Seems to me, there are only two reasons -- if you're not law enforcement -- to openly carry a firearm.
1-You live in a place or circumstance where there is a great likelihood you'll need to self-defend.
2-You desperately want to be noticed.
If you live in Utopia, Anystate, America, and you have a rifle slung across your back or a pistol holstered at the hip, you're probably an 'attention whore'.
If you live Ruraltown, Anystate, America, and you lug around a rifle or pistol, you may have practical reasons for doing so (though it's more likely the rifle will be in a rack in your truck and the holstered pistol hanging from that rack).
Again: all this open carry nonsense (the growing movement, the dangers involved, the protection of second amendment rights, etc.) is just another marketing deal foisted up by those uber-vocal minorities I mentioned up-thread.
Simply: there are folks who can profit (in one way or another) from the 'controversy' and so they (those profit-minded folks) generate the issue (inflate tiny little blips into big honkin' blimps).
As for concealed carry: I'm against it. If Joe wants to carry (for whatever reason) let it be openly.
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