To the Editor:

I encountered a customer openly carrying a pistol at a local business. I inquired as to the legality of this, and he assured me that this is legal in North Carolina. I checked the N.C. Department of Justice website, and it turns out that he is correct.

While I can agree with the logic of concealed carry in some circumstances, I strongly disagree with civilians openly carrying firearms in public, unless in a designated hunting area during season.

The question is this: do we want to revert to the Wild West mentality? If so, what message does this send to our children? To me and millions of other Americans, open carry is a form of intimidation, an inherent visible public threat.

Given race relations and the state of political division, there is no reason for civilians to openly carry guns in public. Further, it makes the carrier a target for someone who wants to steal their visible gun.

Do you want to encounter men and women walking down Main Street with AKs and ARs? How about in Ingles or Walmart? Would that make you feel safe? What if they had Confederate flags or Nazi flags, Communist flags, or American flags for that matter? 

The police don’t carry rifles because they don’t want to escalate a situation unnecessarily.  

Last year, a man entered the ticketing area of the Atlanta airport carrying an AR-15 with a 100-round magazine. Law enforcement agencies have better things to do than stop idiots, do background checks and see if they are allowed to own guns.

It’s time for the Republican politicians in this state to use some common sense and put a stop to open carry other than for law enforcement and hunting.

Civilians visibly carrying guns in the streets and businesses makes us all less safe. It’s a recipe for tragedy and heartbreak.

Don Kowal

Franklin