Tuesday, September 13, 2022

Case for open carry only


Everytown.org has put together many evidence-based solutions based on its research showing that common-sense public safety policies can reduce gun violence and save lives. These solutions are listed at  https://www.everytown.org/solutions/ and the list is reproduced below.


I believe my idea of allowing only open carry of guns outside the home for self-defense,  and prohibiting concealed carry of guns outside the home, will work very well with and promote the achieving of the goals of the above solutions.

This blog entry will endeavor to make the case in support of my belief.

I. Where things currently stand with gun violence problem
Guns and gun violence are a huge problem for the United States that shows no signs of diminishing.

Everytown has developed the many above solutions that Everytown is trying to implement that seek to help fix the gun violence problem in different ways

Everytown knows about (i) the progress that has been made in implementing its solutions, (ii) the extent to which the different solutions have contributed to fixing the problem, (iii) the potential that the solutions have for helping fix the problem as such solutions are more fully implemented, (iv) the political, legal, and practical obstacles that impede implementing the solutions, and (v) the disadvantages and negative aspects that the solutions have in trying to fix the problem of guns and gun violence.

Everytown has years of experience in trying to implement the solutions. Everytown knows how fast or slowly the solutions have been implemented thus far and knows what the biggest impediments have been thus far. Everytown probably has little sense of how many years longer it will take to satisfactorily implement the solutions. 

The biggest impediment seems to be that there is a large segment of the politicians and the United States population that is unreasoning and absolutistic in their political opposition to implementing Everytown's solutions. This is expressed by screaming that any limitation or restriction on guns opens the door for a tyrannical Federal government subjugating and enslaving Americans.

II. The help that open carry only can provide 

Allowing only open carry of guns outside the home for self-defense and prohibiting concealed carry of guns outside the home offers the following potential help for implementing Everytown's solutions and fixing the gun violence problem.

A. Pushing back against Second Amendment absolutism
The Supreme Court's holding that a citizen has a constitutional right to carry a handgun outside the home for self-defense should be used for better public defining of what the Second Amendment protects and what it does not protect. This can be briefly indicated as follows:
1. There is a clear purpose of the Second Amendment that the citizens be available to bear arms to defend the United States and its constitution against foreign invaders and domestic insurrectionists.
2. The Second Amendment reflected a concern about the Federal government having a large standing army that might be unlawfully deployed by the Federal government in an offensive way against the States and the American population. While the Second Amendment has an aspect of protecting against the Federal government making an offensive use of a Federal standing army against the States and the American population, the Second Amendment does not give citizens the right to bear arms to attack the United States and the constitution.
3. The Heller case and the 2022 New York Rifle Association case hold that the Second Amendment gives citizens the right to have arms in their home to defend their home and to carry guns outside the home for purposes of self-defense outside the home.
4. The Second Amendment right of citizens to bear arms is not absolute, and the Federal, state and local governments can have restrictions and limitations having public safety purposes (e.g., background checks, outlawing machine guns, registration and licensing requirement, denying guns to felons, designation of sensitive areas where guns are prohibited.) 
The foregoing should be constantly pushed to the fore against unreasoning and absolutistic political opposition to implementing Everytown's solutions, and the screaming that goes along with such opposition that any limitation or restriction on guns opens the door for a tyrannical Federal government subjugating and enslaving Americans.

B. Only open carry for self-defense will reduce guns in public and have other beneficial effects
1. Open carry of a gun for self-defense exposes a person to being judged by others, and will make the person more reflective about carrying a gun or not, including about how concerned they are for their personal safety or whether they are not so concerned about their safety that they don't want to expose themselves to how others will judge them. It is a reasonable estimate that many people who would carry a concealed weapon would decide not to carry a gun openly. 

2. Open carry only provides useful information to the police and to the public, which information can be used in different ways. Although the police need to speak for themselves, it would seem that it would be helpful to the police in being able to see who is carrying guns and to be able to have some reliance on people not carrying guns if the guns are not visible. Many people openly carrying guns may be used by other persons to avoid places where that is happening. This in turn may lead to more use by public authorities of "sensitive area" designations where guns are prohibited. Private businesses who don't want guns on their premises will be better able to exclude persons who are carrying guns if there is no concealed carry and only open carry.

3. . Violations of the prohibition on concealed carry can be a basis for denying the violator of his right to bear arms, as with felons. Members of the public would be invited to report to the police violations of the prohibition on concealed carry, and the police can follow up

4. The limitation of open carry outside the home for self-defense can be used to prohibit certain weapons from being carried outside the home as not having a purpose of self-defense and as having a purpose of intimidation.

5. People deciding to carry guns outside the home for self-defense will likely pay more attention to gun safety, including their ability to use the gun properly. Only open carry of guns outside home for self-defense may be accompanied by the law have gun training requirements for those persons choosing to carry guns openly and requiring the person carrying the gun to have insurance.

C. Help for advancing Everytown's gun violence solutions
The Supreme Court's holding that the Second Amendment gives citizens a righ to carry a handgun outside the home for self-defense allows for better public defining of the Second Amendment as described in A. above will help advocacy of Everytown's solutions against unreasoning and absolutistic political opposition, and the screaming that goes along with such opposition that any limitation or restriction on guns opens the door for a tyrannical Federal government subjugating and enslaving Americans.

III. Solicitation of opinions of others
A. Mayor Woodfin and Birminghan Police Chief Thurmond
From: Rob Shattuck <rdshatt@aol.com>
To: Rick.Journey@BirminghamAl.gov <Rick.Journey@BirminghamAl.gov>; Marie.sutton@BirminghamAL.gov <Marie.sutton@BirminghamAL.gov>
Cc: tanirah.johnson@birminghamal.gov <tanirah.johnson@birminghamal.gov>
Sent: Fri, Sep 16, 2022 11:58 am
Subject: Request for Mayor Woodfin's view about only open carry of guns outside home for self-defense
Dear Rick and Marie,
During the 6 weeks I have made numerous communications to City of Birmingham's government officials about allowing only open carry of guns outside the home for self-defense and prohibiting concealed carry of guns outside the home as way to reduce gun violence.
For a compilation of these communications, see https://al6thcongdist-ihaveuntiljan13.blogspot.com/2022/07/to-my-elected-officials-only-open-carry.html.
My reasoning in support of allowing only open carry of guns outside the home for self-defense and prohibiting concealed carry of guns outside the home is indicated at https://al6thcongdist-ihaveuntiljan13.blogspot.com/2022/09/case-for-open-carry-only.html.
I wish to to persuade local officials and authorities and others with more influence than I to lobby Gov. Ivey and the Alabama state legislature about this.
I request for Mayor Woodfin to state his position about allowing only open carry of guns outside the home for self-defense and prohibiting concealed carry of guns outside the home in Birmingham.
If Mayor Woodfin declines to state a position, I would like that to be expressly indicated, such as an email from you in response to this email saying that Mayor Woodfin declines to state a position in response to my request.
Please be advised that I further wish for Birmingham Police Chief Thurmond to state his position.
Thank you.
Sincerely,
Rob Shattuck
Mountain Brook
205-967-5586
cc. Chief Thurmond c/o tanirah.johnson@birminghamal.gov

B. Jefferson County Sheriff Mark Pettway
From: Rob Shattuck <rdshatt@aol.com>
To: info@jeffcosheriffal.com <info@jeffcosheriffal.com>; moneyj@jccal.org <moneyj@jccal.org>; ageed@jccal.org <ageed@jccal.org>
Cc: crobinson@al.com <crobinson@al.com>
Sent: Fri, Sep 16, 2022 3:44 pm
Subject: For Sheriff Pettway - Request for your view about only open carry of guns outside home for self-defense
Dear Sheriff Pettway,
During the last 6 weeks I have made numerous communications to the Jefferson County Sheriff's office and other Jefferson County government officials about allowing only open carry of guns outside the home for self-defense and prohibiting concealed carry of guns outside the home as way to reduce gun violence.
For a compilation of these communications, see https://al6thcongdist-ihaveuntiljan13.blogspot.com/2022/07/to-my-elected-officials-only-open-carry.html.
My reasoning in support of allowing only open carry of guns outside the home for self-defense and prohibiting concealed carry of guns outside the home is indicated at https://al6thcongdist-ihaveuntiljan13.blogspot.com/2022/09/case-for-open-carry-only.html.
I wish to to persuade local officials and authorities and others with more influence than I to lobby Gov. Ivey and the Alabama state legislature about this.
I request of you Sheriff Pettway to state please your position about allowing only open carry of guns outside the home for self-defense and prohibiting concealed carry of guns outside the home in Birmingham. [Ed. original of this email mistakenly said Birmingham and not Jefferson County]
If you decline to state a position, I would appreciate it for that to be expressly indicated, such as by an email in response to this email saying that you decline to state a position in response to this request.
Thank you.
Sincerely,
Rob Shattuck
Mountain Brook
205-967-5586

C. Alabama Law Enforcement Agency
From: Rob Shattuck <rdshatt@aol.com>
To: government.relations@alea.gov <government.relations@alea.gov>
Cc: newstips@wsfa.com <newstips@wsfa.com>; ghalbrooks@alabamanews.net <ghalbrooks@alabamanews.net>
Sent: Sat, Sep 17, 2022 7:13 am
Subject: Does Alabama Law Enforcement Agency support open carry only outside home?
Dear Mr. Reader,
This email is in follow up to my August 22nd email to you about allowing only open carry of guns outside the home for self-defense and prohibiting concealed carry of guns outside the home as way to reduce gun violence.
My reasoning in support of allowing only open carry of guns outside the home for self-defense and prohibiting concealed carry of guns outside the home is indicated at https://al6thcongdist-ihaveuntiljan13.blogspot.com/2022/09/case-for-open-carry-only.html.
This matter has reached the point that I wish to to persuade state and local officials and authorities and others with more influence than I to lobby Gov. Ivey and the Alabama state legislature about this.
Can the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency please state whether or not it supports allowing only open carry of guns outside the home for self-defense and prohibiting concealed carry of guns outside the home?
Thank you.
Sincerely,
Rob Shattuck
Mountain Brook
205-967-5586

D. City of Mobile government
From: Rob Shattuck <rdshatt@aol.com>
To: mayorstimpson@cityofmobile.org <mayorstimpson@cityofmobile.org>; rwoods@cityofmobile.org <rwoods@cityofmobile.org>; battistel@cityofmobile.org <battistel@cityofmobile.org>; paul.prine@cityofmobile.org <paul.prine@cityofmobile.org>
Cc: nschleisman@wkrg.com <nschleisman@wkrg.com>; kharmon@sbgtv.com <kharmon@sbgtv.com>; Eric.Reynolds@fox10tv.com <Eric.Reynolds@fox10tv.com>
Sent: Sun, Sep 18, 2022 7:30 am
Subject: Do you on behalf of City of Mobile support open carry only of guns outside home?
Dear Mayor Stimpson, City Attorney Woods, Public Safety Executive Director Battiste and Chief of Police Prine:
This email is in follow up to my September 5th email to you about allowing only open carry of guns outside the home for self-defense, and prohibiting concealed carry of guns outside the home, as a way to reduce gun violence in Mobile.
My reasoning in support of allowing only open carry of guns outside the home for self-defense and prohibiting concealed carry of guns outside the home is indicated at https://al6thcongdist-ihaveuntiljan13.blogspot.com/2022/09/case-for-open-carry-only.html.
This matter has reached the point that I wish to to persuade state and local officials and authorities and others with more influence than I to lobby Gov. Ivey and the Alabama state legislature about this.
Can you please indicate whether or not you support allowing only open carry of guns outside the home for self-defense and prohibiting concealed carry of guns outside the home?
Thank you.
Sincerely,
Rob Shattuck
Mountain Brook
205-967-5586

E. Rep. Sewell and Rep. Palmer
From: Rob Shattuck <rdshatt@aol.com>
To: mary.luke@mail.house.gov <mary.luke@mail.house.gov>; marymorgan.bell@mail.house.gov <marymorgan.bell@mail.house.gov>
Cc: jcardone@cbs42.com <jcardone@cbs42.com>; crobinson@al.com <crobinson@al.com>; lauren.jackson@wbrc.com <lauren.jackson@wbrc.com>; wvtm13@wvtm.com <wvtm13@wvtm.com>; FightingForYou@abc3340.com <FightingForYou@abc3340.com>; newstip@abc3340.com <newstip@abc3340.com>; vbell@sbgtv.com <vbell@sbgtv.com>; bwright@birminghamtimes.com <bwright@birminghamtimes.com>
Sent: Sun, Sep 18, 2022 9:21 am
Subject: Rep. Palmer & Rep. Sewell - may I have your views on open carry only of guns outside home for self-defense?
Dear Rep. Palmer and Rep. Sewell:
I have been purveying that allowing only open carry of guns outside the home for self-defense, and prohibiting concealed carry of guns outside the home, will reduce gun violence.
My reasoning in support of allowing only open carry of guns outside the home for self-defense and prohibiting concealed carry of guns outside the home is indicated at https://al6thcongdist-ihaveuntiljan13.blogspot.com/2022/09/case-for-open-carry-only.html.
This matter has reached the point that I wish to to persuade state and local officials and authorities and others with more influence than I to lobby Gov. Ivey and the Alabama state legislature about this.
I have two questions for you.
In the foregoing link I try to define what the Second Amendment protects and what it does not protect, saying the following:
1. There is a clear purpose of the Second Amendment that the citizens be available to bear arms to defend the United States and its constitution against foreign invaders and domestic insurrectionists.
2. The Second Amendment reflected a concern about the Federal government having a large standing army that might be unlawfully deployed by the Federal government in an offensive way against the States and the American population. While the Second Amendment has an aspect of protecting against the Federal government making an offensive use of a Federal standing army against the States and the American population, the Second Amendment does not give citizens the right to bear arms to attack the United States and the constitution.
3. The Heller case and the 2022 New York Rifle Association case hold that the Second Amendment gives citizens the right to have arms in their home to defend their home and to carry guns outside the home for purposes of self-defense outside the home.
4. The Second Amendment right of citizens to bear arms is not absolute, and the Federal, state and local governments can have restrictions and limitations having public safety purposes (e.g., background checks, outlawing machine guns, registration and licensing requirement, denying guns to felons, designation of sensitive areas where guns are prohibited.)
My first question is: To what extent to do you agree or disagree with the foregoing that I say about what the Second Amendment protects and what it does not protect?
Second, do you think allowing only open carry of guns outside the home for self-defense and prohibiting concealed carry of guns outside the home would reduce gun violence?
Thank you.
Sincerely,
Rob Shattuck
Mountain Brook
205-967-5586
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