Mt Whitney Zone Forums The Chat Room Packing Heat.

I'm not sure if your saying you fail to see the point of open carry in all places we might visit or just in the backcountry, honestly it seems a bit asinine to say that about all things but as for the back country including what George says I hardly see any reason to, I certainly would never carry a gun into the backcountry on any typical hike, I don't have any fear out there and I could care less if the remote chance of someone or more likely something attacking me, but I also don't write off those dangers and the fear that others feel about them, in life people do all sorts of things to "feel" safe and carrying a gun is no different, lets take terrorism for an example, such massive fear over this, people are willing to go to all sorts of lengths to "feel" safe but if you look at the statistics and I don't just mean your odds of being attacked but how many people actually die from terrorism every single year in the whole world, it's about 1000 on average, it's a statistical fact that more people die from being struck by lightning, choking on peanuts, drowning in swimming pools, hitting deer on the road etc etc etc , my point is I don't see anyone wanting to strip the liberties away from people over what can easily be considered irrational fear, the only true relevant reason to make something like carrying a gun in the back country illegal is if accident situations become ridiculously common and the collateral damage is just too great and I certainly don't see this as a problem at the moment.



You misunderstand what I meant, I was only making a point that most people that open carry are extremely responsible and caring people that would be useful in an emergency, I say that because I know that most people have a very different view on who these types of people are, now what sort of people you like or respect or think anything of that's all your own business. =P



Seems that you have met the wrong type of people, we all generalize too much amongst groups of people but how many do we really get to know? i'm sure there is plenty of people just as you describe but from what I have seen it's not the majority.



Was it one of these boards where I read a mans story of running into a mountain lion on the trail with it only about 20 feet from him and despite all his efforts to scare it the thing had no fear so he had a stand off with it for 30 minutes before it left, that's a damn I wish I had a gun scenario. lol



I think your assumption and scenario are a bit far fetched, I agree that open carry makes a statement but I feel it makes the statement of "if I am violently attacked I am willing to defend myself" and nothing more, I used to never leave the house without a boot knife, 10% self defense use 90% useful tool and you would be surprised how useful always have a knife on you is, I used it all the time but I also got strange looks, even fearful looks, one fork lift driver at a supply yard as I had a knife on each boot said "your looking like a dangerous man right now" and his statement was not in a comical manor, I just feel sorry that people have such apprehension over defensive items.

I also have to argue that the need to open carry is from not being able to concealed carry, in california it's almost impossible to get a concealed carry permit, I talked to one guy that could not get one but just concealed carry anyway and he would tell cops that he concealed carried illegally because of just what you all have been saying that people get nervous and it causes problems and he didn't want any of that and also did not want to cause more problems for the police, the down side is here is a man that respects the law and others yet has to resort to being a criminal in a sense because of outrageous restrictions.

With the Starbucks thing I have to say it surprises me that Starbucks is holding that position and I think it's great, I respect that a business has the right to set restrictions such as the no shirt thing but I really look down hard on restrictions that are anti-constitutional.

Bobpickering's story is a complicated matter, it's unfortunate that they didn't feel more concerned about others safety but when it comes to the matter of who can do what where that is far more complicated, it's your typical issue amongst people when hobbies collide, everyone wants to have their fun.

Back on the idea of people getting angry I think your forgetting the fact that your talking about stripping rights and comforts for some from people, i'm sure if your safety nets or hobbies or what you feel is an essential liberty was being threatened you might become very angry also, especially if it's based on what you personally would regard as irrational fear, logic or general reasoning.

I have to laugh at the testosterone element in this sort of topic, I can't deny it exists in many but not in me, I have no ego what so ever, i've never understood ones need for being better than another.

I don't remember the source but I like the quote in regards to guns "would it make you feel better if they were pushed out a window!"