Why Don't 'Open Carry' Gun-Rights Advocates Target L.A.'s High-Crime Neighborhoods Instead Of ... Manhattan Beach?

•  Well a .22 would be big enough for most of them to masturbate with. Their tiny dicks would fit in the barrel.

• The odds are that if normal gun-owning citizens went to the hood to with their guns and an intent to use them. They would be dead citizens, gangs rely on numbers more often than not. One gun versus anything from 2 - 10+ not good odds in any situation. Most people own a gun to protect their families and the odd bit of hunting or sport, nothing more.

• Could it be that RTC can only be granted to law abiding citizens? Gang bangers steal and trade dope for their guns. We carry to try to protect ourselves from these animals. What a stupid column.

• S. Wolfe, I have experienced something very similar to gang warfare very recently. I had just got off the phone with my favorite crack dealer after deciding we would meet at the usual place in 15 minutes. I was stoked! I went ahead and snorted the 23 lines I had on the table. After that, I strapped up ma gat and crip-walked my way to the Stop & Rob corner store. I passed some ghetto-sucka-fool loitering next to a meth house that I passed on my way. We glared at each other and that was it. I ain't got no time to spray that sucka now; I gotta get to my crack! I finally arrived to the corner store! After deciding how much crack I would need for this week, I decided to buy 27 1/2 pounds of the good stuff. I stuffed all that crack into my baggy ass ghetto pants, which were dragging on the ground, and departed. But not before picking up a big RED can of my favorite cola. On my trip back to my crib in the ghetto, I come across the ghetto-sucka-fool again. But check this, this sucka's suckin up some cola out of a BLUE cola can! Ahhh HELLL NAAAA. I go up to him, look him straight in the face and tell him "Red cola is better sucka!". After that, he went ballistic! He started insulting me, my cola, and even my mother! He said he would get all his blue cola drinking friends and F*** me up! I said "Ghetto-Sucka-Fool, Please!". I immediately whipped out ma gat and popped that sucka in the mouth. Next thing you know, BLAM, BLAM, BLAM, BLAM, BLAM, BLAM, BLAM, BLAM, BLAM, BLAM, BLAM, BLAM, BLAM, BLAM, BLAM, BLAM, BLAM! That's right! That's right! Which color cola is better now, sucka fool. What's that? Bodies don't talk? Oh yeah, you're right. I'll just have to assume you mean red because that's what color is all over you. As I was looking down at that sucka's corpse, I noticed he got his blood all over my pants that are dragging on the ground because they are 13 sizes too big. I was so pissed that I shot him some more. After I arrived home, I cleaned the blood off of me and changed my pants. I then went to goodwill.com and bought some more pants that are 13 sizes too big. I then checked this page to see if anyone had anything intelligent to say about my post. S. Wolfe left a reply. I was utterly disappointed. I have read your post Wolfe. I guess I qualify as a person allowed to reply to you. I would say to you that if gang related crime is that bad in your area, you should have a firearm for protection. You should carry it as well; openly if possible. I would also try to convince as many friends as possible to do the same. I find that a openly holstered handgun on the side of a law abiding citizen is an extremely effective deterrent to crime. The deterrent value is even greater when there are several people openly carrying.

• LOL, yeah, criminals are cowards. NOT. Gang warfare is a firefight between two people/kids with firearms. When you have experienced that and cleaned your up yourself and bought a new pair of pants then we'll talk.

• Genho Difra, I think you're right. I also believe that there are very few Open Carriers that have ever been in a gun fight. Do you know why that is? I do. I'm not sure if you noticed, but most criminals are cowards. If a criminal decides that he needs to rob an innocent victim to increase his drug buying money, do you think he would rather rob someone with a handgun holstered on their hip, or a frail, little old lady? The majority of criminals in that circumstance would most likely attack the most defenseless person they could find. I seriously doubt they want to attack someone that can clearly defend themselves with deadly force. The criminal wouldn't like the the idea of bullets coming in their direction whenever they commit armed robbery, rape, murder, etc. I'm glad we agree.

• @Genho, It's good to hear your voice Johnny, it's been a long time. Look John, you've done some damage here, they don't want anymore trouble. That's why I've come. I want to come in there and fly you the hell out. Just you and me. We'll work this thing out together. Is that fair enough?

• As a fromer Marine from the Sixties I have to wonder how many of these open carry folks have ever experienced a firefight? I venture that the answer is not very many because, if they had ever been in or witnessed the carnage and chaos that a real firefight creates, then perhaps they would not be so dismissive of the horror that ensues from being shot. It ain't like the movies, folks. Besides the sickening, visceral image of blood and guts spreading across the ground as it leaks, or spurts, from the wounded and dead also leaves a lingering stomach-turning smell that one never forgets. Think about that the next time you strap your hogleg on!

• Hey, lots of people carry weapons in "high crime areas", because of the actions of the California Police Chiefs, those people are dangerous criminals. The idea that only people with PORAC union cards or criminals get to carry guns is just insane. The guys in Manhattan Beach are doing their bit to help the good people who live in the bad areas. Removal of corrupt political practices takes time and works slowly. It's going to take a while and a few big lawsuits to convince the Chiefs that they actually live and work in America.

• @Kpernic: I have a ccw licence for Florida but California doesn't recognize my permit, for whatever reason. Because of that, my only remaining option is to carry it openly. If California adopts a shall-issue CCW permit issuance system I'll carry my pistol concealed like I always have, until I returned to California. =)

• Dennis is a troll.... paid by LA Weekly.

• Im all for gun rights, but i get the concern. Like most things wouldnt it just be best to meet halfway? Why dont you carry your guns, just keep them in a case. We know you have it, but know one has to see it. You can even get really a really cheap place at the same place i got mine http://www.airsplat.com/Categories/RIFLE-BAG.htm Problem solved

• Dennis Romero talks like an old buddy of mine Deet. We nicknamed him that because he always seems to repell females that land on him. Deet got himself involved in a felony when we were young, and now because he can't have a gun...nobody should.

• That is actually a great idea! I bet if you write to them, they'll take you up on it!

• I think what was meant to be said was "commie, pinko, fascist, nazi gun-nuts." Adding that makes the whole piece much better. What is so curious is why the connection between Starbucks and the Hood? Could the whole "go down to the hood and show off your penis (gun)" be misguided if said "nuts" simply eat and shop at those places listed? They are not looking for trouble, they are, in a unique way, protesting - freedom of speech, in order to ask those around them to stop limiting their rights. Going to the hood to do that makes no sense as those folks already are packing heat and don't need to be schooled on the erosion of personal rights.

• Dennis calls names and thinks guns are phallic symbols. He has no facts to back up his reasoning of keeping armed citizens away from Manhattan Beach so he must resort to name calling and berating law-abiding citizens. This is standard procedure for anti-gun people. They have no problem "flaunting" their First Amendment rights but when other want to exercise their rights they can't stand the fact that they can't control others. Patrolling a neighborhood in which you do not live is not a good idea. If something did happen in which you had to defend yourself you would get labeled as a vigilante and charges would most likely be filed against you. Besides, if the people of gang infested neighborhoods don't have enough dignity to clean up their streets then why should a stranger care? Dan: The Second Amendment doesn't allow the citizen anything. The Second Amendment, like the rest of the Bill of Rights, codifies a few of the Creator given pre-existing rights. The reason the Bill of Rights exists is because our founding had enough foresight to know that if they didn't codify these basic rights that future corrupt Tyrants would try and infringe on those rights. Even with them codified, Government officials and people like Dennis still try hard to infringe them.

• Mr.Dennis Romero, Your Proctologist called, he found your head. If you notice the cops don't go into the "Hood" very often, so why should honest, hard working, law abiding citizens go into those crime infested areas? If going into a dangerous neighborhood would quench your blood thirst, you go in you piece of feces.

• we, who open carry are not the police,we live in The United States of American and not a dictatorship. To deliberately walk in to the (hood)of any city just to be scaring the gang bangers shows this reporter does not have a clue as to what he is talking about. we need to license reporters

• So what Dennis seems to be trying to say, is that he wants people that have enough common sense to not do drugs, and thus have very little reason to go into the 'hood', to frequent the bad neighborhoods just to walk around. This involves driving over an hour depending on when you leave, just to drive around another hour looking for a parking space, just so that you can walk around??? In the last 10 years I've been downtown right around 4 times. Twice to get flowers in the flower district, once to go to the greyhound station to pick up a friend, and once to Union Station to drop off my boss. So please, tell me WHY I should visit a place that I have no business going? On the other hand, in the neighborhood I live in, It is rather impractical to try and open carry because there are 4-5 schools surrounding my home and the places I frequent. So really the next choice for open carry when I decide to finally take that, will be with fellow open carry members at organized events. Some of those events are 'family oriented'(complete with off-limits areas for children) and others are within local businesses. Many years ago, before the local and state governments began trying to strip away the peoples rights, it was a commonplace for EVERYONE to have a gun on them. In fact, at that point in time some businesses even had gun racks outside the front door, usually because carrying a long gun into a store made it awkward to shop, AND it was perfectly fine to leave your firearm propped up there. On top of all that, you not only expected it to be there when you came out, but rarely did anyone even worry that it would disappear, because that just didn't happen. We now are in a time where you can lock your car up as much as you want and you STILL are rolling the dice on whether it will be there when you get back. My neighbor has had gang members TARGET him to the point where they tried to steal his truck OUT OF HIS DRIVEWAY...Little did they realize that along with being surrounded by schools, we also are surrounded by active and retired police officers, and as it turns out pushing a large pickup truck down the street, especially when everyone in the area knows who it belongs to, is a rather easy way to get a free pass into the city bed and breakfast. So please, I ask you...Explain why you are so against LAW ABIDING CITIZENS owning and keeping available LEGALLY REGISTERED guns? Especially when gang members carry guns, sometimes openly, usually concealed, and those guns are intended to be used against us law abiding citizens.

• "An opinion can be a dangerous luxury when substituted for insight and understanding." --- Marshall McLuhan

• The other reason why we cannot carry in that area of LA is the density of schools. We cannot carry within 1000 feet of the school zone. I always open carry when I am in a bad neighborhood. In those areas I will only shop where I can open carry. I have three kids ages 10, 12, 14 and they also know how to handle guns safely. I always carry around my children and their friends. Open Carry is not flaunting a gun, it is having it available for personal protection and defense. I am not interested in being an easy victim so I have the proper defense tools. In Nor Cal we go in and encourage people in high crime areas to arm themselves and we have a decent size group in the bad neighborhoods. They do carry where they live. Take a look at the Time Magazine photo essays and you will find an older black man who is armed named Shelton. Shelton lives in a bad neighborhood because he lives there. We also have a woman who lives across from a drug house who ave pit bulls bread to fight, she carries a VERY large revolver to handle another attack from the dogs on herself and other dogs and she gets people off her property who are there to loot and do drugs. The police all know us, we are good people, good citizens and like myself we have families to protect. I have home invasions and robberies frequently around me lately but it happens everywhere.

• Great comments all. I guess we can all agree mr. Romero is just another agendized, constitutionally challenged member of the mainstream media talking out of his derrier. You know, its always these same self serving liberals who are so ready to take away the rights of others who are the biggest hypocrites. Its ok for them to have guns or armed guards for protection just not the rest of us! Well screw that and screw you! America is finally waking from her lethargy! Oh and before Mr Romero gets on his "see got the rednecks coming out of the woodwork" bandwagon, I may live in Ga, but I'm from Redwood City right there in the middle of the Peoples Republic of California!

• I realize that you are jesting at the idea of armed citizens carrying in a high crime with no other purpose than creating a volatile situation. Bearing in mind the fact that they would have the right to but have had the common sense not to. That being said what is the point you are trying to make with this article?

• I realize that you are jesting at the idea of armed citizens going into high crime areas with no other purpose than creating a volatile situation. With that being said what is the point of your article?

• Why doesn't Dennis take up a position on a street corner in Slauson to practice his first amendment right to make an ass of himself?

• There are several good reasons why I don't openly carry a firearm in the City of Los Angeles. One of the reasons is I don't live there. I live in the South Bay. In the four years I have lived here since returning from Oregon (where loaded open carry, concealed carry and even machine-guns are legal) I have never been downtown. Why should I? Unlike many of my critics, I don't take drugs. Opponents of Open Carry might have to travel to the hood to buy their poison, the rest of us have no reason to go there. If my objective were to "flaunt" the fact that I openly carry a firearm or that I do so just to annoy the police I couldn't think of a better place to do it. Other than making for a great video, what purpose would it serve? I realize the criticism is to imply that we are cowards but ask yourself this. If someone is willing to stand toe to toe against a police department that employees over 100 armed men with loaded guns and badges in order to defend a fundamental, enumerated Constitutional right, doesn't that show more courage than an internet troll who doesn't even have the courage to reveal his true identity? It doesn't take much courage to hide behind the internet while throwing virtual feces at honorable men and women.

• btw, is that a picture of an airsoft 1911? The barrel seems very small, but perhaps it is .22"

• The comments and tone expressed here by Dennis Romero are very opinionated and derogatory towards Citizens choosing to legally care a firearm. Not only that, but Dennis assumes that these open carrying citizens are: white, male, and intend on scaring others with "phallic symbols". There are women who choose to open carry, along with people of different skin color, age, education...etc. Let me express my own opinion by say that the Bigoted and Prejudice comments made compare to "all criminals are scary black males". Would you (given the authority) refuse an off duty police officer or veteran to openly carry a firearm? We The People (including military, local law enforcement, and every day citizens) are responsible for running and protecting this country. If one is that afraid and concerned about firearms, it would be reasonable for them to stay inside their home because they are about 30 times more likely to die in a motor vehicle accident than an accidental firearm discharge or stray bullet in California. I think more people should take the time to educate themselves on firearms and statistics before forming opinions and letting fear get the best of them. What you likely don't know, is that many firearm owners consider guns as sporting/recreation equipment in addition to self defense rather than a 'phallic symbol' Of course, firearm ownerships is legally regulated and requires much greater responsibility. I am very grateful to live in a country that allows everyone to express their opinion freely, but wish people would use more discretion when commenting about things they have little experience and knowledge about. I will take my risks on the road driving to this fair for great time I will likely have.

• The Second Amendment allows legal U.S. citizens the right to bear arms. Manhattan Beach is in America. If you are not a felon, you may carry or own a firearm. This has been in our U.S. Constitution since we defeated England in the War of Independence. By the way, not all gun owners are "gun nuts". I am married, with one little boy and I have not owned a firearm until just recently. I purchased a handgun to protect my family. I hope I never will need to shoot it. There never has been one documented case of an "Open Carrier" committing a violent act during an Open Carry event.

• They probably don't do it for the same reason the GLBT crowd gutlessly refused to protest the black churches which supported Prop 8. Though I suspect you'll see an open carry demonstration at the Slauson Starbucks before seeing any gay protestors at the Crenshaw Christian Center.

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