Open Carry?

I might as well weigh in on the topic of open carry. Through the military and governmental shooting courses and Command and Staff War College courses I have been taught a few things about tactics.  But one of the simplest concepts to grasp in this discussion is that concealment of firepower is extremely important.  If it wasn’t then why would the Department of Defense spend billions of dollars each year on camouflage?  Concealment is the tenant that gave you the Constitution, to include the Second Amendment.  What?  Parker you’re nuts!

Let’s take a step back in time to the Revolutionary War, where the rag tag Continental Army with inferior firepower went up against the most powerful force in the world, the British Army.  The British Army practiced open carry.  They would grab their rifles, put on their red coats, and line up in the streets in a show of force and march down the road.  They were confronted continually by the Continental Army that were concealed at various junctures along their path.  The author of the Art of War, Sun Tsu stated, “He will win who, prepared himself, waits to take the enemy unprepared.”  Through this tactic the Constitution and the Second Amendment were born. 

Over the course of history there have been several instances where the concealment of firepower by inferior forces has overcome the odds and prevailed.  General George Armstrong Custer is another example of open carry that just didn’t work out.  Sitting Bulll and Crazy Horse used another tactic of Sun Tsu’s without their knowledge.  They used a village of squaws and children to draw Custer to attack at that point.  Knowing he would attack at that point they waited.  “All warfare is based on deception.”  How can you deceive anyone by showing all your cards at once?  Surprise is essential to victory! 

So let’s take an active shooting situation by today’s standards.  In threat analysis, you accomplish three things as rapidly as possible.  1)  Define the threat.  2)  Neutralize the threat.  3)  Move to the next threat.  If in a shooting scenario an individual is brandishing a firearm, he is a threat.  Open carry doesn’t consider concealed carry as a threat, simply because he doesn’t have the knowledge of
another firearm in his presence.  Concealed carry neutralizes open carry at the moment of his choosing simply because open carry does not have the information to formulate a complete situational scenario and “define the threat.”  Concealed carry moves to the next threat. 

I will leave you with this last thought.  Deception or concealment is essential to effect surprise.  The utilization of these tenants are more likely to secure victory.  Brandishing a firearm, (open carry) tactically speaking is a mistake that renders undesirable consequences.  But don’t take my word for it, ask Sun Tsu, George Washington and Custer.