More Oklahomans Are Arming Themselves

Yahoo! If this don't make us the most rootin' tootin' son-of-gun shootin' state in the Union, I don't know what will:

A record number of Oklahomans are seeking permits to carry concealed handguns.

More than 21,000 people applied for concealed-carry permits in 2008, the most since the program began in 1996, according to the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation.

There have been twice as many applications so far this year as the same point last year, said Felicia Jackson, who manages the permit registry.

"This is kind of a nationwide phenomenon,” Jackson said.

Some firearm instructors attribute the increase to a rise in violent crimes or concerns about President Barack Obama’s policy plans, but OSBI officials refused to speculate.

"It’s probably anyone’s guess, quite frankly,” agency spokeswoman Jessica Brown said.

An armed society is a polity society.

I don't know if I favor an open carry policy over a concealed carry - carrying a pistol on your hips leaves little doubt of what you're do if you have to do it, but the unbearable tension a criminal must feel when they don't know for sure if you're armed or not is worth something.