Appearance is everything!

Gort said:

Playing the Game

Game Rules
1.Look Respectable
2.Smile
3.No Dark Sunglasses
4.Head UP, shoulders back
5.Stay Out of Pfz
6.Gun Must be acceptable to all
7.The Cops are always right
8.Do not carry at family events.

I must go now, back to the Libtard forum for more rules. Ill Be Back

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Ah yes the Libtard rules.... FYI there are at least 235 more..:monkey

I think this post is good advice for those who want to OC without being looked at suspiciously or hassled by LE. I am NOT commenting on how things should be. I am simply commenting on reality.

If you dress like a piece of trash....people are generally going to treat you like one. Not saying it's the way it should be, just the way it is.

If you don't care what people think. Good for you, it's your right and I take my hat off to you. But don't be surprised and come whining on the forum when so and so made a MWAG call or someone decided they didn't want you carrying in their business because you were carrying while looking like somebody who just rolled out of the crack house.

People in this world don't have time to get to know the real you, they make decisions at first glance. Again, not the way it should be, but thats the way world works. If you want to OC with less hassle and give a good image to the OC, follow the the original post. If not, its your right to do so and it's other people's right to make judgments based on your appearance. (which may or may not hurt the movement)

autosurgeon said:

Libtard

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Please don't use this word. It is offensive.

fozzy71 said:

Oh cool, now you have to be well dressed to be able to defend yourself. Perhaps you could suggest the best religion for all OC'ers also, so they fit your mold of a proper OC'er?

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+1

So, to excersize one right I have to give up a different one? I shower every day and wear clean clothes every day, sometimes it's a ripped t-shirt, sometimes it's a 3 piece suit. Who cares?

paul@paul-fisher.com said:

Please don't use this word. It is offensive.

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Ditto. Some of us........ we are a rare and exotic breed but we do exist,......are liberals that are very pro-2nd amendment along with other individual rights. The liberal school of political thought is based solidly individualism. Any one who is in favor of restricting an individual's right to self-preservation and defense is NOT a true liberal, they are in fact...a fascist.

I still do not understand how other liberals can be so focussed on preserving the rights of the individual but simply ignore the most basic human right to self-preservation. Self-preservation in today's world = being able to carry a hand gun in your daily life and business. This is why I became an independent. But, I also consider myself a leftist.

Considering what I have just said, I hope you wouldn't want to insult true liberals who believe in an individual's right bear arms by using a derogatory and insulting term. While I disagree with some of my very conservative friends on other issues, I don't feel the need to use personal insults.

Well....

As it was stated earlier, this has been discussed multiple times in the past. There is one side that prefers a clean, well kept look. Whether that be biker, yuppie, G wanna-be, it doesn't matter. There is a side that prefers a more "unkempt" look. That doesn't matter either. Personally, I either dress professional for work, or jeans and a t-shirt when not at work. Again, that doesn't matter.

Now, the above being said, if you chose to not shower, shave, wear dirty/wrinkled clothes, that is fine, but you have to accept that yes, you are going to be viewed much differently then those who don't. And yes, you have to accept that it may be your personal choice, your choice affects ALL who open carry, whether you realize it or not. I personally dont care what someone wears, I remember a post a while back, (I think it was PD, forgive me if I am wrong) about the way he dresses. He stated that he wasn't going to change how he dressed just to open carry, but he also seemed to accept the reactions/encounters he may get.

But, just to further my statement, lets take the firearm aspect out of the equation. You dress in dirty jeans, wrinkled/torn shirt, neglect to shower. What do you think the reaction is going to be? Do you think you would be representing your family the way they deserve? How about representing yourself? Again, I am not judging anyone, but this does go deeper than just the "I have to dress a certain way to exercize my rights" debate. Do you have to? No. But if you are truly hoping to further the fight that we have all made the choice to undertake, do you think that you are being a good example to the public? I don't care how kind or polite you are, or how smart you are, a persons opinion of you is made in the first 60 seconds of seeing you.

EDIT- It was T Vance. Sorry about the mistake!

This has been discussed MANY times in the PAST. But guess, what, we have new members all the time, and especially in the summer, I for one have NO problem with it being brought up again. If you want to be a slob than just CC for that amount of time. OC when you look nice, unless you are in AutoZone buying some brake cleaner and your "grease shirt" is just too tight to even think about CC, than I think people may understand that is not how you normally look. I agree completely with the OP.

Yes, I Like the appearance

I, especially like the Holster

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl...dn3AQ&esq=1&page=1&ndsp=20&ved=1t:429,r:0,s:0

I've also belabored this concept, so I'll be brief.

Do whatever you want, but don't blame me if I want nothing to do with you or actively distance myself from you, because you're making it harder for the rest of us to expand OC or CC further into the mainstream.

Tao said:

I've also belabored this concept, so I'll be brief.

Do whatever you want, but don't blame me if I want nothing to do with you or actively distance myself from you, because you're making it harder for the rest of us to expand OC or CC further into the mainstream.

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+1

I actually agree with everything in the OP, despite the tone of my posts. I think all of this goes without saying. It is just common sense and I am sure the people that the OP is referring to understand this. I just dont think people should tell anyone how to behave, dress, groom, etc.

I knew someone would twist what I said to something I didn't say, nice job, you should work for the Obama administration.

fozzy71 said:

Oh cool, now you have to be well dressed to be able to defend yourself. Perhaps you could suggest the best religion for all OC'ers also, so they fit your mold of a proper OC'er?

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If you read what I posted you will see it was mostly about hygiene and not looking like a pig. Is that better put? I wear jeans also and often, but I practice personal grooming and hygiene.

Taurus850CIA said:

This has been discussed to death in the past. I'm even guilty of suggesting such a thing, probably two years ago. In my opinion, the main point is cleanliness. I am certainly not "well dressed" when I carry, but I'm clean. That is habit in general, though. Shower, shave, put on clean jeans and t-shirt. I'm also rather plainly tattooed. That in itself is enough to get some folks stirred up about whether I ought to carry openly. To each their own.

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Exactly! It was about appearance in the area of cleanliness, I guess some didn't read it or are quite dishonest trying to twist what I said into something not said.

I stressed clean clothes, and personal hygiene. Maybe washing ones hair so we can't smell them 50 feet away. It is obvious you read my post. Thank You.

autosurgeon said:

If you will notice the OP mostly was talking about clean!

If you are a biker and that is how you dress fine just be clean about it!

If you are a yuppie fine just be a clean and neat yuppie!

IF you are a Gang Banger wanna be...... :uhoh: get help!!:lol:

If you like jeans and white t-shirt no biggy just wear clean ones.

You know I fully understand the issue here and that saying some one cannot exercise a right unless they dress a certain way or act a certain way can come off as elitist. However we are in a battle of ideology with our enemy the anti. And we know that first impressions are important and how we look has much to do with first impressions.

I look at how I dress as part of the armor I wear against harassment. And I feel part of the reason I am able to get my point across to so many people is BC they are not afraid of me ... mostly BC of how I look and of course act.

When you look and act like an average Joe and not like a nut you will be received far better and the gun on your hip is far less of an issue.

Some mentioned tattoos... well again if you are dressed neatly and look clean most people are not going to be worried by them... on the other hand if you looked like you slept in the storm sewer .... then people are likely to be concerned... and not as apt to be receptive to the OC position.

As was mentioned we are ALL ambassadors.. we need to remember that.

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Uh, hello.....the world is watching people!

Okay folks,

The point of this thread was well intentioned...but we should be aware that many anti 2A folks (AB&E) will use anything to portray us as: "lesser humans" that are unworthy of carrying a firearm legally. Can we please let this thread die a quick death? Topics like these are better suited for team speak chats or private messages. Just my honest opinion.

Carry on Brothers & Sisters.

Being a biker has nothing to do with what I was saying, I am going to take a wild guess, you are a biker who takes a shower and wears clean clothes for the most part? My post was directly pointed in no matter whom one is, or how poor he or she can practice personal hygiene and personal pride in how they keep their clothes and body. I often mentioned many of my friends were in Law Enforcement and some were bikers prior to that job. It's not about ones personal position in the world, it is about cleanliness, and you also have seen those who you can tell haven't showered in a few days and they could lubricate a Pan Head with the grease in their hair... Does this clear up what I was saying?

Gort said:

I know people have opinions, and everyones rant sounds like a bitch, But I don't dress like a yuppie, I am a biker, some people don't like bikers, but this is what I look like. I think it is one of my rights. It would be a wonderful world if everyone looked like me. Oh My God, He's Got A Gun.

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I couldn't find the holster that blue thing must have been covering it up....

Gort said:

I, especially like the Holster

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl...dn3AQ&esq=1&page=1&ndsp=20&ved=1t:429,r:0,s:0

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I love the liberal tactic of taking what was said and converting it into something not said. I remember when the KGB used to hire people for that purpose.... Nice job of derailing a solid point with idiocy.

Gort said:

Playing the Game

Game Rules
1.Look Respectable
2.Smile
3.No Dark Sunglasses
4.Head UP, shoulders back
5.Stay Out of Pfz
6.Gun Must be acceptable to all
7.The Cops are always right
8.Do not carry at family events.

I must go now, back to the Libtard forum for more rules. Ill Be Back

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It was brought up in other less public areas and obviously ignored by a few. I also made it perfectly clear it is ONLY a few who act this way.

In other forums thing have been said about they way a FEW look, and I must agree we have am image problem if this persists. For the most part we are all regular Americans and that's whats so great about Open Carry. But to ask people to shower and wear clean clothes is not out of line.

Glock9mmOldStyle said:

Okay folks,

The point of this thread was well intentioned...but we should be aware that many anti 2A folks (AB&E) will use anything to portray us as: "lesser humans" that are unworthy of carrying a firearm legally. Can we please let this thread die a quick death? Topics like these are better suited for team speak chats or private messages. Just my honest opinion.

Carry on Brothers & Sisters.

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Counter Productive! Time to let this thread die!

What Glock9mmOS said!

Edit. Oh, point well taken Bailenforcer.