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Questions from other.

tiggr9

New member
Joined
May 31, 2010
Messages
7
Location
Tacoma, Washington, USA
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So the other day my dog got loose and entered the neighbors yard (I won't even bring up the fact that he doesn't keep up the maintenance on his fence). My dog Stafford-shire Bull Terrier (so it looks a bit scary). When they knocked on my door the neighbor was carrying a 4 foot long, 1 inch diameter, piece of rebar (poor choice), so I went over to retrieve my dog. While bending down to place on the leash his eyes started to bug out.

Neighbor: "Why do you have a gun?"
Me: "becuase I am allowed to."
Neighbor: "Are you cop?"
Me: "No, I have a permit to carry, and its my right."
Neighbor: "Is that really necessary? Do you really have to have a gun? I don't want to see it, nor should I have to."
Me: "Sorry about the dog." then I turned and walked away.

So my question for everyone here is "How do you respond to these, for a lack of a better term, wusses, or persons with a lack of knowledge?"
 

swatspyder

Regular Member
Joined
May 25, 2009
Messages
573
Location
University Place, Washington, USA
imported post

tiggr9 wrote:
So the other day my dog got loose and entered the neighbors yard (I won't even bring up the fact that he doesn't keep up the maintenance on his fence). My dog Stafford-shire Bull Terrier (so it looks a bit scary). When they knocked on my door the neighbor was carrying a 4 foot long, 1 inch diameter, piece of rebar (poor choice), so I went over to retrieve my dog. While bending down to place on the leash his eyes started to bug out.

Neighbor: "Why do you have a gun?"
Me: "becuase I am allowed to."
Neighbor: "Are you cop?"
Me: "No, I have a permit to carry, and its my right."
Neighbor: "Is that really necessary? Do you really have to have a gun? I don't want to see it, nor should I have to."
Me: "Sorry about the dog." then I turned and walked away.

So my question for everyone here is "How do you respond to these, for a lack of a better term, wusses, or persons with a lack of knowledge?"
Tell them why you carry and don't argue with them. Just ignore them if they continue or change the conversation.
 

tiggr9

New member
Joined
May 31, 2010
Messages
7
Location
Tacoma, Washington, USA
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Keep your pitbull from getting loose, and you won't have to talk to them.


Yeah unfortunately I have to talk to him his mut and children keep running in to my yard, plus his fence is falling in to my yard. And its not considered a Pit to the dog community.
 

daddy4count

Regular Member
Joined
May 11, 2010
Messages
513
Location
Seattle, Washington, USA
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Is it the Staffordshire that is still recognized by the AKC?

Sadly my pit is a PIT and not a real dog according to them... still the best damn mutt I've ever known and my most loyal companion, next to my wife.

But I digress...

I always try not to get into a discussion unless they truly seem interested... otherwise they are typically looking for a fight.

I answer most people the same way I answer a cop... politely, courteously, short and to the point... not offering any commentary, using yes or no where possible.

If they end up being friendly and really interested, then I will soften up and have a discussion...
 

deanf

Regular Member
Joined
Feb 25, 2007
Messages
1,789
Location
N47º 12’ x W122º 10’
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(I won't even bring up the fact that he doesn't keep up the maintenance on his fence).

Classic passive-aggressive: say you're not going to mention something in the same breath as mentioning it, while attempting to lay your blame at someone else's feet.
 

G20-IWB24/7

Regular Member
Joined
Oct 26, 2007
Messages
886
Location
Tacoma, WA, ,
imported post

tiggr9 wrote:
So my question for everyone here is "How do you respond to these, for a lack of a better term, wusses, or persons with a lack of knowledge?"

My answers depend on how I am approached or asked... if the person is durogatory or contentious towards me carrying, they get a standard, "Its for protection, wecome to America..." or something along that line. On the other hand, if they are genuinely interested, I'll engage them with something like, "Well, Washington is an open carry state, and while it's not as common here as it is in Arizona or Alaska, it still is legal, and has proven to be a deterrent to crime while I am wearing it this way." This way, I give them some information to chew on first, before they get the wrong idea. ALL of the people I've come across from the first (confrontational) group, end up digging themselves a hole that the other people around start shaking their head at. Its fooney to watch that happen.

#1) Know your rights. And be able to articulate them well.

#2) Don't let some idiot make you second-guess yourself. They have no "right" to "not see your gun" or whatever. Don't let them push you around.

-G20
 

Batousaii

Regular Member
Joined
Jun 16, 2009
Messages
1,226
Location
Kitsap Co., Washington, USA
imported post

tiggr9 wrote:
Neighbor: "Why do you have a gun?"
Me: "Well... probably for the same reason you have a 4-foot piece of rebar..."
- People that carry other types of "arms" are still "armed", doesn't matter if it is an improvised arm that one picked up in response to a situation (board, chair, kitchen knife, wooden stick or steal bar). They are usually carrying it for self protection. Next time ask him to loose the 4-foot whammy bar before chiding you about your own choice of arms.

;)Bat
 

j2l3

Regular Member
Joined
Aug 18, 2007
Messages
871
Location
Seattle, Washington, USA
imported post

All good advice from the others.

Also, we don't have a permit to carry in Washington. We have a right to carry. We have a license to conceal.
 

.45ACPaddy

Regular Member
Joined
Oct 15, 2009
Messages
999
Location
Lakewood, WA
imported post

I've recently started using the seatbelt analogy in conversations. This is something like a conversation I had:

Some dude: Woah, you have a gun strapped to your hip.
Me: Yup, Glock 19 with XS Big Dot night sights.
Some dude: You take that thing everywhere?
Me: Everywhere that's legal to do so.
Some dude: But why would you need it everywhere? Why not just high crime areas?
Me: Well, let me ask you a question. Do you wear your seat belt when you're in the car?
Some dude: Well, yeah, of course.
Me: Everywhere you go?
Some dude: Yeah.
Me: Even just around the corner to the convenience store?
Some dude: Yeah, what about it?
Me: Well, why do you need it just going around the corner?
Some dude: Well, I could get in an accident, there's crazy drivers out there.
Me: Well yeah, but it's just around the corner, it's not like I-5.
*Pause*
Me: Well, it's the exact same reasoning with why I carry everywhere. Whether it's from here to Seattle, or just up here to the store, stuff happens everywhere. We can't predict car accidents, so we wear our seat belts every time we get in the car. I can't predict crime, so I wear my gun everywhere I go. Have you been in an accident in the last three months?
Some dude: Nope, clean record.
Me: Well, then you've never actually needed it. And you won't need it until you actually get into an accident. But since you don't know when an accident could involve you, you wear it as a precaution. Same with my sidearm. Also, neither guarantee survival. They greatly increase chances of getting out alive, but there are no guarantees.
Some dude: *Pauses, thinks, and nods* I see what you're saying.
 

Aryk45XD

Regular Member
Joined
Dec 15, 2009
Messages
513
Location
Seattle, Washington, USA
imported post

You could always tell them you were too lazy to learn martial arts. J/K.
I like to answer their question with a question. "Why don't you have one?" Another good one is "It's family tradtion. All of my forefathers carried one."
Just food for thought.

ETA: dang it took a long time for my post to show. I like Bat's thought. The seatbelt thing is a good one too unless they say somethign to the effect of "it's the law" or "I don't like to wear it"
 

amzbrady

Regular Member
Joined
Mar 1, 2009
Messages
3,521
Location
Marysville, Washington, USA
imported post

tiggr9 wrote:
So the other day my dog got loose and entered the neighbors yard (I won't even bring up the fact that he doesn't keep up the maintenance on his fence). My dog Stafford-shire Bull Terrier (so it looks a bit scary). When they knocked on my door the neighbor was carrying a 4 foot long, 1 inch diameter, piece of rebar (poor choice), so I went over to retrieve my dog. While bending down to place on the leash his eyes started to bug out.

Neighbor: "Why do you have a gun?"
Me: "to defend myself in case I feel threatened by nieghbors with 4 foot peices of rebar."
Neighbor: "Are you cop?"
Me: "No."
Neighbor: "Is that really necessary? Do you really have to have a gun? I don't want to see it, nor should I have to."
Me: "Sorry about the dog." then I turned and walked away.
Perfect answer...
So my question for everyone here is "How do you respond to these, for a lack of a better term, wusses, or persons with a lack of knowledge?"

You have a loose dog, where is your fence? More than likely if you would put up your own fence and maintain it, your dog would stay contained andhis kids and dog would not come onto your property.
 

Bersa.380

Regular Member
Joined
Feb 16, 2010
Messages
270
Location
South of Disorder in Rouge Canyon, , USA
imported post

G22Paddy wrote:
I've recently started using the seatbelt analogy in conversations. This is something like a conversation I had:

Some dude: Woah, you have a gun strapped to your hip.
Me: Yup, Glock 19 with XS Big Dot night sights.
Some dude: You take that thing everywhere?
Me: Everywhere that's legal to do so.
Some dude: But why would you need it everywhere? Why not just high crime areas?
Me: Well, let me ask you a question. Do you wear your seat belt when you're in the car?
Some dude: Well, yeah, of course.
Me: Everywhere you go?
Some dude: Yeah.
Me: Even just around the corner to the convenience store?
Some dude: Yeah, what about it?
Me: Well, why do you need it just going around the corner?
Some dude: Well, I could get in an accident, there's crazy drivers out there.
Me: Well yeah, but it's just around the corner, it's not like I-5.
*Pause*
Me: Well, it's the exact same reasoning with why I carry everywhere. Whether it's from here to Seattle, or just up here to the store, stuff happens everywhere. We can't predict car accidents, so we wear our seat belts every time we get in the car. I can't predict crime, so I wear my gun everywhere I go. Have you been in an accident in the last three months?
Some dude: Nope, clean record.
Me: Well, then you've never actually needed it. And you won't need it until you actually get into an accident. But since you don't know when an accident could involve you, you wear it as a precaution. Same with my sidearm. Also, neither guarantee survival. They greatly increase chances of getting out alive, but there are no guarantees.
Some dude: *Pauses, thinks, and nods* I see what you're saying.
Well done.
 

.45ACPaddy

Regular Member
Joined
Oct 15, 2009
Messages
999
Location
Lakewood, WA
imported post

Aryk45XD wrote:
skiingislife725 wrote:
Aryk45XD wrote:
It's family tradtion. All of my forefathers carried one."
I like this one. I'm going to steal it.
You can use and abuse that one. I have never heard it and thought of it tonight. Been drunk-posting all night. :p
If I didn't have class at 9am I'd be with ya on that one!
 

Jayd1981

Regular Member
Joined
Mar 14, 2010
Messages
387
Location
Richland, Washington, USA
imported post

If you open carry, you will get questions from people. I really don't mind unless they get argumentative at which time I will just walk away. Aside from asking if I'm a cop (which everyone asks), most people are just ignorant of the law and are surprised and interested when they find out an average citizen can carry a pistol.

My 2 favorite responses when asked why I carry are:

"Because its easier than carrying a cop"

"For the same reason I have a spare tire in my car, just incase I need it"
 

daddy4count

Regular Member
Joined
May 11, 2010
Messages
513
Location
Seattle, Washington, USA
imported post

People are always surprised to find out the the Police are not required by law to protect you or prevent crime in any way.

This has been upheld by at least two SCOTUS rulings in the last two decades...

The cops are there to write tickets (revenue for the state) and investigate / gather evidence for the prosecution of a crime.

They are under no obligation to even show up at your house if you call 911 and report a break-in, burglary or .......

I guess it makes sense. If you hold the cops accountable for what they are unable to prevent then there will be lawyers making a career out of lawsuits over "preventable incidents"

But it also puts into perspective what the average person faces every day. That being the simple fact that the ratio of police to citizens is extremely low and we cannot expect the police to protect us at all times. It is simply not feasible.

So while most of us carry a cell phone to call the cops, some of us also carry a weapon to defend ourselves while we wait for them to arrive.

(I'm not anti-LEO or anything... in case it sounded that way... just facts of life)
 
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