This whole Virginia Tech thing has me thinking.

I’m just going to throw this out there for comment. I haven’t thought it through, and I haven’t seen this discussed much anywhere, so I’m really looking to brain storm. It’s free-form, random stream of consciousness.

I am not talking about jurisdictions in the U.S. where you can’t carry, concealed or otherwise. Nor am I talking about jurisdictions in the U.S. where you can carry concealed with permits, or without.

I am just talking about jurisdictions where you can carry open. In these jurisdictions, why don’t more people do it?

I’m sure some cops will look at you with a raised eyebrow, at the very least; especially if you don’t look like Joe Clean Cut or a Cop. Is that a deterrent? I’m sure that some civilians will look at you with a raised eyebrow, at the very least; especially if you don’t look like Joe Clean Cut or a Cop. Is that a deterrent?

Are there any other reasons that people don’t carry open when they legally could?

Because I have a sneaking suspicion that “social norms” are such that many people don’t carry open just because they don’t want to be seen as “different” or because they actually care what other people think of them. They don’t want to be seen as gun nuts, or playing cowboy, or paranoid, or whatever. After all, “civilized men” don’t need to carry guns, right? Hell, that was even the case in Dodge City, circa 1870s. It’s even more so now, right?

Well, if this is the case, then I would imagine gun owners are much like some religious, racial, sexual or physical minorities. We must be feeling like they do all the time. But, why should we feel embarrassed about open carry? Why should we feel “out of place.” It’s who we are (isn’t it?) and it’s legal. Why hide? Why Uncle Tom it? Why play the “man’s” game?

We all know we can go pretty much every where, open carry, but we don’t. Everyone looks for a concealed carry permit instead. Why? Are we ashamed? It almost seems like “they” (gun control types) have made us feel like strangers in our own home.

If that is the case, then maybe some jurisdiction somewhere (some part of Texas? Colorado?), needs to “take back the night.” Just like women, afraid of rape, have started “take back the night” programs. Just like homosexual types have parades. And just like some minorities stand up on their hind legs and stick out their chests. Maybe gun owners need to do the same thing.

I suppose some of us feel we are not like “them,” and we don’t run around wearing who we are on our sleeves like “they” do. We don’t rub our guns in people’s faces like “they” rub their status in our faces.

Well, if that is how we feel, and if that is the case, then maybe we need to be prepared to watch our rights slip away. Maybe if we don’t exercise our rights, we will lose them. Maybe if we buy into the social stigma then we are no better than a Black person who bought into it in the 1950s.

If we are a minority (as pro-gun types either are, or seem to be sometimes) and if we don’t carry open when we could, then maybe we deserve what we get.

Now, if it became a trend, and if people started open carry in all jurisdictions where it was legal to do so, and if it became the norm, and if seeing people with guns was second nature, and nobody gave a damn after awhile, and it was like seeing a man wearing a watch, then maybe we’d end up with some better inter-jurisdictional crime statistics for comparison. We could point at the lack of crime compared to other jurisdictions. Then the gun control types would NOT have their argument about inconsistency in jurisdictional laws, and how guns from Wyoming skew the peaceful people’s republic of Massachusetts and that is why they have gun crime.

Sure, we’d be the laughing stock of the national press for quite some time. Sure, cops would have to get used to seeing us at Safeway with an AR over our shoulder or a 1911 on our hip. Sure, mommies would grab kiddies, give us furtive looks, and run for while. But maybe that is the price we have to pay. Blacks paid it. Other minorities paid it.

I’m sure some blacks didn’t like the idea of sitting at certain lunch counters. I’m sure cripples and deformed folks would rather just stay at home sometimes. I’m sure many gays just want to stay in the closet. I’m sure some Jews and Muslims want to hide their religion in certain circumstances. The Cops and the “public” looked at them with raised eyebrows. Did that stop them?

I guess gun owners may want to hide in their own closet. So here we are, reduced to the status of a minority fighting for our rights in court and with lobbying firms, etc. But you know what, that might not be where the real work gets done. The civil rights movement didn’t get traction in court or in congress until AFTER they hit the streets and raised a ruckus. We could just hit the streets. We wouldn’t even have to raise a ruckus. After all, we have guns. What are we afraid of? Are we afraid of “push back” and losing more rights than we already have lost? Did that stop the civil rights movement?

It would be a long, very tough row to hoe. But it’s our CIVIL RIGHT! Is it worth it that kind of struggle? Why not exercise it some place besides the range or our living room?

Well, maybe it’s time we showed some balls like Rosa Parks and other civil rights icons, and started being a little more proud of who we are. It takes real courage to do that.

I don’t know why I should feel stupid shopping at Safeway with an AR over my shoulder, any more than some Black dude should feel stupid trying to join the local country club. But I would feel stupid. Maybe I need to get over that and start packing?

Nah, I don’t have the courage it would take. I’ll just keep pretending that my congressman and some judge will save my ass.

What say you?