This is true & I agree with you except for one difference. All of those actions carried the perception among the public as being non-threatening, or carried the perception of the moral high-ground among the public.bdickens wrote:Imagine if Rosa Parks had said to herself, "I better just get up and move. If I don't it might disturb some people." Imagine if Dr. King had said "don't march through the streets, it might disturb people and hurt our cause." Imagine if the Sons of Liberty had said "we better not dump that tea in the harbor, it might disturb people and hurt our cause."
An individual within our current political climate who openly carries a firerarm, especially something like an AR, is not percieved in the same way.
"politics is the art of persuasion" is not the truth, politics is the art of perception. In politics you are attempting to sell an idea to the public, how you present it will to a measureable degree determine thier perception of your idea and determine whether or not they're persuaded to agree or disagree with it.
In the case of open carry and situations such as this, given the current political climate we are not percieved by the public, which included LE and civil authorities, as having the moral high ground in terms of excercising our civil rights. As has been stated more than once, we are currently perceived as a either a potential threat or a real threat to the public safety.
That the truth is the exact opposite is in regards to this, irrelevant. People base thier perception of this on what they know and how that's been presented to them and the political left has done a masterful job of it. To just open carry now in terms of just physically carrying a long gun in terms of making a political statement, is not the way to change or properly educate public perception of the idea of the legality and morality of open carry. People only see or perceive that as a threat given they don't know any better owing to the political left presenting that as a threat by whatever means.
I saw the pictures from Chipotle and if that is how those individuals handled things, it was done in pathetically poor fashion.
Had those two knotheads walked into that place & conducted themselves as they were portrayed in that picture, even knowing about open carry I would have kept an eye on them and made sure I had my own concealed piece within reach.
How then should we be handling this? It should be done on a systematic basis with the goal of a proper perception and hence education of both the public and civil authorities, civil authorities being both LE and perhaps civil government authorities.
The individual mentioned in the article evidently contacted local LE before he carried and explained to them what he was going to do and why. That's one thing that needs to be done every time, where and when and why so LE know before hand what is going on, and thier response will not be out of proportion to a lawful activity. Also thier response to the public if they are contacted about it will be hopefully to reassure people of the situation.
Along with that, personal appearance in how you dress and how you handle your firearm again create a perception among people, those two knotheads in the chipotle pictures are exhibit 'A' of what not to do. See the individual in the background with a suit on? Dress like a civil appearing or everyday individual with some sort've normal appearing bearing will help create a perception of "this is the actions of normal everyday individuals just like yourself, not a bunch of gun-crazy extremists"
running around in Cammo makes you look like an extremist to the uneducated.
I saw one video on youtube where the open carry activists actually had signs out letting people know what they were doing and I think that until it becomes common knowledge among the public, signs letting people know what you are doing and why are essential. All they'd have to say is to a clear and understandable degree is "open carry is fully legal and also your civil rights, as well as ours" I'd specifically use the words 'civil rights" as that carries a moral high ground within the current political environment. I noticed in that same video when LE showed up they were if not outright supportive, they were not acting alarmed at what was going on.
I'd also if choosing a business establishment such as chipotle or other such places contact the store manager before carrying there and ask him/her permission to do so. Explain via written letter what you want to do, how you will conduct yourself and how you will dress, Maybe show the law where it specifies such carrying is legal, and also there will be signs out letting patrons know what is going on. All of this so he/she will know thier patrons will not have reason to be scared of what they are seeing. Again what perception with that store manager would being contacted in such fashion create? Probably a positive perception?
You can make the argument "well it's legal and we shouldn't have to do all that" That is true and I won't argue against it.
Under the current political environment as well as we are dealing with making a political statement for the purpose of changing public opinion, that is what should be done in terms of a political perception. Not just showing up and wandering around with a rifle, you lose the moral high ground from the get-go and hence create a negative perception amongst the public. Rosa Parks didn't have to do any of this because her actions from the get-go were perceived by the public as being right.
