To answer the sections outright question...

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I am sitting here considering the angled attacks that always probe the 2nd Amendments armor for some sort of material weakness. I look back at passed legislation that has hindered our ability to practice an inalienable right, and I really have to ask, very sincerely, what the true intent of some of these *anti-firearms advocates* really is.

You see. I come from California. I know firsthand what happens to a state, or any governmental body, when it oversteps its authority, and frivolously acts on the behalf of it's individual citizens. I would like to certainly focus on California for all of it's shortcomings, but when it all comes down to it, I can't. Even if it IS billions in the hole, and has some of the most screwed up laws in the nation.

Here's why.

I don't know about the rest of you, but I was raised to be extremely independent. While all of my friends were getting the coolest new toys, I was always outside shoveling dog-doo, mowing lawns, or working some embarrassing job unfit for even a 14 year old. Nope, throwing together hotdog meals for the next guy to swing his newfangled SUV through the drive-through, wasn't exactly my definition of "high life". Eventually I transferred over to McD's @ 15 years old, then decided at 16 that I was through with fast food. I worked at a couple of bike dealerships (my passion at the time), as a plumber, as a truck driver (dump trucks), performance engine builder, and long story short, eventually ended up serving my time in the Army, and settling on a career path that is IT oriented. I often think that because I left home early, I was subjected to some facets of life, that some of my buddies never really got to see until much later, and maybe to some extent, still do not understand now! Behold, the birth of the entitled. Right? On the same shoe though, I realize my life as a teenager was probably not as "easy" as it could have been. One thing I learned early on in my life, that helped drastically in my military career, was personal integrity, and responsibility. Knowing this, I realize that I am a true product of my past.

It is this realization that overshadows any thoughts on my behalf, to blame the "big bad government", or the failures therein. After all, the way our Government was meant to be run exclusively on power that has only been granted to it BY the people.

Through a lack of personal responsibility, we let a lot slide people. We really did...

Societies shift has been this huge paradigm of where it was just 50 years ago. Now we have insurance companies, frivolous lawsuits, organizations for the most twisted of purposes, and a mentality here in America (generalized), that we are all *owed* something.

What's this have to do with OC? Oh boy,......

Everything, and then some?

Why is it that in our country we do the following:

"I am being attacked, somebody help!"
"Oh the coffee was hot? Well the lettering is TOO SMALL, and I couldn't read it!"
"Oh well he didn't TELL me the wheels were missing lugnuts!"

Are we seeing an emerging pattern here? Am I crazy? Why do we, as Americans, defer so much blame? Oh, that's right, because society has raised us to believe that we are entitled.

Open Carry is about quite a few things. None of which make a person "insane", or "stupid", or "careless" like so many people would like to imply. It is about the assertion of our inalienable right to defend ourselves. It is the very statement that we are responsible. We do not defer to law enforcement, or the welfare of others! We stand ready to defend ourselves, and those around us if necessary. We belie, and openly display our belief, that it is every law abiding, sane individuals right and responsibility, to protect himself, his property, and his loved ones. It is every man or womans responsibility to keep the government in check.

Ladies and gentlemen, open carry, is nothing less than acknowledged responsibility.

That's how I see it.

How about you?

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You've essentially hit the nail on the head. I have lived long enough to know that what we have been seeing in our country over the last 60 years is a deliberate and sinister movement to turn this nation into a completely different society. I could easily spend the next hour, and many paragraphs, explaining this and my reasons for these assertions, but in summary, what we have today is the result of the actions of people who do not like our country. They do not like her culture, her history, her heritage, her traditions, and her institutions. And they have been at work diligently over the past 60 years (actually for 90 years), to create their utopia.

What you have written regarding the mindset of so many Americans is symptomatic of a number of generations having been brought up with points of reference that are not traditionally American in nature. Your observations are correct and your upbringing and current beliefs are to be admired. Too bad more of your generation do not have this character.

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Well written and thought out post. The sad part is for the most part it will receive less comment and die much earlier the the 9mm vs 45 acp threads.

I have often thought about this as my young age of 38 doesn't leave enough memory for the real good old days. I believe those were dying on the vine or on the ground before I was born. I too remember working mowing lawns at 8 and being wealthy beyond dreams I had 5 or 6 lawns at $5 ea in 80-81. I also remember getting out of the Corps. and shoveling Tufo in a factory for $6.50hr to make ends meet. I moved up and out quickly. I could repair stuff. Trained by my grandfather as a child on a few old lawn mowers. I went for a job working on small engines. The guy only hired me because I said I would come in after I got off work with my own tool box fix 2 or 3 little jobs for him, NO PAY, and if he thought I was good he could hire me. That effort netted me $2hr raise and a better job closer to home. How many kids would even consider that these days? Funny thing is my dad went to school with the owner. I never got any slack or was hired because of it. Real world skills. NotI can do 5th level World Warrior on xbox dude. I was an Asteroids and Space Invaders king when I was allowed to use it for an hr or so couple nights a week usually playing doubles with my dad.

I grew up in the summer at my grandfathers camp. NO electricity NO running water. An old carnival tent for the common space heavy canvas cabin tents for the families. Wood and Coleman stoves to cook and Coleman lanterns for light. My grandfather had a wooden row boat. We never went fishing in my uncles little aluminum with an engine. I fished swam played in a tree house project rode our bikes on the dirt road for miles and hrs. Built campfires sang songs told stories and on Sat night the battery powered radio was brought out for "oldies" music. I was happy well adjusted and wealthy. Funny thing is some of my friends who spent weekends there were just as happy. Parents couldn't believe there kids when they were told the stories of the camp and how it was the greatest.

We have come so far around the circle that now to be civilised we act like idiots and barbarians. Weallow rude and disgusting behavior everywhere to be "tolerant". Were so worried about the children and protecting them they can't learn basic common sense. I tell my nefews "I rode a bike without a helmet" I'm a legendary Outlaw Bicyclist to them. I learned not to do dumb stuff or it would hurt. People have no respect for anything or anyone including themselves. They shop in pajamas walk aroung with their pants around there knees. Won't think twice aboutacting like an ass in public.

Sorry I could just keep going. Great post.

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I KNOW I may tickle some nerves here but -
Along the lines of personal responsibility- I believe I have a civic responsibility to NOT relinquish any rights to my local authority. I haven't applied for a concealed carry permit and I won't. A civic responsibility to restore freedom- real freedom- where you don't have to justify your actions to county sheriffs.

No- I'm not some conspiracy nut that fears Katrina-Style gun confiscation, starting with the list of CCW holders..

I do, however, realize that carrying my pistol isn't a given or granted right/privilege. Nothing to license here.. just a gun.. as if it were a PDA or cell phone.. each comes with specific instructions of use.

So this, of course, is a personal opinion and decision- and I don't look down upon anyone with a conceal permit. After all- I signed up for a driver's license.. a conceal license is similar when you follow the above logic.

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WOW, to "slowfiveoh" you have hit the nail on the head with this post , and with your permission i would like to copy andpaste this into a form on fasebookon concealed carry.

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GLOCKMAN40 wrote:

WOW, to "slowfiveoh" you have hit the nail on the head with this post , and with your permission i would like to copy andpaste this into a form on fasebookon concealed carry.

Click to expand...

Sure, that's not an issue at all. I wasn't looking for any sort of notoriety though, I just wanted to get some cogs spinnin, and based on the replies it looks like I did.

I wanted to get to the core of the matter, in reply to the question. So I sat and thought about it for a while.

Use it freely. I don't mind.

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Well said brotha!!

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Just a few comments to a great post, slowfiveoh

Our children have been brainwashed by the government indoctrination centers for 150 years, so the apathy and sheep thinking is easily understood. That so many of us have managed to learn and thrive in spite of that indoctrination is the real marvel.

I own my life and am personally responsible for my choices and actions. Without the integrity of that, everything else is just words.

I'm 63 years old, and I carry openly every day, everywhere. I'm a certified firearms and self defense instructor, and it is my great and good pleasure to introduce new people to self defense and liberty all the time.

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I've got another 20 years on ya Slow5, and I too learned at an early that if I wanted something I had towork forit. I learned early that if I made bad decisions, I may well experienceunpleasant consequences. I got no free passes.

I was in my teens when some child psychiotrist came out with this idea that corporal punishment was a bad thing. He claimed that it cause kids to grow up with violant tendencies. :shock:Well, I was still on the recieving end of that corporal punishment and didn't like it. However, I had also observed what happens when a did grows up with out it. I knew a few kids that were never disciplined and always got what they wanted. They were obnoxious, irresponsible,spoiled brats. I couldn't stand to be around them.

I knew then, that if this notion of "sparing the rod" took hold, society was in for a bad future. Well, here we are. We've got way too many spoiled brats that are voting to get more entitlements that they don't have to work for. They don't want to be responsible for themselves.

We've all heard the fearful cries of "Oh no,:what: it's the old Wild West again" when some see us openly carrying our sidearms. I believe its more than just the guns they fear about the Wild West Days. I believe they fear the return of a time when everyone was responsible for their own welfare. It was a period when folks knew that if they didn't work, they didn't eat. There were no free rides. The days of the Old Wild West was a period of self-reliance, intense independance, and strong sense of personal responsibility, not to mention pride. There's a large segment of our current society that would not survive in such a world. InTHAT sense, I can see why they are terrified of a return to the "Old Wild West" mentality. :what:

To make matters worse, we have leaders in our government that also fear this Old West mentality of self reliance and independence. If everyone were to adopt it, those in government would lose much of their relevance and power. Ooooh, they can't have that.

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Task Force 16 wrote:

I've got another 20 years on ya Slow5, and I too learned at an early that if I wanted something I had towork forit. I learned early that if I made bad decisions, I may well experienceunpleasant consequences. I got no free passes.

I was in my teens when some child psychiotrist came out with this idea that corporal punishment was a bad thing. He claimed that it cause kids to grow up with violant tendencies. :shock:Well, I was still on the recieving end of that corporal punishment and didn't like it. However, I had also observed what happens when a did grows up with out it. I knew a few kids that were never disciplined and always got what they wanted. They were obnoxious, irresponsible,spoiled brats. I couldn't stand to be around them.

I knew then, that if this notion of "sparing the rod" took hold, society was in for a bad future. Well, here we are. We've got way too many spoiled brats that are voting to get more entitlements that they don't have to work for. They don't want to be responsible for themselves.

We've all heard the fearful cries of "Oh no,:what: it's the old Wild West again" when some see us openly carrying our sidearms. I believe its more than just the guns they fear about the Wild West Days. I believe they fear the return of a time when everyone was responsible for their own welfare. It was a period when folks knew that if they didn't work, they didn't eat. There were no free rides. The days of the Old Wild West was a period of self-reliance, intense independance, and strong sense of personal responsibility, not to mention pride. There's a large segment of our current society that would not survive in such a world. InTHAT sense, I can see why they are terrified of a return to the "Old Wild West" mentality. :what:

To make matters worse, we have leaders in our government that also fear this Old West mentality of self reliance and independence. If everyone were to adopt it, those in government would lose much of their relevance and power. Ooooh, they can't have that.

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:exclaim:
About corporal punishment of kids in school.

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SouthernBoy wrote:

:exclaim:
About corporal punishment of kids in school.

Click to expand...

Actually the child psychologist was agaisnt corporal punishment in schools and at home. Now look where we are. You can go to jail for spanking your kid.

:banghead:

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I don't know if I could equate corporal punishment with this countries issues. There are many ways to distribute punishment, or correct incorrect action, regardless of the format. The end result needs to be the understanding that we as individuals are completely, and totally responsible for every independent action we do. We need to get away from the mindset that it is 'ok' to deflect.

I also think that there is an enormous focus on satisfying society. Most our decisions are not based off of deep personal reflection, but are instead based off of perceived "social norm" or "social acceptance". Admit it. You have long held an inner belief about certain topics, but simply succumbed to what is "socially acceptable" in order to avoid being mocked by the herd. You may have mulled over the deepest, intricate technicalities of a subject, only to throw all that deep introspection away at the ballot box, or succumbed to the wayward meandering of an unintelligent, or lost politician.

It's true, isn't it? At what point does compromise equate to concession? Why are we ALWAYS forced to choose between the lesser of two evils in this country?

I truly wish that the deep, introspective ideology that every person is capable of sharing, was more evident on the surface in our society. Instead of being a nation of free thinkers, notorious for intellect, we are a society of fast food, bubble gum, and prada purses.

It hurts. It really does.

A lot of the people who outright attack you while you OC, are of obvious limited intellect. Aspiring products of their environment.The few are the surprising ones who have a mutually respectable conversation for or against your inalienable rights. Not surprisingly, the latter are usually for the 2nd Amendment. Weird how that works.

I would like to believe that the people here, open carrying, have put a lot of thought into their pursuits. It seems to be evident in the hard work, and research of the people who post here, or are moving in support of this movement.

In a society of excuses, some people band together to dismiss the very fallacious concept of "living breathing documents", or the blatantly offensive "touchy-feely" types, who have not given critical thought or significant time in the research of the birth or history of this country. They go about their days, sipping their lattes, buying their designer clothes, in the end not even knowing who they are, or what they stand for.

It seems to me, that the OC community, for the most part, is an intellectual breed.

Don't ever stop the fight.

Veritas Vos Liberabit

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Task Force 16 wrote:

SouthernBoy wrote:

:exclaim:
About corporal punishment of kids in school.

Click to expand...

Actually the child psychologist was agaisnt corporal punishment in schools and at home. Now look where we are. You can go to jail for spanking your kid.

:banghead:

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Just as you can go to jail if he does something which he wouldn't have done had he been properly disciplined.

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Good thread slowfiveoh!
As are some in here I'm an older guy who served 25 years US Army and personal and civic responsiblity are ingrained into my psyche. I was raised both on a farm and in towns, and when I was a child I couldn't get away with ANY type wrongdoing. If I messed up my Mother was waiting at the door with a switch, because one of the neighbors had called and let her know my mistake, or they'd bust my butt themselves.
Our children have been taught in the public school system that someone else is always responsible for their actions, mostly US the parents. They are not taught the Constitution nor civics anymore, and American history has been rewritten that our Founders were old white men that were either lecherous or evil slave owners, or both.
My personal beliefs are that the 2A means exactly what was written, that WE are the militia and aught to be armed with the necessary weaponry to repel any attack on our soil. Be that with full automatic weapons or otherwise, and that we have not only the right but the responsibility to BE Prepared at all times.
Keep your powder dry!

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Task Force 16 wrote:

SouthernBoy wrote:

:exclaim:
About corporal punishment of kids in school.

Click to expand...

Actually the child psychologist was agaisnt corporal punishment in schools and at home. Now look where we are. You can go to jail for spanking your kid.

:banghead:

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They can do this in Tennessee?? Not in Virginia. It's none of their business whether or not you chose to spank your children.

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KansasMustang wrote:

Good thread slowfiveoh!
As are some in here I'm an older guy who served 25 years US Army and personal and civic responsiblity are ingrained into my psyche. I was raised both on a farm and in towns, and when I was a child I couldn't get away with ANY type wrongdoing. If I messed up my Mother was waiting at the door with a switch, because one of the neighbors had called and let her know my mistake, or they'd bust my butt themselves.

Click to expand...

Our children have been taught in the public school system that someone else is always responsible for their actions, mostly US the parents. They are not taught the Constitution nor civics anymore, and American history has been rewritten that our Founders were old white men that were either lecherous or evil slave owners, or both.

Click to expand...

My personal beliefs are that the 2A means exactly what was written, that WE are the militia and aught to be armed with the necessary weaponry to repel any attack on our soil. Be that with full automatic weapons or otherwise, and that we have not only the right but the responsibility to BE Prepared at all times.
Keep your powder dry!

Click to expand...

My experience exac..., er, similarly! It was the wire end of a flyswatter, not a switch.

My son turned 10 yesterday, and he even attends public school in CA.He's already had introduction to American history, both there, and when he was in Porland. He knows the Constitution is "the law of the land from which all other laws are derived," that the revolution came about due to the unnecessary oppression of the colonies, in part, as a means for the King to get rich, and in part, as a means to hammer them into submission.

Part of my three-day firearms training with him over the Christmas holidays included memorization of the 2nd Amendment, and asking him questions about what he thought that meant.

I've never drilled him, or even casually mentioned, my beliefs in 2A to him before, so I was delighted when I asked, "Who is the militia?"he responded with "We are. Everyone is. It's the People."

My thanks to you, KansasMustang for your service to our country, and thanks as well for understanding this most basic of principles.

What I cannot understand is why we get it, and an uncoached 10-year living under the California school system gets it, yet so many of our elected representatives appear not to have a freaking clue!

It's time to elect smarter representatives - one who're smarter about running the country than they are in getting elected.

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Bumping the thread to keep it alive. +1, 5.0!

As a firearm owner and OCer just under 25 years old, I'm amazed at the attitude and feeling of entitlement from my generation.

Maybe it has to do with growing up around farms with no money and working my butt off for free to help my family since I was old enough to swing the spliting maul.

Maybe it's the fact that when I wanted something when I was younger, I used my hard earned couple dollars an hour to pay for it (that incuded buying my first truck and the insurance for it).

Even still, it might be because I got married to a woman I didn't know very well, yet was carrying my child when I was just barely 18.

I couldn't say what exactly it was that has shaped my mentality that I need to take care of myself and my own (probably all of the above plus some). What I do know, is that I will celebrate my 7th anniversary in August, have my fourth child (our first girl) in September, and I have been supporting myself and my family with my own small business for over a year and a half now.

We need to help the misguided people of my generation take responsibility for their own actions and realize that no man (or woman) will ever be able to live their lives for them.

Let's stop being lazy and work for what we have.

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As long as the citizens of this country keep wanting to get something for free this country will continue to go in the same direction. Bailouts, cash for clunkers, tax credits to fix your home, cash from the government to buy a home and the list goes on. This country is filled with a bunch of greedy, selfish, lazy people always trying to get their slice of the pie without having to work for it. Also,the tax code has infected everybody. Our politicians tell us vote for me and I'll take from this group and give it to you. How about ifthis countrystops trying to take from others and starts learning howto rely on themselves.

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I agree with most of what you have to say, Slow.

But I can take it a step further.

Most people who deny responsibility, try to invent false consequences to imply that others are responsible for. Hence all of their fear and terror crap about omg guns are so scary and bad. They are irresponsible and they know it. So they try to color our responsibility as something bad. They try to label the solution as the cause, so no one would ever even consider the thought.

This kind of 'ring of repugnance' strategy exists in most of our society. Pick out the solution, label it as the problem, and you now have perpetual failure labeled as nobility.

It is very profitable to ensure that not one single person in a given population will ever consider a choice that would benefit them. You can keep selling them the problem, and they'll keep working themselves to death to pay for it.

It isn't a new concept. Convince other people to fail on your behalf, laugh all the way to the bank. Anti-gunners simply do it with our lives and freedoms, instead of money. It shows their true nature as vicious hate-mongers. While those who dupe a population for money actually profit from it, those who dupe us into death gain nothing but the sick pleasure of having caused it.

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johnny amish wrote:

As long as the citizens of this country keep wanting to get something for free this country will continue to go in the same direction. Bailouts, cash for clunkers, tax credits to fix your home, cash from the government to buy a home and the list goes on.

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Part of this is understandable, honestly.

Being self-sufficient is a crime. Work always costs more than it pays.

The handouts from the Tax Coffer have outpaced the earning potential. Those who work end up in debt paying for those who do nothing. Faced with that reality, working is the dumbest thing you can do, because it only postpones the inevitable.

Why postpone that to the next generation, when we could nip it in the bud?

Work won't pay off until that system is terminated. Feeding it won't terminate it...