood in the streets and all that. I asked him what were the statistics of gun deaths–I didn’t get an answer to that one. The entire argument is an emotional one based upon the “common sense” proposition that the more guns being carried, the more violence there will be. In fact, I saw “esteemed Harvard Law Professor” Alan Dershowitz (who as a criminal law expert is supposed to be an expert on Constitutional protections) make this very same argument in a very boorish and rude manner while appearing on Piers Morgan’s show with Professor Lott.

      • Antis also love to play the “guilty by association” card. Because I own an object bearing even the slightest resemblance to one used with evil intent by someone else, I am somehow partially responsible for crimes I have no connection to whatsoever. It’s all about appealing to emotion and feelings as a legitimate foundation for costly legislation at its worst and tyrannical at its best.

  3. You’d think by now that the gun haters would realize that the claims of “wild west shootouts” whenever/wherever gun laws are relaxed are simply nothing but a pack of lies.

    But, then, that’s what they do, isn’t it?

  4. The anti’s have nothing. No facts or logical arguments. But that doesn’t stop them from giving it all they have. Worthless bunch of kool aid drinkers.

    • Well, they do have nutcases shooting up college campuses and movie Theatres in gun free zones, murders, and questionable DGUs. It isn’t much, but they use those anomalies to alter public perception. An anomaly is all an anti-gunners needs when they have little use for statistics or reason.

      • Nutcases shooting up gun free zones would seem to point that gun control is harmful instead of helpful. As for murders and questionable DGU’s, what’s that less than 1% of gun owners?

        As I said, they got squat. All they really have is an agenda.

  6. It will probably be the Summer before everything gets sorted so I can get my carry permit. I’m going to take a few classes (one especially for retention), and I’ll probably be one of the first in my town to open carry.
    It will be a little odd, but most people in this town know me, or of me, and know that I’m a pretty nice guy. I doubt there will be any issues.

  8. Living in Arkansas I can only hope the winds of change blow this way soon. Still not sure I will personally open carry but having that option would be nice!!

  9. Great article! I especially like the matter of fact tone. Of course when you actually have FACTS you can do that!
    Thank you.
    BTW : Is there a list of the 44 OC states?

  10. As an Okie with a ccw myself I have been watching too. I have only noticed one person open carrying so far and it was our state representative. I have OC a couple of times but only on my way to the woods to hunt. Stopped at the store for a cup of coffee. I was super self conscious even though I don’t think anybody even noticed.

  11. No way we can make open carry legal in Ky. since it’s never been illegal to begin with.

    A permit just to walk down the street with a gun? Seriously? In Oklahoma of all places??

  12. Here in North Carolina you can open carry. I used to do it pleanty before I got my concealed permit. Even though its been legal here for years, you dont see it often. It may take awhi,e for people to catch on. Everytime I oc, people who have loved here thier whole lives ask me questions about it. They have no idea that it is their right to do so. Carry on.

  13. Hopefully this will help Texas get Open Carry. A lot of people have been opposing Open Carry in Texas for the same reason as were in Ohio. Texas pro-gun’ers can now point to Ohio as an example.

  14. Confirmed.

    I am in Tulsa and have been looking since 1 Nov.

    I have not seen one gun openly carried.

    The closest thing I have seen is an empty holster on a guy at last weekend’s gun show at the QT center.

    (Rhetorical: what’s up with concealed carry gun free gun shows?)

  15. Mark N. — I live in arizona and that “friend” of yours that says there’s blood in the streets everywhere is lying to you. Phoenix isn’t the greatest place but neither is any other big city and you have to look at the whole state and not just one area. I even live in the bad part of town where I live and you don’t see that happening. People know to leave everybody alone BECAUSE of the fact that so many have guns here. We have people in town to open carry but not as much as you would think. I VERY rarely see someone open carry. I like the laws here in arizona and I can tell you, I have guns and have never had to shoot them unless I’m at a shooting range practicing.

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