Some things make me wanna SCREAM!

I carried a pistol openly on my person for several years, back before we passed our concealed carry law.

Now that I can carry concealed, I do so the vast majority of the time.  Sometimes people were a bit concerned to see that .45 on my hip, most times they ignored it.

Very rarely did I have any encounters with law enforcement who weren't happy about my being armed.

I'm glad to see the numbers of people who've started carrying openly in the free exercise of their right to self-defense.  Being unafraid to speak out and advocate in public for your freedoms is an essential first step to educating the public and to preserving those rights.  If we don't start pushing back, making the non-gun-owning gun public and the gun-haters understand that we're not going away and that we're tired of their phobias, then we WILL lose our rights.

But in the process, people, PLEASE don't make yourselves out to be MORONS.

I refer to the phrase that some who are big in the community of open-carry advocates are using, which is usually expressed as "I open carry."

AAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We will NOT make a positive impression on the world at large if we continue to use this stupid phrasing.

'To carry' is the infinitive form of the verb 'carry'.  I CARRY a gun.  I CARRY it openly.  I CARRY it concealed.  I OPENLY CARRY the pistol.  I CARRY the pistol OPENLY on my person.  The words 'open carry' describe an act or action, they are NOT a verb!!!

I've event contacted the national group that's doing the most for this effort, Open Carry.org (their web site is here) about this VERY sad misuse of the language, telling them the same things I've written here and they basically said, 'Yeah, so what, we like it.'  They plan to carry on with this ignorance!

Friends, when we use bad language and bad grammar we look like morons.  Let the LEFT butcher English and invent stupid phrases and bad usages.  No matter what your cause, you should first maintain certain standards of intelligence and quality.  Saying "I open carry" makes you sound like a DUNCE, and the media will damn sure take advantage of whatever you do wrong to make fun of you and your cause.  Why give them an opening by which they can attack and ridicule us?

We would all make fun of a gang-banger wannabe for saying "I be packin' heat." but he's not one damn bit more stupid than the doctor or lawyer who says proudly for the camera "I open carry."

It's WRONG - it's BAD ENGLISH - period, zip, end.

"I carry a pistol openly" uses the verb and ADVERB in the proper manner.  "I open carry" means that you OPEN a CARRY - for what?  What IS a 'carry' in the first place?  Well, firstly it is NOT a noun.  Properly used, 'Carry' is the VERB and 'openly' is the ADVERB.

I've been involved in the politics and media circus of gun rights for a good while. I'm acutely aware of how crucial it is that you put forth a good message and a good image.

Using this utterly stupid form does nothing to enhance our image.  It makes us look like semi-literate redneck dolts.  Why would ANYONE deliberately advertise the fact that they don't even know how to speak the damn language if they're out there trying to make a positive impression for their cause???

If you agree with me, that this is STUPID and something that we as gun owners and advocates for our rights need to fix in our own house before the media uses it against us, please contact the folks at OpenCarry.org and tell them about it.  If enough of us do this then maybe they'll start to pay attention and speak English as it's supposed to be!