Why are you doing this?

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I'm easing into OC, basically by going to places that I've been going for years (the neighborhood coffee shop, for instance) while OC'ing. My thoughtis that the baristas I've been over-tipping for years will not be alarmed my what's on my hip, as I've seen them pretty much every day for the last 8 years.

I suspect that my experience is much the same as the rest of you - for the most part, nobody even notices, and if they do so, they don't say anything. Sometimes I enjoy living in a passive-agressive city like Seattle.

I haven't yet been asked the "why are you doing this" question, and I'm a little concerned that when it does happen, I'll be totally tongue-tied, thus losing a chance to educate someone because they are convinced I'm a stammering idiot.

Any of you have tried-and-true answers that I can have on the tip of my tongue?

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http://opencarry.mywowbb.com/forum6/5338.html

There's a very long thread w/a lot of answers from serious and genuine, to extremely sarcastic, and everywhere in between.....I'll warn you though, once you read the first page of this thread, you'll want to continue until you've finished it, which will take a while.

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Simple answer to the Why question.

If I knew when and where I would need my gun, I just wouldn't go there, then. But I can't and don't, so I carry all day everyday.

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My favorite line so far has been:

"Keeps the lions away."

"What lions? There aren't any lions around here!"

"See? It works!"

On a more serious note, Bear has it spot on. You don't get to pick and choose when you need to protect yourself and your family. If it happens, you damn well better be prepared for it.

It's like the medic kit in my car to me. Better to have and not need than to need and not have.

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Like Bear sez.
Of course here in Hippie Town I get asked "why not just call the cops" To which I reply "If I am willing to depend on the services of armed men and women, it seems the utmost hypocrisy to be unwilling to be armed yourself. I'm perfectly willing to call the police for HELP but I must be willing to deal with a situation by myself first."

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Question: Why are you carrying a gun?

Answer: One of the reasons I carry a gun is to educate people that it is legal to open carry in the State of Washington, even without a license. Here, would you like to read about it in this pamphlet?

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Because "when I need it I won't have time to run home and get it"!

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I tried to put a cop on my belt this morning, but he just wouldn't hold still...

Or any variation of a cop is too heavy to put on my belt, blah blah blah

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Holo wrote:

My favorite line so far has been:

"Keeps the lions away."

"What lions? There aren't any lions around here!"

"See? It works!"

Click to expand...

I used this one once....(after I had read it elsewhere on ocdo, of course), and the look on the guy's face was priceless. I had just erased his thought that it was a good idea to move to Washington from Kommiefornia.

Depends on how I feel that day to how I will respond.

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I was asked that very question today at the gun show, by someone just strolling through. I responded "It is a God given right that I don't want to see disappear because of the unfounded fear of smoneone who thinks I should live by their expectations" Their answer to me.. "Good answer, tell me more"

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Roy Hobbs wrote:

SNIP I haven't yet been asked the "why are you doing this" question, and I'm a little concerned that when it does happen, I'll be totally tongue-tied, thus losing a chance to educate someone because they are convinced I'm a stammering idiot.

Any of you have tried-and-true answers that I can have on the tip of my tongue?

Click to expand...

I've started using the inquiry and reply as an openingto promote2A.

Example conversation:

Curious: "Why are you carrying a gun?" (Its more likely to be, "Are you a cop?")

Me: "Exercise a right so its not lost."

Curious: "Oh."

Me: "Where's yours?" "What? You don't even carry concealed?" "How are you going to protect yourself?" "You have something at home, right?" "Mace at least, right?" "Good lord, in this day and age, a person needs to be able to defend themselves." If its a woman, "Especially women." Etc., etc. The idea being to create some interest.