To strain the metaphor, I think there are another couple of edges to the sword. Beside a) the antis and b) those in favor, there are c) those-on-the-fence and d) those-who-never-though-of-the-issue.

The fence-sitters may, in the end, come to realize that they have seen peacable folk with guns, and come over to our side, realizing that law-abiding citizens with guns aren't a threat.

The one who never considered the issue very much (like me, for instance, five years ago), seeing the open carry may be a wake-up call.

You are quite correct, but (and a big 'but' it is)if we are going to do this kind of thing, and get a favorable result from it; we need a well managed and well directed propogan....err...publicity effort to counter the 'all access' pass the antis already have to the media. Until we have that in place (I know, I know, the NRA etc etc) we are fighting from behind. There is a limit to what we can do locally, we need a new national organization with some publically recognizable and credible figureheads behind it or we will be condemned to fight the same old battles ad infinitum.

Andrew

Sitting the fence is where I am with open carry at this time. While I know it is your right to do so - perhaps prudence is the best option.

I have learned the following -

Perhaps the only people that really care about open carry is - well us.....

I suppose that the next thread that I start will be titled - "How many Greek Gods can dance on the head of a pin?"

I think that the debate will take the same tone and substance

Oh, me too. I'm just not ready to dismiss any open carry as a means of P.R. as without merit.

If it is warm enought this weekend, I may have to open carry.

My wife asks why I carry 3 guns sometimes and I say, "because I can and want to see if it is difficult to do." That way if you feel you should you know what method works for you.

On the other hand, I am not willing to accept PR as it's only virtue (nobody else has offered any other logical virtues of open carry in the previous 6 pages......) without any evidence that it would be positive PR. IMO, the RKBA is not like Hollywood, where ANY publicity is good.

Many positive reasons for open carry have been offered. If you don't agree with any, that's fine.

Still, Reaver3 undeniably accomplished something positive with open carry.

Others have reported generating additional interest in permits among people who never would have considered it, and it can certainly spark reasoned conversations.

After I let on at work that I am a firearms instructor, people who I never might have suspected were interested came out of the woodwork and started asking good questions.

If we are too hidden, no one will even know we're here. That's fine, tactically, individually, but it does nothing to advance the pro-rights agenda. And if we're not moving forward, we're falling behind.