First open carry experience

imported post

Tonight I decided I would go to get movies for my wife and I atBlockbuster when I would leave to go pick up our order at a local restaurant. I was wearing a tight long-john style shirt and decided that tonight would be my first full open carry. No strange looks from folks in Blockbuster or the restaurant even though it was very evident I was carrying as the XD paddle holster sticks out quite far.

Here's the kicker though. After leaving Blockbuster and thinking "That was not very difficult." I was at a red light waiting to turn down a major road and I heard some shouting from the right side of my car. Irolled down my window, heard it was close, turned to my 5 o'clock, and right there, 4 feet from the side of the road, is aguy who has some other guy pinned down with hisknee in the guy's back and hishandon the back of the guy's head. Iput my 4 ways on and run out of the car to them, hand on pistol in holster and askwhat was going on. Apparently, theguy who was pinned down (he was the one shouting)was just tackled by the guy on top of him.The guy on topsays that the suspect just fleed the scene of aproperty crime and that the cops were on their way. Sureenough I turn around and there they were. So I asked ifhe was alright,he says he was good to go, and I tell him thanks and good luck as the cops take charge. Not a one of them even asked me to stop and talk even though I was open carrying and just left the scene of an incident.

So anyway, it was a good first experience I expect to do it more often now.

imported post

I'm glad that you are a concerned citizen, looking to help. I commend your bravery.

But for me, I won't stick my nose in where it does not concern me or my family.

I definitely would not run up to a unknown scene with my hand on my gun. Now if someone came runningup to me, wanting to cause me or my family harm, that's a different story.

In today's ill-legal court system, they love to throw people in jail for doing good, just look at the U.S. Border Guards that have gone to prison for doing their job by protecting the border against smugglers.

Even if you are not criminally charged, abad guy or his familywill take all you have in a civil suit. One Arizona rancher lost his whole ranch to an illegal alien because the rancher violated the alien's civil rights, by detaining him.

If all the laws and court systems were 100% on the side of good citizens, I would say Yes help all in need, but sadly, it just ain't so.


No sir, call me an isolationist, but I'm minding my own business...with gun on hip.

imported post

CVC, this is not directed at you.. I understand your position. But isn't it sad the you or anyone elsehas to feel that they can't jump in and help, just because some Criminal has more rights then you do.

We should have a law that says.... If you in the act of committing a crime, even a misdemeanor, you lose all your rights to any civil action. It really bugs me that law-abiding citizens who offer assistance are then turned into criminals.

imported post

So very true what you saidLeatherneck. I also find itsad that our society has fallen into the state it haswhere good people are afraid to help for fear of theconsequences. Call me stupid or blind to the obvious, but I will help regardless of the situation and whether or not I am armed, just as I have numerous times in the past. I am wondering if Washington state has a good samaritan protection law. Anyone here know?

By the way, your actions and attitude in a situation similar to what happened to me last night can set the tone for the whole incident. When I ran up, I was speaking very calmly and clearly and askedif everything was alright. There was no shouting, no sense of nervousness.....I just approached as a very aware individual who was making it known that I was in fact armed to alleviate any craziness on the part of either one of them until Icouldfigure out what washappening. And obviously the detainer could tell I was not there to create problems but ratherto assist and never once got scared about the fact that I was there with a sidearm.

imported post

If you look at it from the perspective of the guys on the ground, the fighters, some dude running up to them with his hand on an exposed gun might cause them to be alarmed.