Guy in Fort Collins Open Carries rifle at Walmart.

[Ronin13]

Sometimes it is not what's OK (i.e. legal), but rather what IS or IS NOT the norm.
Seeing someone carry a rifle in Walmat is not the "norm" in the US. I can understand why people would panic and call the police. Legal or not.

I'm sure it would be considered completely normal at the Tehran Walmart.

When we traveled overseas, my wife freaked out at the airports and train stations when she saw security guards with UZI's. The locals didn't mind because that was their "norm".
Had we seen armed security personnel at O'Hare, DFW, or DIA, many more people would have been alarmed because is is NOT the "norm" in the US.

I will play devil's advocate here and ask why challenging the norm is so frowned upon now? Technically speaking supporting Obama seems to be the "norm," if you define the norm as what the majority of everyone else is doing. What about those of us who challenge the norm? Do you find it just that we are harassed or even arrested for going against the grain, but not violating any law? The norm is to not swear in the presence of children, yet I see it constantly. The norm is to not be loud and obnoxious in movie theaters, yet I see it all the time. Do these people break the law? No. So should I call the cops on them? No. See what I mean? Some norms are wrong and need to be changed.

[Gman]

How many times has the "norm" fallen to civil disobedience where laws in place at the time may have even been violated?

If no laws are being broken...shouldn't we exercise a little civil obedience?

[Gunoholic]

If no laws are being broken...shouldn't we exercise a little civil obedience?

Amen Brother! lol

Ignorance is bliss. Who will teach them? Some are willing to respectfully, maturely open carry. I feel doing this can inform the uninformed. Hopefully we are portraying responsible gun ownership.

[45XD]

I know it's legal and all but really don't think this helps the cause.

+1

What kind of statement is he making?

[USAFGopherMike]

Dingo makes a good point. I support open carry and wish more people would do it. I saw it mentioned earlier but have to ask.. was the rifle loaded? I like others have been to many a country where guns are seen everywhere and it doesn't bother people. Still, I think this kid while well within his rights probably did more to inflame the situation in a liberal town full of college kids that believe everything the leftist media tells them and are of legal voting age. Ronin, I love ya for flying the flag man (in a non-assless chaps kind of way ), but there's a better way to support our pro-2A rights and beliefs. There is a time, place, and best practice to turn to the tide. I believe outreach, education and training are key. We need open carry rallys and range days, politicians supporting them and taking the organized fight to idiots like Feinstein and the rest of the communist oppressors. I make it a personal goal to take a non-shooter to the range at least once a month. If all of us did that, we'd see our support grow much quicker than walking around wallyworld with a rifle. The rally on the 19th is a great example, but needs to be often, consistent, and well publicized. Work smarter, not harder.

[tmckay2]

You can be arrested for just about anything, whether you are charged or not is entirely different.

sure, but youre pretty stupid to put yourself in that position, especially with the current climate. i wouldn't trust the legal system with my life.

[tmckay2]

So, let's quit picking on the guy, and answer the questions I posed earlier (above)... What are we going to do to begin to turn the tide?

nothing, thats the problem. the only way to convince people is to educate them on guns, but they have to do that one their own. i have several used to be anti gun friends and family, that once i took them shooting, showed them how to handle a gun, the safeties, etc they are now pro gun. its going to take a looooong time to do that for everyone. on top of that we have to appear like normal, sane, common sense types of people, otherwise people just take what the media says (that we are deranged hicks who are only into conspiracy theories) and couple that with our actions that reflect it and boom, we lose. if everyone appears like normal people who are perfectly rational, for a lot of ignorant people they will realize the rhetoric doesn't match reality. unfortunately, actions like these aren't understood by the general populace and only furthers the lefts agenda. sure, WE can all sit here and understand it and point to his right to do so, but 80% of the population will think its a poor choice and the media will work it into their narrative flawlessly.

[DireWolf]

Okay, two lines of thought here:

First, this guy is 19yo and the other thread about the first guy doing this (and calling cops to inform them first) was 22yo. I think if they were older, in their 40s, it might make a bigger difference in getting their message across. Especially since a majority of the massacres (in fact, nearly all that I can remember) are done at the hands of teens to 25yo's. So naturally, the demographic is young kids carrying rifles into places and shooting. Did these guys NOT think that they'd alarm people?

On the other hand, imagine how the public and government would react if we got just 50%, heck even just 25%, of gun owners to start carrying RIFLES openly. Sure, National Gun Appreciation day seems to have made a public point and was a nice gathering with speakers, but I'm sure not everyone could be there for work or other reasons. But if, say, for the month of February, we got thousands of gun owners to carry their rifles everywhere with them, it would cause widespread panic. People would turn every corner and see a rifle, then call the cops to report it. The cops would be inundated with calls and surely would be required to issue a public statement that what these gun owners are doing is perfectly legal. This also might make politicians realize that we, as gun owners, are NOT willing to back down on our God given rights to defend ourselves, and what our natural born rights as United States of America citizens are given by the Bill of Rights.

The first thread on this subject, I had mixed feelings, saying that I wouldn't do it myself. But if I knew there were hundreds of thousands of other gun owners carrying their rifles openly, I'd be very willing to do it.

Let's do it like the LGBT's did, openly shove it in your face until you're willing to accept it as normal, and don't back down until EVERY tv show has a gun in it! Cause, you know, all tv shows now have at least one gay person in them...

^^^This x 1,000,000....I'm sick and fucking tired of having my rights systematically destroyed by bunch of fucking commie pukes....if nothing else it would most likely scare the shit out of the pols and make them realize that they're playing with dynamite and lit matches....

All I'm gonna say on that topic....

[JM Ver. 2.0]

You know, when I was growing up outside of Chicago a LONG time ago, we used to carry rifles from our homes into the woods, and nobody cared. It was considered normal. Later when I was in HS and College in WI, we had 30/30's hanging in the back of our Pickup truck windows, IN THE SCHOOL's Parking lot!

WTF

Responsible people are safe with Guns

Get a grip.

The kid has EVERY right to carry openly.

Quit being pussified by our culture.

OPEN carry is legal in this State.

If you don't like it, move back to CA

Would you feel safer in a gun free zone????

Just because you can doesn't mean you should.... The kid is a moron. Plain and simple.

[Gman]

The Constitution doesn't say squat about having to give up your rights because someone might have bad feelings about it. Nut up.