imported post
"You never get a second chance to make a first impression."
The responses I received from onlookers were split between the curiosity about OC, and the "men in skirts."
I know, you like kilts, and perhaps in some obscure way, it makes some sort of statement, but the people I stopped to speak with were TURNED OFF of our cause by the kilts.
Now, if the PURPOSE of OC is to expose the society to the notion that it is legal, why must we taint that FIRST IMPRESSION by appearing in kilts, which WITHOUT the knowledge that it is a kilt rather than a skirt, and without knowing the "ancient history of an oppressed people", onlookers will quickly write us off! I don't understand the kilt angle in our OC demonstrations. It seems like you are trying to attach a "rider" to the original bill! Are we out there to promote the free exercise of the 2nd amendment, or are we out there to draw attention to someother cause?
Are we demonstrating the free exercise of our 2nd amendment right, or are we adopting an "in your face" attitude about how (some) men dress?
All I'm saying is, from the responses I received, the kilts worked AGAINST us, rather than FOR us.
If you guys want to go out and have a KILT DAY and walk around in kilts and tell people about your reasons for wearing kilts, I say GO FOR IT! But for the OC event, I believe the kilts are working against us.
When someone is stopped for a 12031, if they are dressed like average Joe citizen, clean cut, Jeans, nice shoes, clean shirt ... the WITNESSES see ONLY "Cops harassing a citizen for legally carrying." When the cops stop someone in a KILT for 12031, witnesses see "Cops stop freak in skirt who is armed" and believe me when I say that they are more concerned with why the man is wearing a "Skirt" than with why he is carrying a weapon. One person told me, "I'm more concerned about the motivation behind the skirt than I am about the motivation to carry a weapon."
I know, Mulay and others will defend the wearing of kilts to the death, and SO WOULD I, *IF* the purpose of wearing them was to promote wearing them.
You don't see the women's rights marches walking down the street ALSO promoting the right to drive the vehicle of their choice, do you? They are FOCUSED ON THE ISSUE, even though other things may also be on their minds.
I'll reconsider participation in future events, if the purity of the message conveyed in the OC exercise is diluted by the kilt crowd. Like it or not, people will draw the conclusions they will draw, and if they decide by the FIRST IMPRESSION they get (seeing a man in a "skirt") that whatever message we have is irrelevant, than we have wasted our time.
An ex-M.P. Marine exiting Wal-Mart told me, "I support your OC efforts, but LOSE THE SKIRTS. The casual observer cannot see past the KILT to hear your message."
Sorry, but that pretty much sums up my feelings too.