In today’s class during the symposium we discussed Oklahomans
newly found right to carry unconcealed firearms in public. Initially I and many
others were in opposition to or merely just concerned with the laws passing due
to previous gun incidents such as Virginia Tech and Columbine. In class I felt
it unnecessary for a person to feel the need to carry an unconcealed firearm, when
laws already permit them to carry a concealed one. So to better understand the
issue I found an article from the New
York Times concerning the new law in Oklahoma.
The Oklahomans interviewed for this article were very
enthused advocates of their new found ability to exercise their second
amendment rights.
“Advocates for gun
rights said the ability to “open carry” would deter crime and eliminate the
risks of a wardrobe mishap, such as when someone carrying a concealed weapon
breaks the law by accidentally exposing the firearm.”
“The Republican
state senator who wrote Senate Bill 1733, Anthony Sykes said, “I think the
evidence is clear that gun owners are some of the most responsible people, and
they’ve shown that in not just Oklahoma.””
This
law will make Oklahoma the 15th state to allow unconcealed firearms
with a license. Persons in Oklahoma with unconcealed firearms must still
satisfy all the requirements to obtain a license and the law would prohibit any
form of firearms in many places such as, government buildings, schools, and
bars. So there should not be any increase
in gun violence the state of Oklahoma. In fact many Oklahomans believe that
robbery crime rates will decline. For instance, Bryan Hull the general manager
of American Eagle Towing in Oklahoma City openly wears a Ruger LC9 pistol while
at the office, stated.
“Last year a
group of would-be robbers whose car had been impounded saw his pistol and
quickly left. “I never saw a weapon,” Mr. Hull said. “I never drew my weapon.
There was no need to. My openly carried firearm deterred whatever it was they
had in mind, and I’m sure it wasn’t to bring me a thank-you card.””
Yet, even
with all of the support from Mr. Hull and others in the Oklahoma Open Carry Association, many business owners are still skeptical
of their safety under new law.
“Downtown, managers at the Bricktown Brewery plan on posting a “no
weapons allowed” sign. “I see our city with an opportunity to continue to be a
modern, upscale city,” said Charles Stout, the brewery’s managing partner. “I
think we have to be careful of the message we’re sending.””
The NY Times article is very interesting because it gives an insight into people who will be directly affected by the law. It's interesting to see the varying amounts of support. One part that stood out to me most was the quote by Charles Stout that said "I see our city with an opportunity to be a modern, upscale city", "I think we have to be careful of the message we're sending." It's interesting the way he seems to imply that allowing people with firearms visible will not help to uphold the city in a modern, upscale way. With the open carry law into effect in Oklahoma, I think some people there will grapple with getting used to seeing people with guns on their hip while others will adapt easily. I think what it comes down to is the unfamiliar. Lots of people today see guns as dangerous because of the way people in our society have abused them. Looking at guns this way deters from seeing them as a form of protection. It will be interesting to see how open carry laws influence the mindset people have about guns.
ReplyDeleteThat article you discovered certainly brings the topic under a new light. However, I still feel that people will always be less likely to commit a crime if they have to break a greater number of laws to do so. For instance, if a store owner feels uncomfortable carrying a weapon, then a customer who does carry will feel less pressure not to commit a crime. An analogy could be the fact that some people don't cheat on homework here at Rhodes based on the Honor Code. If the students were not prohibited to cheat, even thought it is morally wrong, it may be speculated that the percentage of cheaters would increase. Mr. Stout is right in being concerned about the image carrying weapons would project.
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