Public Right to Carry?

[delmar]

Yes, every law abiding American Citizen should be able to carry a firearm.

Unless, of coarse your at a CAS event. In which case you can still carry, but your firearm must be empty.

[1SG Yoak]

Unless, of coarse your at a CAS event. In which case you can still carry, but your firearm must be empty.

Which has nothing to do with the question, and more to do with the rules of the organization or the specific range. ALL of our local competition events are on a "cold range".

I'm a "civilian" now, having retired a number of years ago, and lucky enough to be able to carry on HR218. Other than that, the people have a right to defend themselves and their family. What's the question?

[delmar]

Which has nothing to do with the question, and more to do with the rules of the organization or the specific range. ALL of our local competition events are on a "cold range".

I'm a "civilian" now, having retired a number of years ago, and lucky enough to be able to carry on HR218. Other than that, the people have a right to defend themselves and their family. What's the question?

The question was...
What are your feelings on the public right to carry? I am a strong advocate for the right to carry. I carry when I go into stores, I carry when I go into a restaurant and sit down for a meal. I just happen to think it's a bit odd, that when I go to a gun range, to engage in a shooting competition, the first thing I am required to do, in the name of "safety" is to disarm!

So the question I am asking is...
What does it do to public perception when people find out that shooting  organizations such as SASS consider it "unsafe" to walk around a gun range, or sit around the clubhouse, with a loaded gun in your holster?

I do acknowledge the right of any shooting  organization or specific range to make there own rules and set there own agenda. I will also assert my right to challenge them to consider being stronger advocates for our God given rights, to self defense, as spelled out in the 2nd amendment!

[1SG Yoak]

The question was...
What are your feelings on the public right to carry? I am a strong advocate for the right to carry. I carry when I go into stores, I carry when I go into a restaurant and sit down for a meal. I just happen to think it's a bit odd, that when I go to a gun range, to engage in a shooting competition, the first thing I am required to do, in the name of "safety" is to disarm!

So the question I am asking is...
What does it do to public perception when people find out that shooting  organizations such as SASS consider it "unsafe" to walk around a gun range, or sit around the clubhouse, with a loaded gun in your holster?

I do acknowledge the right of any shooting  organization or specific range to make there own rules and set there own agenda. I will also assert my right to challenge them to consider being stronger advocates for our God given rights, to self defense, as spelled out in the 2nd amendment!

Asked and answered. I carry all the time. I believe that everyone that can, should.

As for shooting competitions, I have no issue how they run their "safety". There are other considerations when gathering a number of people and loaded guns. Not everyone is a safe handling them as they should be, we know that. I think of it as back in the Old West when you had to leave your rig at the Marshal's/Sheriff's office before you enjoy the hospitality of the town. 

[delmar]

Asked and answered. I carry all the time. I believe that everyone that can, should.

As for shooting competitions, I have no issue how they run their "safety". There are other considerations when gathering a number of people and loaded guns. Not everyone is a safe handling them as they should be, we know that. I think of it as back in the Old West when you had to leave your rig at the Marshal's/Sheriff's office before you enjoy the hospitality of the town. 

Understood, do you not think the same arguments are a valid argument against public carry in general?

[1SG Yoak]

Understood, do you not think the same arguments are a valid argument against public carry in general?

There are people that can't find their ass with both hands. I'm not sure I want to be close to them when they are exercising their rights. We have all seen the wild antics of newbies at the range. I hate regulations, but there should be some level of competency.

Afterall, we have to qualify every year.

[St. George]

If you're going to carry - then you need to prove that you're capable of doing so.

Take the courses offered in your area and get certified - and re-certified and re-certified as time goes on.

'Prove' that you have the requisite maturity and sense of responsibility to be able to go safely armed and know what 'deadly force' means and how it 'will' impact your life if used.

As to a 'cold range' - all sorts of theoretically gun-knowledgeable people get hurt every year, playing around with 'un-loaded' firearms - some even die.

There's no place for this activity - yet it 'is' seen, so doing what can be done to eliminate this is merely prudent, insofar as the Range is concerned.

Ranges and using groups have to carry insurance - and insurance companies are just waiting to pull the policy, should there be any problem.

Respect the Range and the operating rules.

Vaya,

Scouts Out!

[Lawful Larry]

I  like being a citizen and not a subject.  After 26 yrs in the USAF and 17yrs with law enforement, I like this setup.

Now as to the difference of the range rules and walking the street.  Someone mentioned that we have to qualify each  year.  Well that puts us on a range again and it means safety rules.  I think we all understand the difference between a hot and cold range.  So what is the  difference in having safety rule on a SASS range? 

When I am  on a SASS range my mind is on shooting CAS and not reall life bad guys.  When I finish for the day on the  SASS range and get ready for the street, my mind is in condition yellow. 

I have been a state certified firearms instructor in Virginia for 15 yrs and I can tell you that cops are by nature some of the worst marksmans I have had the pleasure to be around.  To most of them the  gun  is a necessary piece of equipment.  Our success rate is in the area os 17% in gun fights (FBI stats). 

As far as safety violations, I have been swept more times on a police range then on a CAS range. 

[Shotgun Franklin]

First, on a range you're under a slightly diffent situation than being out in public. I've never had a problem with a cold range as long as we treat it like it's a hot range.

If you're going to carry - then you need to prove that you're capable of doing so.

Second, it's The Right To Carry. Just like voting, peaceful assembly, freedom of religon and all those other Rights. While I think that we should all practice and qualify, I really don't want any branch of the Gov't deciding who can exercise any Right based on a test or score. Now there are those who, for whatever reason (convicted felon, mentally defience, not a citizen as examples) don't have certian Rights, as a general rule we should all have the Right To Carry. Rights should be removed from those who prove they are not responsible enough to exercirse that Right or who have violated the Rights of others. Rights should not denied until you prove that you meet some Gov't requirement. Do you really want the Mayor of New York or a Senator from California deciding on the test you need to pass to exercise your Right to carry?

[triple w]

Food for thought, I think it goes much deeper than what We think.  

http://la-gun.com/videos/torch/

[Federalist]

Food for thought, I think it goes much deeper than what We think. 

http://la-gun.com/videos/torch/

You are right, and thank you for the video.   

[BlackHawkPaul]

28 year retired fed LEO- I am totally Pro civilian CCW for law-abiding citizens with background check having been done to show no felony history. And, if anyone here thinks that the pols won't take away LEO retiree LEOSA carry and/or off-duty CCW rights for LEO's in a heartbeat if they have an inch of wiggle room, grow up and smell the coffee. Oh, yeah "We" are all in "This" 2A struggle together politically and had better NOT get arrogant against the civilian CCW. And I know several brethren cops who are arrogantly and naively against civilian CCW. I think they are nuts and argue with them ceaselessly because their argumnts are stupid.

[Shotgun Franklin]

Imagine that you have to receive training and be tested in order to vote. It might, given the right training and the right test give us better Voters. But suppose Obama is the guy setting up the training and the test. Wanna bet things will be better the next election.

[aryfrosty]

If we have to depend upon ourselves and brother LEOs to ensure a stand against criminals we are in serious straits. We need to understand that the 2A right to carry applies equally to all Citizens whether LE or not. I am personally familiar with 2 cases where armed citizens have stepped in after LEOs were shot and ended a bottom feeder's career in crime. In my time as both working and retired LE I have learned to sincerely fear any LEO or politician who is against gun rights. They are the ones who endanger all of us.

[BiGStick]

Their Hypocrisy, it seems, knows NO bounds...

http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/editorials/la-ed-guns-20110316,0,7963307.story

"Democrats who have voted to limit gun rights now want a special privilege for lawmakers. Three state legislators have coauthored a bill that would make it easier for California elected officials to obtain a concealed weapons permit. The surprising thing about this bill isn't just that it has appeared in California, which tends to favor restrictive gun laws, but that its coauthors are all Democrats who in the past have voted to limit gun rights for ordinary citizens. SB 610 was introduced by Sen. Roderick Wright of Inglewood, who in 2009 voted for a bill limiting the ability of residents from rural counties to use their gun-carry permits in large urban counties; another coauthor, Assemblywoman Cathleen Galgiani of Tracy, voted for the same bill. The third, Sen. Lou Correa of Santa Ana, voted for a Galgiani bill last year prohibiting the carrying of even unloaded firearms in the state Capitol."

These are the people Californians elected to lead them. This is why I could NEVER, EVER vote democrat.
Gawd, what a Bunch of TURDS!

And, Yes, I am for public carry, as long as that person has a clean record and attends / passes a firearms safety class for that specific weapon.

[Utah Bob]

When the police do not support the citizens' right to bear arms, they become merely a tool of oppression. It ain't rocket science but it's too much for many politicians to wrap their pinheads around.

From Sir Robert Peel's nine principles of policing:

2. The ability of the police to perform their duties is dependent upon public approval of police actions.

[Shotgun Franklin]

Here's a thought, why not, about twice a year, have a range day where Officers/Deputies teach better gun handling to Citizens? In fact let Citizens shoot the Department course to evaluate themselves. If we, the LEOs, work with the Public and maybe establish contacts with them it could be a win-win situation, IMO.

[Forty Rod]

Here's a thought, why not, about twice a year, have a range day where Officers/Deputies teach better gun handling to Citizens? In fact let Citizens shoot the Department course to evaluate themselves. If we, the LEOs, work with the Public and maybe establish contacts with them it could be a win-win situation, IMO.

Sounds like a good idea as long as it isn't mandatory.  Encourage it all you want, but mandatory training is government infringement any way you slice it.

Also make it affordable...like the cost of materials only.  Too many can't / won't pay a lot for it.

[Shotgun Franklin]

Forty Rod, I agree completely. It could save a Citizens butt after a shooting to say that he'd attended a Training Day with the Local Agency and shot their course.

[Eloy Santa Cruz]

@ Shotgun & Forty Rod - I could'nt agree with you more!