I've just read the whole thread, I think unless I zoned-out reading the plethora of comments. I'm glad to hear that everything is alright now, Rich B.; at least that it appears to be. I support OC and carry openly as I see fit; depending on my clothing for the day and what I'm doing.
I may have some insight that hasn't been specifically mentioned here yet, so I've chosen one particular post as my muse.
jayspapa wrote:
dadpharm ,
Please exsplain something to me. A man is openly carrying his handgun on his hip. Another person ( owner , manager , etc...) , tells open carrier that he is scareing people and should cover the firearm.
Now , per your advice , he covers the gun and everyone is happy . My question to you is this... How can this be ?? Nothing has changed about the gun being there and the people knowing it is there. The gun didn't vanish . It is still right there on his hip.
So these people that were so scared of the gun because they see it , know it is still there but covered now . ???? How has anything changed??????? :banghead::banghead:
Just a little bit of common sense goes a very long way here.
Something
would have changed had Rich B. concealed his firearm after having been asked to do so by several people.
The rabble-rousers and tattle-tales would have believed that it was legal. From reading the statements, I believe that was the crux of the matter. It was not that they had an issue with the firearm in and of itself, but that they believed the law was being broken in front of them.
Aside from being compelled by a law, I do not do something just because somebody tells me to do it. I have to believe in the action with my own mind and conscience. Obviously, if I've already chosen to carry openly then my own mind and conscience believes in that. If my shirt's untucked and someone tells me to tuck it in, do you think I'll do it? Would you? If my shirt's tucked in and someone tells me to untuck it, do you think I'll do it? Not a chance in hell; well, unless it's one of the women in my life.
I have it good here in Northern Virginia, and for the most part the rest of the Commonwealth, thanks first and foremost to the veteran OC'ers around here. There were and still are some hardships, but thanks to their fortitude those are few and far between. The absolute worst encounter, and it wasn't even that bad, that I've ever had as a result of openly carrying a firearm was at a restaurant in Leesburg. I was there for about an hour when the town police showed up to talk to me. The police said "your open carrying is fine. You're just being asked to put the firearm in your car." Long story short, the police weren't asking me themselves. They were asking me on behalf of the manager, who refused to believe that it was legal to carry a firearm into a restaurant that serves alcohol. He didn't even get a clue from the fact that the officers were not arresting me. I left voluntarily in lieu of disarming and leaving valuable property in an unattended vehicle.
I believe that, in time, with more people like Rich B., Connecticut will at least get to that point. That is, unless somehow the anti-gun crowd gets the State constitution changed.
Thanks for sharing your story, Rich.
