Company's comin'!

[Kevin]

Seems I'm about to have company. For the past 40 years, I've had one of the very few handgun permits in NY that allow me unrestricted carry (concealed) outside my home. With today's decision striking down our very restrictive law, I think that I'm about to be joined by quite a few.

I'll be interested to see what NY does now, with maybe modifying existing permits, or maybe issuing new ones, and how fast things get implemented. I don't imagine there will be any rush on things - NY is pretty much against its residents even having a handgun and looks for ways to justify taking away permits.

The weird thing is, while I suspect many people will want to carry in public, I never have. I don't get any benefit from carrying in public and given the tenor of the state, it would likely be a pain in the ass. The gun must be concealed and there have been cases where imprinting (seeing the outline of the gun under clothing) has led to the police being called, leading to a big hassle. Generally, if people see you have a gun, they freak so I expect that while a certain population will be interested in carrying in public, I won't be and never have. My life does not require I be armed at any time, really, and I'm more into the functionality of being armed than the fact of being armed. I go to bed at 10 PM, don't hang out in areas of cities that are dangerous, just don't do anything that might make my life safer with a gun than without one so I'm just not that interested in carrying in public.

And there are a number of people that I know personally who would be interested in carrying in public that I would definitely avoid if I knew they were armed. People who are not safe with their guns now.

Anyways, it will be interesting to see how this evolves.

[Truckman]

I welcome you and your fellow nuyawkers on another step toward freedom......Ben

[Sandman]

I’m one of the people who is uncomfortable when I notice someone conceited carrying. Since a huge number of people that I have known throughout my life are knuckleheads, I just figured that the same percentage of armed people are knuckleheads.

I’m not afraid to go anywhere so don’t see a need.

I don’t see any benefits to society, the kids in Texas were not any safer than the grocery shoppers in New York.

Just my opinion, I could be wrong…

[Kevin]

It will be interesting to see the commentary. Typically, conservatives argue that people should be allowed to order things as they wish in their own state. I can guarantee you that the large majority of New York citizens do NOT want this decision.

And the Constitution makes no reference to self-defense in the 2A, at least explicitly, and once you go down the route of implicit rights, you wind up back at Roe, which was castigated by conservatives for its implicit nature and which will, seemingly, be left to the states if overturned.

On the other hand, liberals WANT this left to the states, while on Roe, they don't.

It is fascinating to see the contradictory nature of the arguments on all these issues, where one side will argue competing theories depending on the right involved. Gov. Hochul is already having a meltdown, but since I favor causing politicians to have meltdowns, that's not a bad thing...

[Mike]

It will be interesting what change you might see in folks carry habits. I was very surprised when Texas passed open carry (still required a permit) in 2015 and then passed Constitutional Carry (no permit) in 2021. I have only seen two persons carrying in the open in seven years. The first was in a grocery story probably 5 years ago and the second was today in Walmart. Both appeared to have at least most of their teeth and both eyes pointed the same way on each of them. I had to ask the one in Walmart today to let me pass as he had the isle blocked and didn't know I was behind him. AND I DIDN'T GET SHOT! Think about it, 2 people in Texas mind you in about 7 years. It says a lot about the maturity and responsibility of most of our gun owners in Texas.

You might find nothing has really changed in NY other than easier accessibility to permits. I know I was surprised when nothing really changed in Texas. Hell, I'm still surprised!

[Honda]

We have open carry here and frankly I can't remember the time I saw anybody doing it. I think it just sounds good for politicians.

[Sandman]

Virginia also has open carry. We had a protest at the capital building (in Richmond) 5-10 years ago and half a dozen people went shopping with long guns over their shoulders here (Northern Virginia, DC burbs) in support of the protest.. well.. the 911 center almost had a power failure from the power needed to ring the hundreds of calls.. every time an open carry person entered a store the phones lit up, public thought that they were under siege. . they ended up with almost a police escort.

Haven’t heard or seen anything since.

[Mike]

Virginia also has open carry. We had a protest at the capital building (in Richmond) 5-10 years ago and half a dozen people went shopping with long guns over their shoulders here (Northern Virginia, DC burbs) in support of the protest.. well.. the 911 center almost had a power failure from the power needed to ring the hundreds of calls.. every time an open carry person entered a store the phones lit up, public thought that they were under siege. . they ended up with almost a police escort.

Haven’t heard or seen anything since.

Were talking about hand guns. I think most states have already allowed long guns for many years, if not forever. I could be wrong, I just know you could open carry a long gun in Texas as long as I can remember. Not so with handguns. That is a fairly recent thing.

[Truckman]

Think about it, 2 people in Texas mind you in about 7 years.

You're two ahead of me, Mike...I should probably pay more attention......Ben

[Mike]

I will also be interested to see how the different cultures compare once NY gets a modicum of firearms freedom as opposed to Texas where firearms are pretty much a way of life. Not so much now as when I was growing up and I attribute that to the vast invasion we have experienced from the North East and Cali. But, it is still a much different culture than experienced in NY.

[Kevin]

Carry a long gun down the street in NY and you will be arrested for menacing at the very least. Guaranteed.

I don't know how anyone would know if you started carrying in NY in response to this decision. NY is concealed only. I can imagine there will be a bit of a rush as people who have permits try out something new but it is hard to know how popular this might be. Probably really popular with a really small population. People here are not much into handguns after so many years of active discouragement by the state.

[Mike]

You're two ahead of me, Mike...I should probably pay more attention......Ben

I find it amazing, Ben. Only 2 in 7 years when all the predictions were about a new wild west (that never really happened) with blood running in the streets. Didn't happen and is not going to happen based on past results.

[Mike]

You're two ahead of me, Mike...I should probably pay more attention......Ben

I have forty years of situational awareness pounded into me. Part of that is looking for weapons everywhere I go. I've been told by several non-law enforcement friends that I see things other people don't. Head on a swivel! It's simple survival when you do the job I did. It's something I do and don't even realize it anymore.

[TriGuy]

I have forty years of situational awareness pounded into me. Part of that is looking for weapons everywhere I go. I've been told by several non-law enforcement friends that I see things other people don't. Head on a swivel! It's simple survival when you do the job I did. It's something I do and don't even realize it anymore.

That's like me Mike. I see drug deals going down, bangers on the street, people casing places that others just don't see but I see it as plain as a flashlight in a dark alley. It's what keeps me safe doing my job.

[Kevin]

I live in a hamlet with four permanent residents, my wife and I being two. Never seen a drug deal here or much of anything, really, except trees down after a storm or the odd porcupine. I take that back - about 15 years ago, I saw two bear cubs scoot up a tree when I drove by. I discouraged my wife from stopping to get out and take a picture. That's about the most situational awareness we need here.