Starting yesterday, those licensed to carry a concealed firearm in Oklahoma are now allowed to sport their guns for the world to see.

 They can show them off in either a fashionable belt or a shoulder holster, which I’m going to predict will be a booming market in the near future. Surely Louis Vuitton will have a case for my handgun by the time Texas catches on to openly carrying firearms.

Because there are only 14 other states where this flashy use of weapons is legal, I do have to congratulate Oklahoma for its ability to go against the liberal grain at this point in time.

And honestly, I am all for the right to bear arms in whatever way you please. I’m all for doing anything to keep the government from exerting too much control on personal choices. But just because you can, doesn’t mean you should.

I’m not sure if I’m just speaking for myself here, but knowing that I’m near a gun always makes me uncomfortable. When I see one on a police officer’s hip, I can’t help but think that this guy is human and he might just snap into insanity if he has to hear “Call Me Maybe” one more time.

So, the thought of going to IHOP and seeing a bunch of elderly men I don’t know sitting in the corner booth talking quietly and displaying guns makes me a paranoid mess already.

Why do they all have guns? Are they actually a gang posing as older conservative men? What will happen to their waiter if the service is bad? Did they escape from the nursing home? Needless to say, that would not be a positive dining experience. And it takes a lot to damper a trip to IHOP.

Fortunately, this will all be avoided if these Second Amendment supporters realize that they will be just as safe by keeping their guns concealed.

What I don’t understand about this whole situation is why people were so determined to show off their guns that they were able to change the law. Is the time and effort used to get this law into action really worth being able to have a gun out in the open? It’s not like the citizens weren’t allowed to have the guns before.

Essentially, these people rallied for the right to scare their peers. The advocates are claiming that crime will be reduced because criminals are less likely to strike when responsible adults are also armed.

In other words they want to throw their weight around to make sure that people don’t step out of line. I don’t know why, but I have a hunch that Oklahoma is about to start seeing a lot of really short men with beer bellies flaunting their guns.

All I can say is that I hope the folks in Oklahoma can appreciate the symbol of the law without feeling the need to act on it.

Thrall is a sophomore majoring in journalism.