Many of you know, I open carry. I know there is the whole debate about how prudent it is, but there is something else that I want to point out. It has nothing to do with tactics or even being a gun guy, and everything to do with being a citizen.
I've often pointed out that I don't carry concealed because I am not a criminal and have no need to hide my weapon. This is true, but it is a simplistic, general statement. The feeling I have about this goes much deeper. I am a citizen, not a subject. I am a free man, not a slave.
Meme's like that have been plastered all over forums and Facebook; meme's are everywhere, but for me this does actually mean something. For those who don't know, I am from the UK. Its a civilized first world country, not some backwater hell hole, however just carrying a small Swiss Army Knife can land you in trouble.
Don't even think about defending yourself or your loved ones, and protecting your property is strictly forbidden. The police and courts will try and make examples of you for 'taking the law in your own hands'. Most parts of the United States don't suffer from this yet and many parts (like GA for instance) are actively working to make sure this situation does not happen here.
If I walk down the high street in my (UK) home town, with what I normally carry in my pockets, I could be arrested and jailed. Add the gun, and certainly I would be. That is not the case here in GA. Here, I can walk down Main Street Woodstock, with my pocket knife, my multi-tool, and my 1911 with little fear of harassment or arrest.
Why? Because I am a citizen and a free man. A lot of Americans utter those words but for me they really do have meaning. Its really not about the carrying of the gun, its about the freedom. I am free; the gun is simply a reminder of that freedom; my safety is in my hands, not based on some flawed social contract. Is this freedom perfect? No, of course not, but that can be changed and is being changed, sometimes for the better, and sometimes not, but it can be changed despite the corruption, greed and politics that gets in the way.
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