concealed carry and open carry

Question
Doug,
I own a number of guns and enjoy shooting, but do not carry a firearm. I appreciate your efforts on this site and enjoy reading about firearms and their history.

There are a lot of posts on this site regarding concealed carry and open carry rights in certain states. In reading some of these I note that you, I believe, feel that if a person is carrying a concealed firearm he/she has a right to privacy in regards to this, e.g., in the case of the individual in Arizona that ran into trouble with other parents who suspected that he was carrying a concealed firearm you stated that his response to their question was that it was "none of their business."

My question is: In light of the belief of many gun owners that they are safer if they carry a firearm, why do you feel it's a good idea to carry that firearm concealed?

Full disclosure: I am opposed concealed carry in almost every circumstance. It is my opinion that, if a person feels it is necessary to carry a firearm, they should carry that weapon in the open. I also find it incongruous that those (all who I've discussed the issue with) who feel that our society is made safer by citizens carrying guns don't feel that they should be carried openly.

I would like to hear your opinion on this issue.

Answer
Wes,

Please understand that I am going to answer your question with my opinion.  As you know there are a wide range of opinions on this question.  Some don't believe that you and I should have the right to even own a firearm for personal protection and find the entire notion of people carrying guns upsetting.

I carry concealed for the following reasons:

1.  If I choose to carry a firearm and I am doing so legally, it is my choice and I do not feel that anyone else needs to know.  I also do not inform people how much cash I am carrying, what my mortgage payment is or a whole variety of other factors that are my private business.

2.  If a firearm is carried openly, it can have the effect of drawing unwanted attention to the person carrying it.  This unwanted attention can come from people who don't believe that you should have the right to carry or even own a gun.  It can come from people who are fearful of guns.  It can come from people who don't realize you are legally carrying and may call the authorities.  Carrying concealed avoids all this unwanted attention.

3.  If I am openly carrying a firearm, a criminal that might be considering an illegal act could be deterred.  However, considering the violent nature of many repeat offenders or gang members, if they see you are openly carrying, you could be the first target.  By openly carrying, you forfeit any tactical advantage that a concealed firearm and the element of surprise might offer you.

4.  Concealed carry also creates a level of uncertainty for criminals in their process of victim selection.  There have been several studies done on crime rates after states introduce concealed carry laws.  In most cases there is a significant drop in the rate of crime within a year of the adoption of concealed carry legislation.  Many attribute this to the fact that the criminals do not know who is carrying and who isn't.  Generally speaking, criminals prefer their victims to be unarmed and unable to defend themselves.

4.  Finally, there are some locations that I might refer to as "non-permissive environments".  For example, here in Arizona a private property owner can prohibit firearms on their premises by posting a sign or verbally informing you that no firearms are permitted.  

While I am generally in agreement that property owners should be able to do this, I am also of the opinion that I have an unbridgeable right to defend my own life should the need arise.    Under most circumstances, I will simply not patronize establishments that do not permit firearms.  Carrying my firearm concealed permits me to make a personal choice about whether I will allow someone else's 'property rights' to trump my 'self defense rights'.  

I can assure you that I value my own life above someone else's property rights. While I understand that there might be legal consequences if discovered, that is my choice.  People make the same type of choice each day when they drive faster than the speed limit.  It is illegal to do so and if you are caught there are legal consequences yet people routinely drive faster than the posted limit.

If I spent a little more time thinking about it I could probably come up with a few more reasons, but I think these are the primary ones.  I hope you'll find this thought provoking and that you can appreciate some of the points of view that I have expressed.

Best regards,

Doug Little