This is why we can't have nice things

It’s been a couple of weeks since the open carry issue at Chipotle and now that the dust has settled it’s a good time to reflect on the fallout.

A crap sandwich for sure

We can see that Chipotle, like Starbucks was put in a tough spot; almost a no win. While some might comment how that was there fault, I seriously question if that is true. Also, to make it painfully clear my support for the Second Amendment is beyond reproach. Now that I have gotten that out of the way it makes it a bit easier to comment on the completely legal, yet totally boneheaded move these and other people have made in an effort to exercise their rights.

Make good decisions

There is a time and a place for open carry, I wrote a blog a while back explaining some of those situations so I will just link back to it for your edification; Open Carry vs. Concealed Carry. The point behind that article wasn’t so much about supporting your constitutional rights, but about making good decisions. In this case I believe this folks made some pretty bad decisions and here is why. It was not an organized, global initiative to support our constitutional rights. Assembly or protests without a clear and unified objective will be easily downplayed or in some cases used against the very the movement.

Ambassadors of good will

In this case, a bunch of individuals were expressing their constitutional rights and while I do support that I will also remind them whether they like it or not they are ambassadors for theirs and all of our rights. Reckless behavior does not bring a positive light to the right to bear arms, it opens the door for anti-gun proponents to use against us. So, before you decide to go and be a part of this or any other future movement ask yourself how this will be perceived. Have the wisdom to think big picture, to recognize the various efforts to solidify our rights and whether this will truly support or detract from those larger efforts.

First stop…organization

If you truly want to make a difference then begin with organizing fellow like minded individuals. Define a common objective and then lay out the plan for achieving said objectives. Think big and communicate with others in various locations through out the country. To achieve success it must be a coordinated event, one that is exercised to support the larger plan.

Knowledge is power

You don’t have to like the fact you are an ambassador, but you better respect it least you find yourself the brunt of late night jokes, political cannon fodder and bitterness within the community. There are several within the firearms community that can and should speak out against those actions that are not aimed at achieving success in our quest to ensure our rights are not eroded over time. We have to do a better job of educating folks about the perils these types of events can create. Honestly, I doubt these folks really know what kind of fallout was on the horizon and I’m sure their idea sounded really good in their heads.

In these uncertain times, we should all have a steadfast resolve that guides our every action. Representing both on and off the battlefield is one of them, clearly it was one that needs to be reiterated.