Image: Californiaopencarry.org
After reading about protesters bringing guns to anti-Obama rallies, I grew curious about which states are open-carry; that is, they allow people to carry guns in public, as long as the guns are visible. I made this list from the map graphic at OpenCarry.org:
Open carry states:
Alaska
Montana
Idaho
Wyoming
Nevada
Arizona
New Mexico
South Dakota
Vermont
Kentucky
Virginia
Open carry–with restrictions (eg. permit requirements):
Utah
North Dakota
Minnesota
Iowa
Tennessee
Mississippi
Georgia
Indiana
Maryland
New Jersey
Rhode Island
Connecticut
Massachusetts
Many other states have their own versions of open carry–eg. it is allowed in some rural areas of California. See the map for details.
Using a loaded gun to demonstrate your right to bear arms at a presidential event is a dumb idea. Maybe you’re a responsible gun owner, but what about the 50 people next to you? Who’s to say someone won’t get excited and start firing? And if that happens, the government will be even more interested in restricting gun rights. Demonstrators either need to keep their guns unloaded, or not bring them at all.
Can your projection bias and paranoia, recognize that we are innocent until proven guilty in America, and that criminals are deterred by, and avoid, hard targets.
Wow…for one, who’s going to know whether it’s loaded or not? And for two, if you don’t excersize it your right, you’ll lose it. More people need to do this.
Open carry is not a common thing. It is rarely seen so is often an issue for many people who don’t trust guns or people with guns. Personally I wish every state was open carry. Crime would plummet and respect for each other would sky rocket. You would learn to control your temper and mouth much better when you realize the guy or girl you are screaming at is carrying a loaded weapon.
Anytime the President is involved (regardless of who is in that seat at the time) weapons will always be restricted in that area. The Secret Service works diligently to keep him alive and won’t put him at risk. But the comment was made about protesters carrying guns to an anti Obama rally. Not where he was speaking, so what is the point? The city I live in recently passed a ban on handguns in the city park because the state had passed a law allowing it. The one commissioner who voted for it was a woman who wanted to be safer when she walked in the park.
Guns and the 2nd amendment are what provide the freedom our country is beginning to take for granted. An armed populace is important to remind Congress and our leaders that the Constitution allows us the option of starting over. I doubt it comes to that any time soon but it is better to be prepared and carrying than to be caught wanting.
Carrying an unloaded firearm is pointless and stupid. It would be like carryig a shovel handle. The only reason for doing so would be over concerns of losing control over it and if this were a concern one should not be carrying at all or carry concealed.
the people protesting our 2nd ammendment are people that live in upper class societies, and project all the fear of illegal gun owners on the ones that have the right, and legally own their firearms, thus if we legal gun owners lose our second ammendment, all that is going to happen will be civil dispute, and illegal gun ownership rates to increase, I agree with Mr. Lovington in that everyone should carry in occordance with the law, and that better to have one and not need it, then need one and not have it…
So why are you calling it an “Anti-Obama Rally” The people there were not against the president they were opposed to his agenda. It should have been called an “Anti Government take over rally.” If you are in a crowd of 100 people who are armed what are the chances you draw your weapon and get off more one shot before you are dropped by the secret service or the 99 other armed patriots in the crowd?
Wow… you are such a wuss. Do you get scared when people are cooking with knives and meat tenderizers? You must shake in your boots at baseball games because they hold those “EVIL BATS”. You need to get out more and stop watching Bill O’Reilly.
@Steven.
I Open Carry every day everywhere. It’s always loaded.
What good is an unloaded gun?
$500+ club.
That’s why it’s always loaded.
Stay safe