Oklahoma de-criminalized open carry. Effective tomorrow. Congratulations to the Oklahoma Second Amendment Association. Some of the predictable reactions are funny. To nervous types: uh, maybe you could just look around you, and make some phone calls to your neighbors and others. Open carry is lawful all over the place.
Some speculate that the new Oklahoma open carry law caused a spike in handgun carry permits.
Answer: No, why would it? You will hardly see leather and hardware all over your streets on Thursday. In fact, give this six months, and ho-hum, all will have moved on to more pressing matters.
If you are looking for reasons why your citizens might want to go armed, though, try this list:
- larger mobs of teen gangs raiding stores
- car-jackers
- pillheads out in droves
- a continuing supply of potential Islamic terrorists flowing into the country
- possible U.S. Supreme Court appointments who would reverse Heller and McDonald
- …and then uphold more oppressive restrictions on the right to keep and bear arms
- tweeted threats of blood in the streets when President Obama loses the election
- a watchful eye on south Chicago’s out-of-control street violence wondering if it will spread
- and throw in the influence of nutcase mass shooters in places like movie theaters and the streets of disarmed New York City.
Any one of those devils is enough to influence the common-sense citizen to arm up. But, as Don Spencer with the Oklahoma Second Amendment Association points out, he saw the spike in his handgun carry permit classes after the mass shooting by the maniac back in July. Places safe in the ’50s, ’60s, and even into the ’70s just cannot any longer be assumed “safe.”
“The new law is causing some consternation among law enforcement and businesses.” The AP article then quotes a county sheriff. It sounds like the departments across the state are doing what makes sense: training the officers on the new law. As Lt. Dan Snow says, “… we’ll adapt to it.”
Then, there is the usual, smug, insulting, democrat state senator, this time in the form of Jim Wilson, opposing the bill (the exercise of constitutional liberty) because “…it sends a negative message to the rest of the country.” Wilson mocks gun-owners and thinks it makes Oklahoma look “silly”—”with all these cowboys running around with guns.”—and he ignores the data.
You folks in Tahlequah, Oklahoma might want to upgrade your senatorial representation. You could “send the positive message” to Senator Wilson that—unlike him—you are proud of your cowboys. You deserve better; I hope some cowboy or cowgirl steps up and unseats him from his high horse.
