TTAG commentator FlaBoy (not shown) posted this less-than-entirely-supportive comment underneath Dean’s article Open Carry at Arizona’s Yuma Regional Medical Center:
Sorry to voice what may be an unpopular opinion on this story, but I, for one, think open carry in general is stupid and silly.
In terms of self-protection, as many others point out, it can be counter productive, when compared to concealed carry. I am certainly not against concealed carry of firearms. I have a concealed carry permit (required in my state) and always carry, usually ignoring signs, etc to the contrary, including my doctor’s office.
I do open carry on the farm and in the woods, but that’s different than open carry in the general public. Open carry in the general public serves to inflame the anti-gunners (and realize there are more of them then there are of us…just look up the city population vs. the rural population, opinions of the younger generations, etc..) and, I think, it’s just a form of exhibitionism.
In the long run, open carry is not supporting our rights as much as it is counterproductive to continuing our rights, since we need the tolerance of the vast majority of the non-gun-interested population’s continued ignoring and nonsupport of the anti-gunners efforts. “In your face” open carry in places where they are with their kids and family doesn’t help us in the long run.
Point taken?