tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6161327987992186698.post444901226408556241..comments2023-06-09T08:37:26.905-07:00Comments on High Altitude Politics: Should firearms and rallies mix in Arizona?Fred Solophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16373113866235076470noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6161327987992186698.post-92093730546093173302009-09-02T11:02:05.011-07:002009-09-02T11:02:05.011-07:00You are correct that Arizona students cannot conce...You are correct that Arizona students cannot conceal carry on campus. They also cannot open carry either. The Arizona state Senate did pass a resolution that would allow students to conceal carry, but it has not moved forward and may not come to fruition. <br /><br />You mention in your post that people who are fearful of someone open carrying should be aware that there are likely people around them who are concealed carriers. This is a good point. I would like to add that I would feel much safer with a group of concealed permit holders than I would open carriers. Open carriers can get a gun from a gun show, and not have to go through the background check that is requred of someone purchasing from a gun store. While a concealed carrier could do the same, a person who is a concealed carrier is required to go through an extensive background check, be finger printed, in some states have letters of recommendation, and must demonstrate proficiency with a firearm (among other requirements). This is not so with an open carrier. They could feasibly have absolutely no knowledge of how to even fire a weapon and still be legally allowed to open carry. Additionaly, a concealed carrier obviously does not want the public to know that they have a loaded weapon in their possesion. This could be for a variety of reasons, one of which is that they may not want to frighten the general public or be seen as an agressive person. An individual who open carries also does so for a variety of reasons, but one likely possiblity is to intimidate and portray a more passive-agressive posture. They could be making a bold statement to the effect, "you better not take my rights away or there will be trouble" as might be implied by such actions as having an open carry weapon and a sign that states that the "tree of liberty must be watered from time to time with the blood of tyrants." It would make a big difference to me as to how I perceive a person to see someone with that statement on a sign without a weapon or a concealed weapon vs. a person who is open carry.<br /><br /> Furthermore, while both open carry and concealed carry individuals feel that they need to carry for personal protection, it seems to me that open carry more obviously begs the question as to who the enforcers of the law are, the police, or everybody else? Does this situation not blur the lines of what the roles in society are? Do open carriers divert police resources away from other aspects of crowd control, and if so, what are the potential implications? While I do believe that most open carriers know their rights well and are law abiding individuals, with regard to the motivations behind why open carriers show up at rambunctions political rallies, how can we differentiate the sane from the insane? Certainly there are people who show up to these rallies who are not mentally stable, but without a gun, they have much less ability to create problems or are less likely to cause problems. Moreover, even if one is law abiding and mentally stable, open carry allows for greater potential for someone who is not mentally stable to be able to comandeer (as you have pointed out) another persons weapon and use it for harm.Collin Wellernoreply@blogger.com