John, are you the guy from Illinois who was at the 2A meeting a few months ago?You fear what is beginning to show in Jim, Mr. "Jedi"?
That he's being corrupted in the capital?
That's insulting, sir.
Jim Tomes has done more for the 2A in IN than most anyone here. In fact, he's probably done more and continues to do more than 99% of of gun rights advocates across America.
I know Jim personally and he's one heck of a stand-up guy. You couldn't ask for a more pro-liberty, pro-gun guy.
More importantly, he's intelligent as well.
He's trying to tell some of the reactionary purists to cool their jets and he's telling them why.
Like him, I'm not sure they'll get the message. This open carry party some of these [reactionary purists] are considering will have implications well beyond Evansville, and potentially even beyond Indiana altogether.
I'll give you an example: When involved in the negotiations to get Illinois' carry bill passed this spring, there was some give and take to secure the votes we needed to make a deal happen.
Yes, for those who know and understand, politics is a dirty game of compromises. You can be morally and mentally pure, but you'll leave empty-handed almost everytime with that attitude.
Anyway, one particular legislator who shall remain nameless, wanted to insert a ban on carry in libraries, because, at the time, the bill under consideration was both an open carry as well as a "substantially concealed" bill.
I asked, "Why does XXXXX have such an interest in libraries of all places?"
Todd Vandermyde, the NRA's guy in IL who spearheaded this entire process told me, "Well, some library group is in his district and they are scared to death some open carry advocates are gonna have an open carry demonstration at their member libraries *like they did in Michigan* a while back."
I'm pretty sure it was Michigan, but the point is that being aggressive (or obnoxious from some folks' point of view) in open carry advocacy has its time, place and manner. If done poorly it also has its very negative fallout.
There's nothing wrong with open carry. I do it myself when in IN, especially in summer months, but I'm not a jerk about it and I use common sense.
John Boch
President
Guns Save Life