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When children ask why you have a gun?

Wstar425

Regular Member
Joined
Jul 1, 2014
Messages
570
Location
Tomahawk and Abbotsford, Wi.
Looks like winter might be over here, and with that quite a bit more open carry outside. I live near a walking/biking trail that goes by an ice cream shoppe and I almost daily walk my dog past there. On the lake, scenic area, lots of people sometimes, and often lots of children.

Generally, the dog will get some attention, and once in a while someone will mention I'm armed. North of this area is woods, but meeting any dangerous wildlife would be a fairly remote possibility. Wolves, black bears, maybe a moose could be possible, but unlikely.

So, when people ask me why I carry a gun, I generally just say that "I believe I am responsible for my own safety." Sometimes it goes to more than that, sometimes not. I would say I talk to 10-20 people a week in that area, and maybe 2-5 will include something about a firearm. Most people seem to not notice, or don't care. We have a lot of tourist from Illinois up here, and they seem to be interested and positive, as well as more likely to start a conversation. I generally say hi if we make eye contact, but keep walking. I'm happy to stand and talk if someone has questions, but I don't initiate a conversation and I NEVER bring up the firearm myself.

Anyway, once in a while I will get someone who is say 4-10 years old ask me why I have a gun, and my standard answer doesn't really seem adequate to me for a younger person. Not bad or wrong, but maybe too mature of an answer? Any thoughts or ideas on a better way to answer this? Most times the parents are close by, but I've actually had quite a few kids come up to me and ask about petting the dog while the parents were some distance off. Then, they noticed the firearm later, I think.
 

Wstar425

Regular Member
Joined
Jul 1, 2014
Messages
570
Location
Tomahawk and Abbotsford, Wi.
"To protect me from bad people."

Thanks, I like that.

I will include that I open carry 6" S&W 686 in a leather belt holster, which is pretty hard to miss, OR a Sig 226 in a kydex OWB, which is less noticeable. I can not really say that one gets more response than the other, except that I would say people don't seem to see the wheel gun nearly as intimidating maybe, although it is bigger and more obvious. Non scientific survey on that.
 

Wstar425

Regular Member
Joined
Jul 1, 2014
Messages
570
Location
Tomahawk and Abbotsford, Wi.
Thanks for the replies, some great usable ideas.

I'm awesome at sarcasm, but that would be out of place with children. (and maybe adults......) The dog attracts people, often they don't notice the firearm until later. I try my best to be a good ambassador to the gun scene.

I hear "you must be a cop?" quite a bit. I try to have answers to questions that people ask that they might not expect, and hopefully make them think a little. Or ask them a question in return. So, "What makes you think that?"

When people ask me "Do you REALLY need to carry a gun?" I reply back with "I certainly HOPE not!"

I like to have my answers sort of prepared and ready. I don't want to be stumbling over my words and come across like an idiot. I sort of take a real fast read of the person and try to figure out if they are genuinely inquisitive, interested, or maybe somewhat anti, and adjust my response accordingly. After 5 years of talking to a lot of people, I have to say they are overwhelmingly not all that bothered about an old white dude with a gun, even around their children. It's probably some the Northwoods area, I suspect the results might be different in a big city urban setting.

But, children I ALWAYS error on the side of polite and friendly. Personally, I am about to the place where if I walk through a bunch of people with a dog and a gun, and nobody mentions the gun, I consider that a success.
 
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SW40VE-OC

Regular Member
Joined
Mar 21, 2015
Messages
51
Location
Sparks, NV
Children understand the answer "to keep safe from bad guys". Get on their level while answering. Take a knee, or find a bench nearby to sit on so you can be eye-eye vs "towering adult". No matter what form it takes on TV, there is usually some good/ bad interaction on every show. If you give that answer while mom/ dad is nearby, it's a good time to educate them too. You can also direct the child to ask mom/ dad more about it later.

Sent from my XT1058 using Tapatalk
 
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Wstar425

Regular Member
Joined
Jul 1, 2014
Messages
570
Location
Tomahawk and Abbotsford, Wi.
Children understand the answer "to keep safe from bad guys". Get on their level while answering. Take a knee, or find a bench nearby to sit on so you can be eye-eye vs "towering adult". No matter what form it takes on TV, there is usually some good/ bad interaction on every show. If you give that answer while mom/ dad is nearby, it's a good time to educate them too. You can also direct the child to ask mom/ dad more about it later.

Sent from my XT1058 using Tapatalk[/QUOTE

Good advice and I often do this. There are benches at the Ice Cream Shoppe and sometimes I will sit on one and people watch, while dog sits off leash. As long as I am seated on a bench with a back, firearm is hard to notice under right arm. My goal is to have her stay while I go inside and buy a water. As long as the line is short, she's good for a couple of minutes. Sometimes someone will walk out the door and she breaks. Working on duration. With no distractions about 15 minutes. If a chipmunk runs by, all bets are off! I let her chase chipmunks and squirrels on the trail, people feed the chipmunks at the Shoppe, so they are somewhat tame. Making the distinction between the wild chipmunks and the "tame" chipmunks is a hurdle maybe too big!

I have noticed that children and people sitting seem to notice a firearm first, I suspect because it is at eye level. I have talked to a few people that come here on a yearly vacation who said they talked to me last year, tho I didn't remember. I talk to a LOT of people.
 

MAC702

Campaign Veteran
Joined
Jul 31, 2011
Messages
6,331
Location
Nevada
I'm a big fat nobody and I've 'needed my gun' more often than I've needed my fire extinguisher, yet I still keep that around, too, without hearing dumb questions about it.

And just because you didn't actually shoot someone doesn't mean you didn't 'need the gun.'
 

radio3579

Regular Member
Joined
Mar 19, 2016
Messages
29
Location
earth
"Because there are bad people out in the world that want to hurt others" the question I get from kids most is "are you a policeman".
 

Grapeshot

Legendary Warrior
Joined
May 21, 2006
Messages
35,317
Location
Valhalla
"Because there are bad people out in the world that want to hurt others" the question I get from kids most is "are you a policeman".
Well, a a ah, you are wearing a badge in your avatar. If you dress out like that, it will give that impression to more than just kids.
 

radio3579

Regular Member
Joined
Mar 19, 2016
Messages
29
Location
earth
Well, a a ah, you are wearing a badge in your avatar. If you dress out like that, it will give that impression to more than just kids.

That was "Casual Friday", lol. I don't wear the badge if I am not working it gets tucked into my wallet with my agency ID, since we have OC now for everyone licensed I prefer to try and blend in with the locals.

Kids seem to think anyone with a holstered firearm is a cop.
 
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Keighvin

Newbie
Joined
Apr 2, 2016
Messages
3
Location
DelCo, PA
I personally CC but one of my friends always tells everyone "I am an Eagle Scout and the Boy Scouts taught me to be prepared". I tends to get asked more often by people (kids, adults, and police) as he carries a nice shiny Kimber and it tends to get noticed. He also happens to be black which does draw more police attention than it should.
 
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