Open carry in Michigan

I actually did not know that Michigan was an open-carry state, all I knew was that they honored my Indiana CCW, which was good enough for me.

While the article itself is actually kind of crappy (they point out weird stuff, like how the group was “mostly white men”) I want to focus on the line from our favorite troll, Petey Hamm of the Brady Campaign.

Peter Hamm, spokesman for the Brady Campaign, the largest U.S. gun control organization, said he doesn’t dispute the legal right to carry weapons openly (emphasis mine)

He obviously goes on to spout the new Brady line about how open carry people are just trying to scare folk, but again I want to go back to the above – this is where we are, and it’s a perfect example of how far we’ve come on the gun rights debate.  When I was in high school, or even early in college, I would never have imagined that I’d hear the spokesperson for a major anti-gun organization saying that they “acknowledge the right to open-carry”.

Think about that for a minute, because that’s actually a big deal.  When the other side is acknowledging rights that some of our own view as controversial (want to have some fun?  Start a thread about open carry at The Firing Line – ed.) it shows just how they’ve been pushed by CCW laws, by the Heller decision, and by our activism.  NRA did not become the 800 lb gorilla in the room because they have a cool website, they got their because of you and I, the members.

When I read stuff like that quote from Lil’ Petey, it just reinforces my desire to keep fighting for our right to keep and bear arms – keep writing my legislators, volunteering with my local party, working to get pro-gun candidates elected.  Because when I see the Brady Campaign saying “well, yeah, they do have a right to open carry, curse them” it makes me want to keep pushing them closer to the proverbial cliff edge.

4 Comments

  1. There was actually a very positive segment on ABC’s Nightline, about a month ago, on open carry. Reporter John Donvan went to a VCDL picnic in Newport News, VA. He didn’t see any rowdiness, or alcohol. He saw lots of soccer moms and soccer dads carrying. Nobody unholstered a weapon; in fact he made quite a point about that. And they articulated their reason for open carry very well. QUITE a change from the usual, especially from ABC and particularly from Nightline.

  2. Caleb, you missed the money quote:
    “… said he doesn’t dispute the legal right to carry weapons openly but thinks those who demonstrate for such rights are pushy and aggressive.”

    Pushy and aggressive? From a gun grabbing group? What is more pushy and aggressive then trying to take away someone’s lawfully owned property?

  3. thats right, and open carry is just one of many fronts that can benefit from activism… it isnt an in-your face thing, as some in the blogospehere suggest, any more than wearing a pro gun t-shirt is… i dont walk around openly carrying just so i can show off my gun… i do it because it is the most comfortable way to carry… most people dont even notice

  4. Yeah, open carry is sure to spark a “lively debate” on northeastshooters.com, too, since many of our folks are from New Hampshire, which allows open carry… as does Maine and VT, even though you’re liable to get roughed up by the cops in Portland, Maine if you DO open carry.

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