S.E. Ruckman: Open carry in Oklahoma but not Indian Country

Monday, November 26, 2012  

"At midnight of the first day of the eleventh month, a different day dawned in Oklahoma. A new law went into effect that will undoubtedly change a few things around here. The “Open Carry” statute allows gun holders (who are trained and licensed) to publicly carry their guns. Make no mistake it signals a return to a time when this kind of gun-toting dress was de rigueur.

Advocates of this law cite that openly carrying (and swaggering) with the weight of one’s gun is the hip and trendy thing to do among states. One news source cites that 14 other states have similar laws (all located in the west and even Connecticut). At the same time, Oklahoma’s gubernatorial office puts it at 22 states with like statutes. This must be a reminder that if all of our friends are willing to jump off a cliff, we here in Oklahoma will start looking for a suitable launching point.

The law brings me no comfort. I have traveled to some of the states where similar Open Carry season exists and I don’t recall seeing a firearm brandished yet. As the brainchild of Oklahoma state senator Anthony Sykes (a Republican attorney from Newcastle), the successful Senate Bill 1733 prevailed with the assertion that responsible gun-owning behavior in Oklahoma thrives. Incredibly, the sight of a gun brandished by qualified gun toters may even be a deterrent to the irresponsible ones."

Get the Story:
S.E. RUCKMAN: Open Carry a fact for Oklahoma, but not Indian Country (The Native American Times 11/26)