First...you cannot draw your weapon until you are in imminent danger. Doing so premptively will lose you your carry license and maybe land you in jail and almost certainly get you sued.
I agree. I wasn't advocating randomly pulling guns on people you think gave you a dirty look. I'm talking about if somebody clearly means to do you harm (i.e. imminent danger or threat of bodily harm), you want to draw your gun and fire before they're right up in your face if at all possible. If you wait until they're pointing a gun at you or have a knife to your throat, what good is your gun? It's always better to draw as early as possible if you truly feel you're in danger. Are you going to let fear of a lawsuit get you killed? Probably not.
Again, at no point did I advocate pointing a gun at anyone until it was absolutely necessary--but at that point, the earlier, the better, especially if the assailant also has a gun. Are you going to wait until they have a gun drawn and pointed at you, or are you going to get prepared to fire before they get to that point. If you have a legitimate belief that you are in imminent danger, then your actions are justified. This is exactly what I was talking about.
Second..if everyone open carries a weapon then the bad guys will just know that they need to either shoot you in the back or attack in a way to prevent you access to your weapon. Just ask law enforcement officers how big a problem they have with people taking their weapons. It happens more frequently then you would like to think. And people are hard wired to not attack cops. The best defense is an offense that noone can see coming.
I agree partially, but I disagree partially. If multiple people walking down the street are carrying guns, then if the BG shoots you in the back, odds are the other 10 people clearly packing are going to draw and get ready to return fire. Your scenario is only true if it's just you who is armed and no one else around you is. No one other than a team of professionals is going to fire at you when people around you are also armed.
I do agree that a stealthy offense is good, but at the same time, a random criminal would have to be determined and plot out beforehand how to attack you (and specifically you) having known that you open carry. Most thugs on the street act spontaneously when mugging someone. A premeditated crime like that is usually a personal crime committed by someone who knows you or has reason to hate you personally. Just some food for thought.
Also, I would never advocate open carry unless your thoughts are consciously and constantly focused at least peripherally on where you gun is at all times. This is basic gun safety, IMO. Use a retention holster and always be aware of where you gun is and of your surroundings. I'm an observant person. I always know when my keys are in my pocket. I always know when someone is watching me or something is out of the ordinary. Being constantly aware of your surroundings is an absolute necessity if you're going to openly carry (or even carry concealed, for that matter). It's part of responsible firearm use and ownership, IMO. This goes without saying, IMO, which is why I didn't mention this before.