imported post
Ok, I've been following this thread and I have read some other threads on here about manner of dress and carrying one's self and I have an embarrassing, at least on this forum, admission to make.
I grew up sort of in two worlds. Summers rural where guns and hunting were common, the school year in suburban environments where guns were fairly uncommon except in the occasional hunting or military context. While we all had toy guns and BB/pellet guns, "real" guns were not something we saw except on LEOs. As I young adult I was mostly in IL, again, where guns were in the context of hunting, military, LEO or criminals. So by my late 20s, people carrying guns were categorized mentally into hunters, cowboys/farmers for varmints/snakes, cops and criminals. It wasn't until the CC discussions in MO started in earnest about 6-7 years ago that I became awakened to citizen carry outside of thsoe contexts.
Prior to that the only time I noticed or was aware of citizens carrying were on trips out west where I saw OC, but usually by someone who looked more like Walker Texas Ranger than Bob, CPA. When I saw a firearm on the hip of someone who looked like a Hell's Angel I got worried. I was intimidated. I assumed the worst. I never made a MWAG call, but I certainly wasn't above crossing the street or leaving a store to get away from the person. When I started to carry, even my career military/former sport hunter father and rural raised mother, both of whom have been around guns their entire lives, needed some time to wrap their heads around the fact that I carry. Took them about a year to totally accept it and be comfortable with it.
Because of this, perhaps I have some sympathy for the scared sheep. I also understand why certain people on the forum seem to excite more attention when OC than others. I spent enough time around guns hunting and target shooting that I was never an anti so for me it was an awakening not a conversion. But I can certainly see why some people may be scared, may be intimidated or may be confused.
I certainly would expect that it is more difficult for someone who is tattood or biker looking or more "scruffy" in dress and appearance to OC peacefully than it is for someone who looks military or LEO in dress, haircut and carriage. It is going to take several years to educate the public in some places. But this is one of the reasons I like OC. It helps break the stereo-types. It gives people a different awareness. When people they already know, who they see every day, who they know to be good, honest people regardless of how they look, OCing a sidearm, it makes them go, hhmmm. It makes them reconsider, to challenge their stereotypes, to rethink their assumptions.
So I would say that if you want to OC without drawing much attention most places, wear slacks or nice jeans, clean pressed shirt, polished leather casual shoes or boots, nice belt, well trimmed hair even if longer style, have clean manicured finger nails and avoid earrings/piercings and cover most tattoos. If that isn't you and you aren't worried about what people think and are willing to face the occasional LEO interaction, dress and look however you want. We are a diverse country and the general public need to learn that a diverse people are law abiding citizens who go armed for their own, their family's and their community's defense. Regardless, I applaud each of you who carry in their daily lives and applaud louder those who choose not to blend in and thereby accept the higher risk.
