One of the down sides of OC’ing.....

[Gary in Pennsylvania]

Being that we are on a 3-4 thread streak regarding Open Carry without a single argument….let’s keep the trend going……

Despite the subject line, this isn’t so much a ‘downside’ as it is a bummer that comes with the territory.

Here’s the situation that I recently had OC’ing in the Applebee’s at Viewmont Mall, Dickson City.
We were doing lunch on a Sunday afternoon with my family (we’re six strong) and my in-laws.
I was OC’ing…..but my wife was driving the van. Those who know this Applebee’s will verify it is tight seating there and sorta dimly lit. I always sit on an end seat with my strongside (and OC firearm) facing out cuz my littlest primate (2yr old boy) still needs mealtime coaching!
Anyways…..I was DYING for a draft (uhhhh….I gotta be honest with my PAFOA brothers – the BREWTUS!) but absolutely would not order one. I stuck with water. Bummer.

Though under the circumstances – I’m don’t think anyone noticed (no gawkers at least), I truly feel that as OC’ers, we are ambassadors for the position/role/perception we project. With that said, I will likely never indulge in an alcoholic beverage when I am the minority OC’er in a very public place.

To borrow one of my own statements in another thread “ Stereotypes are stereotypes and the typical public has a tough time changing their mind on them. So we’ll deliver them one they rarely see……Let them know that no matter HOW an individual looks, if you notice a firearm attached smartly to the hip, in the small of back, or under-arm shoulder carry – we’re one of the GOOD GUYS!
It is our duty to strengthen the public’s perception of maturity and responsibility of OC’ers. We need to help balance all the gun negativity that media delivers to the public.

Bottom line to the rant? If I’m OC’ing, I won’t have not a single beer/drink, whatever. Even in a nice restaurant. The public doesn’t know if that was my first one or my fifth one.

The best way to make OC normal in our society is to…wellll…..make it normal. OC whenever you can, as often as you can (if that’s your cup of tea, of course!)

[markheck1]

You mean we're not all drunken crazy rednecks?!?!?!?!?!

Good point though, we must always be on our best behavior to normalize it

[1blindref]

Excellent post, Gary!

I'm a soccer official.
I always cringe when I see one of my peers doing something bad or stupid that will give us all a bad name, like being overweight and not being able to keep up with play, or taking a game that they are not capable of handling.

Same goes with gun handling, whether carrying, shooting, or propper storage.
It gives everyone of us a bad name when somebody does something stupid.

[DaveM55]

I couldn't agree with you more.

I'll take it a step further and say I never drink when ever I'm CCing.

Why: Because if the situation occurs that I need to use my concealed weapon, I don't want to have to explain to anyone I just had one beer.

Why take the risk?

[steveforopen]

I agree that drinking while open carrying is a bad idea.

I don't think that all people who open carry should be branded as "ambassadors of the movement." If you see yourself as such, that's great but do not hold a similar level over everyones heads.

I consider myself just an ordinary guy trying to live a simple life free of interference. Open carry helps accomplish those means to my standard. Some people like to leave it at that.

Though I do consider myself a proponent of the right to bear arms, I do so to ensure others can remain as innocuous as I sometimes like to be.

Steve

[carterbeauford]

+1 to everyone who posted.

DaveM55, I am guilty of drinking when carrying concealed, no more than one or two good strong beers, at 275# not enough to cause impairment. I do agree that none would be better.

[Gary in Pennsylvania]

Originally Posted by steveforopen

I don't think that all people who open carry should be branded as "ambassadors of the movement."
I consider myself just an ordinary guy trying to live a simple life free of interference.

Steve

Nope.

It doesn’t work like that……you don’t have a choice.
Folks with bad credit may not like or want the idea of a credit report….but they have no choice – it is what it is. You’ve got one.

Reread my post. Nowhere in there did I imply or infer a ‘movement’. I simply said that “we are ambassadors for the position/role/perception we project.” A synonym of ambassador is representative. That means your actions as an OC’er, whether you like it or not, is observed by the general public. That means you characterize or embody what their perception of an OC’er is.

You have no choice whether or not others perceive you.
But you DO have a partial choice in HOW they perceive you.
And a good place to start is to act responsible and mature while OC’ing.


Now, when I said above “It is our duty to strengthen the public’s perception of maturity and responsibility of OC’ers.”
Heh. You may argue that I have no right imparting that responsibility of ‘duty’ on you……I’d say you have an argument – but then you negated that by claiming “Though I do consider myself a proponent of the right to bear arms, I do so to ensure others can remain as innocuous as I sometimes like to be.”

And step one to supporting 2a rights is to impart a positive image of firearms carry which brings us back to “we are ambassadors for the position/role/perception we project.”

It is what it is.
OC will only become accepted and normal if was behave normally while carrying.

[imperialism2024]

Part of the problem, I think, is that in this country it is assumed that no one has any self-control whatsoever. Depending on one's size, having a drink or two with a meal is not going to impair one's decision-making abilities. Unfortunately, as you have pointed out, the general public in America assumes that a person having a beer is a drunk, just like they think that a person carrying a gun is a criminal. The idea that there are gradations to behavior is lost on the public.

[Pa. Patriot]

Originally Posted by imperialism2024

...Unfortunately, as you have pointed out, the general public in America assumes that a person having a beer is a drunk, just like they think that a person carrying a gun is a criminal. The idea that there are gradations to behavior is lost on the public.

Luckily, both of these generalizations are more internet speculation than real.
Surely they exist, but I don't see it in any significant numbers in the real world.

Associating gun w/criminal is absolutely an issue, but it seems that simply seeing someone OC reverses, or at least gives an image that doesn't trigger that speculated reaction. Having OC'd quite a bit, I'm happy to report that I don't see this reaction from people

I've never consumed alcohol while OC'ing in public either, for many of the above reasons in this thread. But I have also not seen people associating a guy having a beer with being an out of control drunk. Will drinking that same beer while having a gun, visible, in a holster change that? I don't know since I never tried it
Personally I think that If your drinking to excess, your drinking to excess and if your not, your not. I think people are very realistic in regards to public drinking. That said, while I am not inclined to agree that having a drink while OC will cause the problems mentioned I am in agreement with the group that it is probably best to avoid. At least for me it is.

[Gary in Pennsylvania]

Originally Posted by imperialism2024

Unfortunately, as you have pointed out, the general public in America assumes that a person having a beer is a drunk, .

Nope.

Reread my post. What I said what that "The public doesn’t know if that was my first one or my fifth one."
I didn't say that they'd think I was a drunk. What I want to avoid is to have them mentally obsess over whether I've had one or five. When I leave that restaurant, I want to leave them with the following impression:

"Man with a gun. Exposed! My gosh? Is that OK? Should I be alarmed? Maybe he's LEO? Awww look - his kids are so cute! Four of them 'eh? He's got his hands full! And those kids are so well behaved! They seem to be having such a good time. He and his wife are so cute together! Though he sure seems to eat a lot! No matter - His wife is enjoying a strawberry daiquiri. I bet that tastes good. He's drinking soda. That's good.......Man with a gun. Exposed.
I am comfortable with him."

Remember, I said -
You have no choice whether or not others perceive you.
But you DO have a partial choice in HOW they perceive you.
And a good place to start is to act responsible and mature while OC’ing.