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I knew it had to come, after the (i wont say pro, so maybe non-anti) article they did on our OC outing they had to come back with a good old stab.
LINKY
Packing heat: In the city, a big iron on your hip is a bad idea
Tribune Editorial
Article Last Updated: 11/19/2007 07:09:00 PM MST
Utah law does not specifically prohibit someone from strapping a handgun on his belt and carrying it openly in public. Some gun-rights activists are driving home that point by packing in plain view.
This is a bad idea for a couple of reasons.
First, Utah law does prohibit most people from carrying a loaded firearm in or on a vehicle, on a public street or in a posted, prohibited area. Exceptions include law enforcement officers and people with concealed-carry permits.
Under the law, a gun is considered loaded when it has an unexpended cartridge or shell in the firing position, or when a single movement of the gun's action would cause it to fire.
So, we assume that someone can legally carry an unloaded pistol on his hip or a rifle on a street. But we wonder why anyone would do that out of bravado or to make a point about gun rights.
Because the purpose of carrying a weapon at the ready in a holster presumably is self-defense, that utililty is undermined by having it unloaded. Carrying a loaded concealed weapon and a permit would make more sense.
Besides, carrying a firearm openly in public at the wrong time and place could get you shot, either by someone intent on committing a crime or by a police officer who doesn't know who you are and what you intend. Though you know that the gun you are carrying is not loaded, in most cases someone else can't tell that without examining the gun.
Second, packing in public scares other people. Unless they know you and are familiar with guns, most people will not be comfortable seated next to you in a restaurant if you are openly displaying a sidearm. Imagine the reaction of a clerk in a convenience store if you walk in late at night with a big iron on your hip. Even if you mean no harm, how is the clerk to know that?
As is often the case, context is everything. Many folks in rural areas wouldn't think twice about a hunter in camo and orange carrying a high-powered rifle into a store during deer season. But armed civilians on city streets or at Chez Maurice are something else.
We don't want to make life more difficult for hunters. But if Utah law is unclear about packing in plain sight, maybe the Utah Legislature should clarify it to prohibit the public display of firearms except in the field.
The existing law, together with a little common sense, is reasonable. But to make a dubious point, a few extremists could put an end to that.
LINKY
Packing heat: In the city, a big iron on your hip is a bad idea
Tribune Editorial
Article Last Updated: 11/19/2007 07:09:00 PM MST
Utah law does not specifically prohibit someone from strapping a handgun on his belt and carrying it openly in public. Some gun-rights activists are driving home that point by packing in plain view.
This is a bad idea for a couple of reasons.
First, Utah law does prohibit most people from carrying a loaded firearm in or on a vehicle, on a public street or in a posted, prohibited area. Exceptions include law enforcement officers and people with concealed-carry permits.
Under the law, a gun is considered loaded when it has an unexpended cartridge or shell in the firing position, or when a single movement of the gun's action would cause it to fire.
So, we assume that someone can legally carry an unloaded pistol on his hip or a rifle on a street. But we wonder why anyone would do that out of bravado or to make a point about gun rights.
Because the purpose of carrying a weapon at the ready in a holster presumably is self-defense, that utililty is undermined by having it unloaded. Carrying a loaded concealed weapon and a permit would make more sense.
Besides, carrying a firearm openly in public at the wrong time and place could get you shot, either by someone intent on committing a crime or by a police officer who doesn't know who you are and what you intend. Though you know that the gun you are carrying is not loaded, in most cases someone else can't tell that without examining the gun.
Second, packing in public scares other people. Unless they know you and are familiar with guns, most people will not be comfortable seated next to you in a restaurant if you are openly displaying a sidearm. Imagine the reaction of a clerk in a convenience store if you walk in late at night with a big iron on your hip. Even if you mean no harm, how is the clerk to know that?
As is often the case, context is everything. Many folks in rural areas wouldn't think twice about a hunter in camo and orange carrying a high-powered rifle into a store during deer season. But armed civilians on city streets or at Chez Maurice are something else.
We don't want to make life more difficult for hunters. But if Utah law is unclear about packing in plain sight, maybe the Utah Legislature should clarify it to prohibit the public display of firearms except in the field.
The existing law, together with a little common sense, is reasonable. But to make a dubious point, a few extremists could put an end to that.
