(continued from previous post)
Oh to be sure, every once in a while, someone is hassled about their guns. It's usually by some young LEO who didn't grow up in rural Idaho and therefore is not familiar with our laws. It's also taken care of real quick. The older officers make sure they get educated... One day, a couple of years ago, my son was home on leave. He had just bought a new 300 Weatherby and found a scope for it. He walked over to the town square where our gun dealers has his shop and purchased the scope and had Dave, the owner, bore sight it. Then he walked back home. Seems that as he was crossing the square, some young transplant saw him and his shouldered rifle. This must have given her a case of the vapors, as she called the police to report a "man with a gun." Well the young officer called Dave at the Trading Post, because the lady said the "gun guy" came from there. The officer wanted to know if a young man had just left there with a rifle. Dave replied that, "yes a client had just left. What was the problem?" The officer said that he "was walking through town with it on his shoulder." Dave says, "And so, what's the problem?" The officer says, "He's Got A Gun!" Dave asked the young officer if the man was threatening anyone? Was he pointing the rifle at anything? No? Then what's the problem? Dave says that he proceeded to inform the officer of the rights of Idahoans. Dave knows the laws. Not only is he an FFL holder, he's a retired Idaho State Policeman.
Over the years, I've taken many of my neighbors out to our range and taught them proper handling and safety. Today, when I go to the range, I'll inevitably get asked by someone what I'm shooting today, and more often than not, take someone with me.
A visibly armed society is a polite society.
We seldom have city cops come around our neighborhood any more. Those people that belong to gangs, just don't seem to want to cause any trouble... At least not here. We still have many fiestas during the summer weekends, but no more shootings. We still get a little gang activity, but they know better than to do more than just walk through the neighborhood.
I guess what I'm trying to show, is that the loss of open carry occurs because it simply goes out of favor as a society evolves. First it occurs in the major metropolitan areas and spreads out as urbanites spread to suburbia and the rural environs.
And just the reverse needs to happen, in order to bring it back. It was easier here, because it was "out of favor" for only a short period of time. Oh to be sure, it is still not as commonplace as I would like to see it, but it is happening. Despite the fact that it "scares" the bliss ninnies here (yes, we have them... too many, if you were to ask me!).
For those of you that live in states that actually have laws against common folk being armed, it will take a concerted effort. But it can be done.
Of course, their is still the question of, "Should it be done?" Some people will tell you that by openly carrying, you are inviting trouble. You are making yourself a target, afterall any bad guys will see you're carrying and shoot you first. And so on and so forth. There may be some truth to what these people say (even though it is a false assumption, here, in rural Idaho).
But I tend to think, that those bad guys would generally leave you alone, most especially if there are more than one of you. The risks to them are too great, when confronted by more than just one person with a visible gun. Consider that the police can walk around, armed, and for the most part, they are safe. Why wouldn't the same hold for citizens? In theory, it should.
Yet still, it comes back to what some folks are trying to say... That the will of the public is what determines normality. Here in Idaho, I have the unadorned right to carry openly, should I so desire. Brandishing laws cannot be used to curtail that right, even if it scares someone.
Having said that, if I were to go from where I live to Boise, Pocatello, Idaho Falls or Coeur d'Alene, I would probably find myself facing down the cops. They don't like it. It's just not done. And many of the younger guys just don't know the law or our history. I have done this in Boise, only to be asked, politely, to conceal it, if I have a license (and they know I do, as they check my DL, which my CWP is connected to), so as not to scare the "sheep." Depends upon what I'm actually doing as to whether or not I can or will comply.
I always open carry when I'm in Blaine County (Hailey/Sun Valley), however. I will admit I do this to spite the bliss ninnies there. It's a mean streak I let loose. Actually, it's quite satisfying. These are the same people who on the one hand, helped to stamp out camping, fishing and hunting to a large extent, on the upper reaches of the Big Wood River. All so that they could enjoy the beauty of the natural forests and all those wonderfull creatures that inhabit it... Now that the Brown Bears have come back, they are complaining how dangerous it is becoming! HAH! The mountain lions are coming back also, they are just naturally more stealthy than those big lumbering bears. At any rate, I've gotten into many a fine discussion with the police there. Guns, rigs, shooting, hunting and the attitude of the transplants towards the locals.
But then again, this is Idaho and by and large, we're pretty cavalier about guns in general everywhere outside of our "big cities." Carry 'em if ya got 'em, especially in Sun Valley!...
