Open carry is materially different from concealed carry. It’s often designed to be menacing, to intimidate the public and public officials. And after the debates around Rittenhouse, it’s time to rethink open carry, as a matter of ethics and law. https://t.co/2daiagOyJI
— David French (@DavidAFrench) November 16, 2021
Instead of asking why a then-17 year-old was there helping to guard a business and putting out fires, the question should be why the governor didn’t call out the Guard in the same way he is before this verdict. The question should be how elected officials failed to protect the community they represented and made a teenager feel like he needed to go and offer what protection he could as a substitute. My grandfather was Kyle Rittenhouse’s age when he signed up to serve on the USS Alabama in WWII. Men a year older can openly bear arms to fight overseas but not to defend their own communities when rioters are allowed to turn a town into a war zone?
Rittenhouse had every right to be in Kenosha. His father lives there. His grandmother lives there. He works there. His rifle was there too, (not driven across state lines) despite media’s best intentions to turn Rittenhouse’s short 20 minute drive from his mom’s house in Antioch to Kenosha into the modern journey of Odysseus. In fact, you might argue Rittenhouse had more of a reason to be in Kenosha than the rioters from California or Oregon.
It makes no sense that [David] French is arguing against open carry by citing the case of a teenager (the court determined he was legally open-carrying a rifle) who can’t carry concealed because a) how do you carry a rifle concealed and b) he’s too young to purchase and carry a handgun, much less carry it concealed.
No law-abiding person should feel persuaded to forfeit their rights because someone harbors an irrational fear of the inanimate object they possess. A person’s comfort level doesn’t determine the extent to which a right can be exercised. If you dislike open carry then carry concealed, but no one has the right to determine for others how they may lawfully carry.
— Dana Loesch in Kyle Rittenhouse Isn’t a Villain and There Is Nothing Wrong with Open Carry
Yeah, he’s probably “intimidated by anyone not wearing a man bun and skinny jeans!
“Skinny arm”…FIFY. Of course he had the right. Would the coward’s in nearby Calumet City,ILL had blasted some BlackLootersMurder boys & girls on May 31,2020. Lock n load. Free Kyle!
“Open carry is intended to intimidate” is nothing more than a dog whistle for one’s own psychological projection. Tens of millions of people carry firearms, of whom millions carry openly. Fears of open carry are utterly unfounded and wholly irrational.
I’ll remind Frenchy, though, that the only reason that many people choose (or are forced) to carry openly is because statists like him made it unlawful to carry concealed, based on thir claim at the time that “only criminals conceal their weapons.”
Open carry of a rifle was Rittenhouse’s only lawful means of exercising his second amendment-protected right to bear arms that night. What Frenchy here is really arguing for is the denial of that right itself.
Sounds like French has a phobia that he needs to visit a shrink about. If he has a fear of water, should we drain the lakes and rivers so he can feel all safe and secure ?
He’s vigilantly conserving conservatism by adopting left-wing positions, advocating left-wing policies, and supporting left-wing politicians. What a ridiculous clown car of lying, preening crybabies the “intellectual” right has revealed themselves to be over the past five years.
Yep. Protip: His *name* is “French”.
Pancho was a bandit, boys
His force was fast as polished steel
Wore his gun outside his pants
For all the honest world to feel
Pancho met his match, you know
On the desert down in Mexico
And nobody heard his dying words
That’s the way it goes
-Townes Van Zandt
Shut up.
You’re a racist.
Other than the obvious, what is your problem?
French is the sort of idiot who would repeat “an eye for an eye makes the whole world blind” with a serious face. So what does banning everything anyone finds intimidating get us? Armless, legless, faceless, voiceless, propertyless….
I know, I know. Intellectual supremacists will decide for us what is and is not truly intimidating. At least until the mob of blue-haired degenerates, emotional retards and mental defectives Tweet enough to get the rest of the stuff banned.
I open carry sometimes. Never had anyone indicate they were intimidated. Had some complaints sometimes, but no one every indicated they were intimidated.
Its funny though. Had a guy one day say something about me open carrying. Not much, wasn’t yelling or anything, was pleasant, wasn’t mean about it, wasn’t demanding, but just a simple “I wish you would not carry that in here, its dangerous.” So I pulled my shirt tail out and put it over the gun and he said “that’s better, thanks.” I said “your welcome” and he went on his way. Apparently a concealed gun is not dangerous if its covered by a shirt.
Shirts are bullet proof. 😉
All the comments about Frenchie are so true. In the book on killing by Lieutenant Colonel Grossman, he talks about people in the revolutionary war who were so afraid to shoot their guns that they would not defend themselves, their war buddies, even their families. Franch is a typical estrogen field female/male That is passing for men today. Kyle Rittenhouse is more of a man than Frenchy. Looking at all the videos and watching the trial it is perfectly clear that Rittenhouse defended himself he did not aggravate he did not encourage anyone to attack him and if he removed a pedophile in the next con who are both scum bags so be it. The world is a better place without those asswipes.
What seems so obvious to us is apparently not so clear to the jury. They’ve deliberated three days without a decision.
1 holdout took 3 days to convince is all …
I hope he realizes the only logical conclusion to this belief system is having law enforcement concealed carry. Otherwise law enforcement is just menacing and intimidating the general public.
but but the law enforcement person is your friend.
mr. french should apologize for what he did to eddie.
or mr. bixby is gonna hulk out.
Yes they are intimidating, their supposed to be. Went from blue uniforms to black.
Intimidation does give the person the edge, maybe to much, I’d probably have a better encounter with a cop if he was wearing flip flops and carrying a bongo?
Write them tickets mother fcka, we cool.
I think you mean ‘social worker’ not law enforcement. They want to send social workers to break up meth fueled domestic disputes by showing violent junkies all the great government benefits they could be eligible for if they quit beating their wives and children.
Fck Meth.
It’s a big big problem where I live and I’m the most liberal person you’ll find.
Done it all, weed,heroin addict, acid, pcp, mda , quailludes, darvon, ,alcoholic, you name it ,, anything to escape reality,, fck meth, worse then booze.
He’s right you know, if Gaige Grosskreutz had been carrying concealed he never would have been shot.
Grosskreutz *was* (unlawfully) carrying concealed. That wasn’t his problem; rather, it was when he *drew* his carried firearm and *pointed* it at someone. If he had left it carried, rather than handling it, he would have ended that night with full use of both arms.
He was convinced that “he was going teach them a lesson”, but he was the one who got schooled.
…and got a lovely parting gift to remember the occasion for the rest of his life… 😉
As someone who lives in Arizona, which is a Constitutional Carry State, which permits open or concealed carry without the need to get a government permission slip. We are all good here, no “Purge” going on in the streets, etc.
In matter of fact open carry was allowed in Arizona since the Spanish governed the territory and until the 1990’s, concealed carry was not legal. The old theory was that if you had a concealed weapon, you were likely up to no good.
Liberals, Socialists and Never Trumpers like French, don’t trust the great unwashed masses to actually exercise their rights. Harvard Elites and other educated “Good People” are the only ones that really should be trusted with Rights and Freedoms. The Great Unwashed Masses should trust in the wisdom of the Elites and do as they are told by their betters, like French.
Until all of us are Truly Free, none of us are Truly Free. When New York City becomes a Constitutional Carry City, then we will be close to complete victory for the rights of all people.
Fingers Crossed
Most people in this country do not have the option to open carry in their state. You either have to have a permit to conceal carry or a permit to open carry. There are about only 12 states with true open carry options. Kentucky was an open carry and still is an open carry state of pistols, shotguns, and rifles, but has constitutional carry now that includes pistols, shotguns, rifles. Open carry is part of the Kentucky state constitution. Most states is is just a law. You can even open car carry in Kentucky, which is a big problem in a lot of states were people get in trouble every year with car carry. Open carry should be the law of the land in our country. In Illinois, your only option that the state gave in 2013 was concealed carry by permit only. The Illinois you have to have the stupid FOID card to even handle or possess a pistol, shotgun, or rifle and even ammo. For me, I would pick open carry any day over concealed carry because you are restricted to just pistols in Illinois. Carry what you want should be the norm.
The irony is that open carry used to be considered the default, and concealed carry was regulated: carrying a concealed weapon implied something nefarious!
In the modern context, concealed is now preferred – out of sight, out of mind, and less quacking from the fainting couch crowd. The side effect is that it makes carrying a gun seem abnormal, almost shameful. Time to make open carry great again.
That’s right…Let’s all join stupid and run around wearing trenchcoats for concealment like klebold and harris. That way silly milquetoast drama queens like mike-nyfong-dave will stfu.
OPEN CARRY should be the law through out the country!
No need for a “law.” What do you think Keep and Bear Arms means? Open Carry, Concealed Carry “laws” are the result of knee jerk politicians being allowed to throw The Second Amendment in the same pot with the criminal misuse of firearms, bricks, bats, vehicles, etc. Their level of reasoning has become normal and goes on full display each and every time a firearm crime is committed…while all other things criminals use to crate havoc get a complete pass.
No cornered or potentially corned responsible law abiding citizen needs a permission slip to defend themselves or their love-ones. America is tired of two bit guarded politicians who deny rights and accomplish nothing but supplying defenseless victims for criminals. If defending one’s life or the lives of others means not having your papers in order then so be it.
Weve got open carry and concealed carry.
I.myself prefer concealed carry.
1. Its better to not let the enemy know you can strike like a rattlesnake.
3. People around here look at me like I’m some kinda nut to pack an AR .
I left out 2 because that’s where the second ammendment is located. We dont want to go confusing those high school kids with 2’s and amendments.
“1. Its better to not let the enemy know you can strike like a rattlesnake.”
That’s pretty much where I’m at. It’s advantageous for me to let a potential attacker wonder whether or not they might get shot for their efforts…
As if Molotov cocktails aren’t ‘menacing’.
That’s why the Bics are locked up and you’ve gotta have ID
Well finally someone else is talking about it besides just me. Yes this case is very much about the open carry of long guns. Not just the open carry of sidearms, which is something most people don’t even see. Because they don’t pay attention as they are using their cell phone while walking down the street.
But the open carry of a long gun is something much different. Either as a political statement. Such as the Black Panther Party for self-defense.
Or when you know that you cannot rely on the police. Because the police have shown through their own actions, that they will not enforce the law. That they will stand down and do nothing as criminals break the law. Your private property destroyed. Your private business ruined. And perhaps even you being injured or even killed well the police just stand there.
That is when The Oath Keepers stepped in. Just two or three of them. They went to Ferguson Missouri. Open carrying their long guns, they never shot anyone. But those men brought the rioting to an end.
When the police did nothing. And the governor who ordered the National Guard out had them guarding government buildings. Not protecting private property.
Yes some people are intimidated by people who open carry a sidearm or a long gun. But that is our Birthright as an American citizen. If the sheriff’s deputy had done his job in Florida there would be more children alive at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas School. But he hid because he did not want to do his job. When the gunfire started in the school.
If some of the school staff were openly armed. I doubt any criminal would try something at that school. Criminals want easy victims. They will avoid any hardened targets.
An armed Society is a polite Society. And an openly armed Society is an extremely polite one. Because people are compelled, through self-preservation, to be nicer to each other.
BTW
If anyone wants to bring up the Mulford act? I’ll remind you that Ronald Reagan is dead. And the lawmaker in California who publicly embraced the Mulford act, and said it was a good thing, was the state Senate President Tom Ammiano, a proud g@y man. Who was responsible for writing the law making rape victims, stalking victims, and everyone else in California wait an extra 10 days to get a gun.
And they keep re-electing him in California??? He is responsible for removing the rifle teams and 2A education in the San Francisco Public Schools. When he ran for school board stating that was his mission to do away with Second Amendment education in the public schools.
As a g@y activist he had the rules changed and banned the open carrying of firearms at all Pride parades.
The libertarian Boogaloo boys are an excellent example of the current group of people safely openly carrying long guns. And they are generally polite and well-behaved.
Well shit, I always joked about sticking a shotgunm in my pants, come to find out its illegal in this state.
A big one???
(smile)
Well now Mr. French,
You sound to me like your probably a little lite in the loafers, if you believe open carry is SCARY.
& I thought it was just those black machine guns the wusses are always screaming about that freaked out the morons.
I’m not a proponent of open carry for myself. I’ve chosen to carry concealed, everywhere, every day and I’m happy with that. Still, I would much rather see regular American citizens carrying the firearms, short and long, than the requisite uniformed thugs standing on street corners in banana republics, demanding the peons show them their papers.
Any day.
In California, the Mulford Act banned the open carry of loaded firearms. Several decades later, groups of people began carrying open unloaded handguns in public places. The Soccer Moms were horrified, hurrying their children away from Starbucks in abject fear while calling 911. “Man with Gun” calls would flood into the local call center, resulting in a massive police response to people who were breaking no laws. Open Carry Advocates were disarmed at gun point, and not too subtly “encouraged” to not open carry. Needless to say, it took little time for the Legislature in 2012 to ban open carry of handguns in all incorporated cities and towns. (It is still legal to open carry in state and federal forests.) A year later, the open carry of long guns was enacted as well. Thus, concealed carry was the only way to legally exercise 2A rights. Getting that license depended entirely on which County one resided in, some being “self defense is good cause”, others virtual no issue or no issue at all. A few years later, in Peruta, the Ninth Circuit concluded that CCW was not a right but a privilege. One would assume therefore that the Ninth would necessarily conclude that open carry was a right. Not so fast. In Young v. Hawaii (now pending before SCOTUS) the Ninth concluded that there is no right at all under the 2A to bear arms outside the home/off of one’s own private property.
If I call the police in California saying there was a man with a str@p on dild0, walking up and down the street would the police come? The police would most likely tell the 911 caller, that people have a right to walk around with dild0s, and other s3x t0ys in public.
And the police should also tell them that walking around with a holstered sidearm, or a long gun at sling arms, is not a threat either and it’s perfectly legal.
So, what’s the bail amount for Alec Baldwin?
I am a big fan of David French. Or perhaps I should say my political tendencies align more with his than, say, Trump’s, which puts me in the minority here. He may be a “RINO” or an “accommodator” to you, but I say we need his ilk to moderate our positions (in other words, to not become the Democratic party). Note who won Virginia’s governor’s race. His name wasn’t Amanda Chase or Corey Stewart.
Now that I have that apologia out of the way, I recently interviewed a young man who became a gun owner because of OC. He’s a Black NYC transplant who moved to a Black neighborhood in Richmond, VA, where he saw lots of people openly carrying. I didn’t even realize this was a thing, but apparently it is. He said he didn’t know private gun ownership was even legal in America, then started asking the men in his neighborhood about it. I always supported OC, but this completely changed my perspective. I now think even if (when) we have nationwide Constitutional carry, people should open carry.
Open carry brings with it politeness,
Look at the states that have this policy.
Not a lot of gunfight situations that I’ve heard of.
Of course the Karen’s are going to be upset, but who cares about the losers in that category.
It’s the reason for which Karen is upset that’s troubling.
She wants to utterly dominate the space via intimidation. She doesn’t like losing that advantage.
National Review folks. From Wm F Buckley’s “I trust 200 people in the Boston’s phone book more than the entire Harvard faculty” to the likes of David French.
Who says time doesn’t destroy and change everything?
Nothing good has come out of Haaaavard for what? 200yr?
Designed to be menacing? Lol.
There are some people who engage in OC in ways that one could argue “lack manners” but they’re not doing it to “be menacing”. They’re just not entirely cognizant of how they might be percieved by others.
In that regard, depending on your point of view they might be a bit like a porcupine. Neither cuddly nor menacing.
The chosen diction here suggests that it is, in fact, those presenting such an argument who wish to be menacing.
David “surrender monkey” French should STFU, The cuckservatives are despised by both the left and the right. Go home to France, David.
What with the increasing number of “Reavers in Training” these days, y’all better be carryin’ somethin’ lethal.
David French now writes articles on why conservatives really should support democrat positions and being a pontification pharisee towards other Christians.
Amazing the guy had the guts to write a book on virtue
“French” would be strike 1 thru 3. Dismissed.
I live in a very rural area. Not unusual to see someone show up in the local small towns wearing a gun belt and open carrying. Nor is it unusual to see a rifle or shot gun in the window of a truck. Myself, I keep my long guns cased and in the tool box, locked up, but available if needed. Stopped carrying a gun in the window rack back about 1980. Just to help keep the honest folks honest. I usually do have a gun belt and revolver around the homestead. And do wear it into town if just going to a local business. If I’m going further than the small towns, like to Mobile, or Pensacola, I change over to concealed carry. Guess it makes people nervous to see some Santa Clause looking old fart wearing a gun belt.
David French, I have a RED HOT NEWS FLASH for you. Open Carry is a warning to criminals not to mess with me.
Open carry is NOT designed to intimidate. If that were the case, then COPS should not be carrying openly on their hips, correct? Or is French again demanding we bow to our betters and become their subjects?
Open carry is designed to more easily and rapidly access your weapon in an emergency.
And maybe to remind others that there are likely other folks with guns about and you should be polite and not try to brain them with a skateboard.
David French is a self serving narcissist with delusions of relevance. He’s a ‘principled, Never Trump’ conservative with a lot less intellectual honesty than some liberals. Best to ignore, like Jonah Goldberg, Bill Kristol, etc.
His position on open carry is as vacuous as pretty much every position he has, including Critical Race theory and so called White Supremacy.
I do not want constitutional carry or open carry outlawed; however out of respect for people’s fears of seeing an non policeman carrying openly, I have not done so. Open carry does give criminals’ pause, but IMO that does not outweigh the fears of citizens.
We already see irrational reactions of people not wearing masts during the pandemic even though the masks are only good for droplets, the original fear, but now we know they are ineffective with aerosols. So we do have many fearful people in our country.
Jack Lucas of Plymouth NC was 17 in 1945
I think we can agree that French is an idiot.
It he is so afraid of guns, he should move to Cuba or China!
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