M-Taliesin
Regular Member
Howdy Folks!
I drove over to a combination gas station/convenience store/McDonalds today to get myself some lunch. Before going to the counter to place my order, I stopped at the Red Box to see about renting a DVD. As I was looking for new seletions, an older gentleman stopped on his way to the men's room and his eyes went to the XDm pistol holstered at my side.
"You carry a gun too?" he asked with wide eyes.
"Yes," I responded with a smile. "I most certainly do carry my weapon."
"Are you a cop? Or a farmer?"
"Nope. I am a law abiding citizen of Colorado and I take responsibility for my own safety." I answered.
During my conversation with him, I learned that he is a farmer from Julesburg and has been told by his local sheriff to arm himself after several crimes were committed on his property. He was surprised to learn that open carry is legal in Colorado, with the exception of Denver, but seemed delighted to see that some of us are willing to arm ourselves for our own defense. He told me how their part of the state has been overrun by illegal aliens and the crime rate out there has skyrocketed. After a couple of thefts from his land, and hearing from other farmers in his area who were also victimized, he contacted his local sheriff. The sheriff told him to arm himself and have everybody else he knows to do likewise. The sheriff told the farmer he was responsible to defend himself against crime. Evidently, the old guy was carrying a weapon concealed because I didn't see any firearms on him but his opening question led me to believe he had something.
He asked about my weapon and I told him it is a Springfield Armory XDm .40 cal and he asked if it was loaded. I explained that a weapon that isn't loaded wouldn't be much good when needed most. He asked if I had a round in the chamber. I told him I did.
"Aren't you worried about having an accidental firing?" he asked.
"Nope," I replied while pointing to safety features on my gun. "You can't fire this weapon without intent. You must grip the backplate well enough to depress this lever here, while at the same time, release the trigger safety by holding it down as you depress the trigger. It requires an intentional act."
The old man told me he had plenty of guns on his farm, but never saw anything like the pistol I carried. He had never heard of a .40 calibur handgun, much less one as "fancified" as mine.
We spent several minutes talking about the right of open carry, the need for law abiding citizens to arm themselves, the ultimate responsibility for each citizen to defend their own life, and how an armed citizen can make a difference when the police were minutes away.
"Imagine for a moment some bad guy coming into this McDonalds. It has happened elsewhere both in America and abroad." I told him. "If some felon came in here and started shooting, how long would it be before the cops showed up to stop him? Odds are, they'd mostly be doing an investigation after the fact. But if it happened while I was here, they'd face an armed citizen prepared to stop them in their tracks. That sort of thing, the possibility of encountering armed resistence, is what criminals fear most."
The farmer's wife, sitting at a table nearby, heard the exchange and nodded at various points I made while smiling at me the whole time. When the farmer showed me the business card from his sheriff and repeated that the sheriff told the man to arm himself, I smiled broadly and told him his sheriff is right on every count and his advice should be heeded. "Just stay clear of Denver when carrying a weapon," I told him. "Unless you have a concealed carry permit, that is."
The old farmer and his wife left and I returned to the Red Box to select a movie feeling as though I'd done OC some good. That old couple learned something new, and hearing a citizen praise the advice their sheriff gave them seemed to bolster them in some way. I felt that the old guy was doubtful of the advice he'd gotten from his local sheriff. After meeting me, I suspect he will view that advice in a whole new light.
Goes to show ya, we never know when we might have a positive influence on others around us. Plus, with my radio voice, I'm pretty sure others nearby may have learned something new as well. The more citizens armed and ready to defend themselves in Colorado, the fewer felons will set upon law abiding citizens. It is the sort of quid-pro-quo that felons would rather avoid, especially when delievered at higher caliburs.
Blessings,
M-Taliesin
I drove over to a combination gas station/convenience store/McDonalds today to get myself some lunch. Before going to the counter to place my order, I stopped at the Red Box to see about renting a DVD. As I was looking for new seletions, an older gentleman stopped on his way to the men's room and his eyes went to the XDm pistol holstered at my side.
"You carry a gun too?" he asked with wide eyes.
"Yes," I responded with a smile. "I most certainly do carry my weapon."
"Are you a cop? Or a farmer?"
"Nope. I am a law abiding citizen of Colorado and I take responsibility for my own safety." I answered.
During my conversation with him, I learned that he is a farmer from Julesburg and has been told by his local sheriff to arm himself after several crimes were committed on his property. He was surprised to learn that open carry is legal in Colorado, with the exception of Denver, but seemed delighted to see that some of us are willing to arm ourselves for our own defense. He told me how their part of the state has been overrun by illegal aliens and the crime rate out there has skyrocketed. After a couple of thefts from his land, and hearing from other farmers in his area who were also victimized, he contacted his local sheriff. The sheriff told him to arm himself and have everybody else he knows to do likewise. The sheriff told the farmer he was responsible to defend himself against crime. Evidently, the old guy was carrying a weapon concealed because I didn't see any firearms on him but his opening question led me to believe he had something.
He asked about my weapon and I told him it is a Springfield Armory XDm .40 cal and he asked if it was loaded. I explained that a weapon that isn't loaded wouldn't be much good when needed most. He asked if I had a round in the chamber. I told him I did.
"Aren't you worried about having an accidental firing?" he asked.
"Nope," I replied while pointing to safety features on my gun. "You can't fire this weapon without intent. You must grip the backplate well enough to depress this lever here, while at the same time, release the trigger safety by holding it down as you depress the trigger. It requires an intentional act."
The old man told me he had plenty of guns on his farm, but never saw anything like the pistol I carried. He had never heard of a .40 calibur handgun, much less one as "fancified" as mine.
We spent several minutes talking about the right of open carry, the need for law abiding citizens to arm themselves, the ultimate responsibility for each citizen to defend their own life, and how an armed citizen can make a difference when the police were minutes away.
"Imagine for a moment some bad guy coming into this McDonalds. It has happened elsewhere both in America and abroad." I told him. "If some felon came in here and started shooting, how long would it be before the cops showed up to stop him? Odds are, they'd mostly be doing an investigation after the fact. But if it happened while I was here, they'd face an armed citizen prepared to stop them in their tracks. That sort of thing, the possibility of encountering armed resistence, is what criminals fear most."
The farmer's wife, sitting at a table nearby, heard the exchange and nodded at various points I made while smiling at me the whole time. When the farmer showed me the business card from his sheriff and repeated that the sheriff told the man to arm himself, I smiled broadly and told him his sheriff is right on every count and his advice should be heeded. "Just stay clear of Denver when carrying a weapon," I told him. "Unless you have a concealed carry permit, that is."
The old farmer and his wife left and I returned to the Red Box to select a movie feeling as though I'd done OC some good. That old couple learned something new, and hearing a citizen praise the advice their sheriff gave them seemed to bolster them in some way. I felt that the old guy was doubtful of the advice he'd gotten from his local sheriff. After meeting me, I suspect he will view that advice in a whole new light.
Goes to show ya, we never know when we might have a positive influence on others around us. Plus, with my radio voice, I'm pretty sure others nearby may have learned something new as well. The more citizens armed and ready to defend themselves in Colorado, the fewer felons will set upon law abiding citizens. It is the sort of quid-pro-quo that felons would rather avoid, especially when delievered at higher caliburs.
Blessings,
M-Taliesin
