Be Responsible With New Constitutional Carry Law
This week will see a new law go into effect in Oklahoma. As of Friday, November 1, law-abiding citizens who do not have a felony record can carry a handgun openly without a permit.
Many who do not support the Second Amendment or firearms will fear Oklahoma will become like the old western movies, with shootouts in the streets that would rival that of Wyatt Erp and Doc Holiday versus the Clantons. While I don’t see that happening in the middle of Muskogee Avenue downtown, that does not mean there are not rules and laws that need to be followed, along with common sense.
First and foremost, just because law-abiding Oklahomans can openly carry, it doesn’t mean a free-for-all. There are still many state and federal laws that must be followed. State laws are basically under Oklahoma Statute Title 21, section 1289.25, which serves as the basis for the Firearms Act of 1971 and the 2018 Self-Defense Act as well as the state’s Castle Doctrine and Stand-Your-Ground laws. If you haven’t read these sections, read them. They are vital to your understanding in regards to what someone can and cannot do while carrying a firearm.
There are still restricted places where firearms are not permitted, either openly or concealed. These include places such as government buildings, prisons and detention centers, public schools, colleges and universities, gambling places, professional sports arenas, liquor stores and bars, and any other place prohibited by law enforcement, such as a venue for visiting dignitaries. Also, private properties, private businesses and places of worship can be off-limits while you are on their property. Those laws have not changed.
As a strong Second Amendment rights advocate, I do not have a problem with the constitutional carry law. For me, if you are a law-abiding citizen, I don’t care what you have or where you carry it, so long as you don’t use your firearm for illegal purposes and you are responsible and safe with it. However, if you are a criminal and want threaten or harm someone, or you are irresponsible, then I don’t want you to even have a slingshot.
Criminals are not going to follow the law anyway and are already committing crimes with firearms they are not supposed to have or be using. Likewise, many law-abiding people are already carrying concealed firearms and going through their respective days without a problem in their interactions with even their most adherent anti-firearm friends and colleagues.
Personally, for me, I am choosing to continue to carry a concealed firearm and not carry openly, even though I can. My reasoning is because if I should ever find myself in a compromising situation, I don’t want the criminal committing the crime to look at me as their first target. Instead, I do not want them to know I am carrying a firearm to protect others and myself.
If you do choose to openly carry, be responsible, know the laws, and by all means get some training. That is good common sense when it comes to carrying a firearm. We are lucky enough to have one of the best training facilities here in Tahlequah. Page Firearm Training offers several classes and can help those of you who wish to carry either openly or concealed with NRA safety classes, classes on Oklahoma and federal laws, and personal defense classes.
If you want to carry a firearm either openly or concealed, that is your right and by all means take advantage of it. However, it is also your responsibility to be safe and to follow the laws.
Randy Gibson is the CEO of RDG Communications Group, LLC, and the former director of the Tahlequah Area Chamber of Commerce and the Texas State Rifle Association.
