The things people say

A little back ground.

I have been openly carrying for a bit over a month, always carry loaded and ready to go, but safety on.
My second job is where I spend most of my time carrying, and at first people where a bit shocked that I was carrying. However over time I have had quite a few people come and tell me that they are glad to know at least some one here always has a gun in case anything bad happens and that they support me carrying it.
Now I am also responsible (only one who carry's) for holding the money bag because it can contain quite a lot of cash in it on a good night.

Well anyway, tonight I had another person come to me and tell me that he sure was happy knowing that a person he trusts is there to protect everyone.

Made me feel pretty good.

And the story starts here.

After working my shift, I decided to head to the local gather spot to look for one of my old friends so I could give them a wedding invitation.
I get there, find him and give him the invite, he asks me about my gun and then goes on, not really saying anything.

Then this girl, who I also knows asks me,
Hey, who you gonna kill?
I replied, I hope I never have to kill anyone.
"then way carry it?"
Well, why don't you carry one?
"because I am a girl., and I don't have a license.
So, um. You don't need to protect your self?, besides you don't need one to open carry."
"good point".


Well that went ok.

Then, some other guy walks up to me, looks at me, the gun and back at me.
"you a cop?"
I answered with a simple no.
"good I hate cops, you got a permit for that?"
No, you don;t need one to openly carry, but I am in the process of getting my CCWL"
"Oh, well be careful you don't want one when a fight breaks out."
I don't plan on getting in a fight, tonight or ever.
"Yeah? I had a gun pulled on me once, I was on someones lawn whipping this guy. Some dude came out of the house and pointed a gun at me, told me to get off the guy and leave"
and?
"I told him how it was, and he went back inside and unloaded it!"
I didn't say anything, he walked away then comes back.
(If the guy went back in the house, how did he know he unloaded it? sounds bogus to me)

"man if someone ever shoots me they better kill me or ill beat them to death."
Then he walks off.

All I could think was, if anyone ever pointed a gun at me id do what they said if I didn't have one, or get to it quick enough. Then I thought, most people (IMO) would stop when they got shot, or shot at unless they got balls of steal or are drugged up.

I didn't want to say anything, didn't want to start anything. As I was leaving I heard one of them say in a lower voice "female part", I just ignored it.
Not people I need to be around if they are going to be like that, several of them where drunk, I could smell it from a few feet away. One of them was driving.
I would have called the cops on a drunk driver, but I think they already knew because two of them where sitting and watching the crowd from a few feet away.
Should have called though.

I just wanted to share. I don't carry a gun because I want to be a bad ***, I carry because I don't want to get hurt or killed. I don't want my (soon to be) wife to be hurt, or my family and friends.
Some people just don't, or wont ever under stand that.
I know it doesn't matter what they think, I tried to handle it all well, still kind of makes me angry at them for acting like that as well as sad because they don't care enough to learn about guns and self protection.

You're starting to realize something. I'll go ahead and lay it out below in it's proper format:

Your emerging thought: Don't be around drunk people when you're armed.

Final evolution of thought process -

"The Rule of the Ss"

Don't go to Stupid Places, with Stupid people, or do Stupid things.

Follow this rule and you have a much better chance of living out your days in peace and harmony.

Titan357 said:

...Now I am also responsible (only one who carry's) for holding the money bag because it can contain quite a lot of cash in it on a good night.

Well anyway, tonight I had another person come to me and tell me that he sure was happy knowing that a person he trusts is there to protect everyone...

Click to expand...

First, because you are the one assuming your responsibility to protect YOURSELF with a sidearm, you are now also the designated target if someone wants to rob the establishment?

Second, you don't carry to "protect everyone." You carry to protect yourself. It is their responsibility to protect themselves. If circumstances allow it, you have the option to extend that protection at significant further risk to yourself, however.

My opinion only, but while I would appreciate their support, I'd also educate them a little bit about your purpose.

MAC702 said:

First, because you are the one assuming your responsibility to protect YOURSELF with a sidearm, you are now also the designated target if someone wants to rob the establishment?

Second, you don't carry to "protect everyone." You carry to protect yourself. It is their responsibility to protect themselves. If circumstances allow it, you have the option to extend that protection at significant further risk to yourself, however.

My opinion only, but while I would appreciate their support, I'd also educate them a little bit about your purpose.

Click to expand...

What you say "first" is a myth. There is no documented case of an OCer being targeted first because he is OC. Even if you manage to be the first to find one, that's one in what? A million? I wish folks would take the time to research this myth before spreading it.

Second, the OP carries to protect whoever he wishes to protect. It is not up to you to make that determination for him. My priorities are me first (not out of selfishness, but because I have the gun, and I can't protect anyone else unless I have already protected myself), family and friends second, and other innocents third. While we are all ultimately responsible for ourselves, that does not preclude us from charitably aiding others when they unexpectedly need protection (or anything else we can provide). Feel free to follow your me-only policy. That is your right.

Listen to these guys. They speak truth.

Do not buy into the "sheepdog" myth - we/you are not here to protect the rest of the world from the big, bad eeevvilllll that is out there. If folks want to be protected they can take it upon thermselves to do so, or hire someone to try to protect them. Your priorities are you, rhen those you consciously choose to enclose within your circle.

You did good not getting sucked into an argument, or even a "discussion", with the guy. Stupid person in a stupid place doing a stupid thing. He does not need your help doing that.

As for the girl whose brain you started working - find out if she's inyerested enough to go to the range and find out about firearms enough to decide if she wants to consider them for defending herself. Clear it with any female significant other you may need to clear it with, and remember it is a teaching moment, not a date.

You done good. You have the opportunity to do more good.

stay safe.

eye95 said:

What you say "first" is a myth. There is no documented case of an OCer being targeted first because he is OC. Even if you manage to be the first to find one, that's one in what? A million? I wish folks would take the time to research this myth before spreading it.

Second, the OP carries to protect whoever he wishes to protect. It is not up to you to make that determination for him. My priorities are me first (not out of selfishness, but because I have the gun, and I can't protect anyone else unless I have already protected myself), family and friends second, and other innocents third. While we are all ultimately responsible for ourselves, that does not preclude us from charitably aiding others when they unexpectedly need protection (or anything else we can provide). Feel free to follow your me-only policy. That is your right.

Click to expand...

Perhaps I was not specific enough. I apologize. Being the target is because of the money bag, not the sidearm.

I do not have a me-only policy and to state that matter-of-factly is a gross misrepresentation of what I did say. You just agreed that protection of others MUST come after protection of self; I thought that was my main point. Perhaps I was too terse in explaining my opinion of the comments made by the unarmed coworker.

Also, to the OP, I might look real carefully at the situation to avoid legal troubles. Carrying at work as a private citizen is rare and great. But if a pattern emerges as to the duties of your work assignment because you are armed, you may start crossing a line of being an armed guard, which has much more stringent requirements in most states. Also, the tax-deductibility of said firearm, holster, and all your practice ammo might also become a possibility.

Had a guy ask me once if I thought I was a "bad ass" by carrying a gun. Informed him, no I carried because I was not a bad ass.

skidmark said:

As for the girl whose brain you started working - find out if she's inyerested enough to go to the range and find out about firearms enough to decide if she wants to consider them for defending herself. Clear it with any female significant other you may need to clear it with, and remember it is a teaching moment, not a date.

You done good. You have the opportunity to do more good.

stay safe.

Click to expand...

Ahhh, could be :banana: if no significant others! Like I say, ya meet the nicest people around guns!

skidmark said:

Do not buy into the "sheepdog" myth - we/you are not here to protect the rest of the world from the big, bad eeevvilllll that is out there.

Click to expand...

It's closer to the truth than you might think, skidmark. Sheepdog don't protect everyone's sheep. Just the ones around which they were raised. For me, that would include family and friends. I'm the sort who would go out of my way to protect others, unknowns even, in the face of danger. I've done so in the past, and I'll do so in the future. That's just my nature, and one I found quite common among the other members of our Armed Forces throughout my time in the service. But yes, I also came across those who only looked out for themselves and would help others only if it were in their best interests to do so.

If folks want to be protected they can take it upon thermselves to do so, or hire someone to try to protect them. Your priorities are you, rhen those you consciously choose to enclose within your circle.

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I think our sentiments are more similar than different. Of course one has to take care of self, first. If self is dead, self is useless to self and all others.

To the people I didn't quote, thanks for the responses!

riverrat10k said:

Had a guy ask me once if I thought I was a "bad ass" by carrying a gun. Informed him, no I carried because I was not a bad ass.

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I have gotten that a few times, but its always been from someone I have known a while.

MAC702 said:

Also, to the OP, I might look real carefully at the situation to avoid legal troubles. Carrying at work as a private citizen is rare and great. But if a pattern emerges as to the duties of your work assignment because you are armed, you may start crossing a line of being an armed guard, which has much more stringent requirements in most states. Also, the tax-deductibility of said firearm, holster, and all your practice ammo might also become a possibility.

Click to expand...

I work for my dad on my second job, so I am not sure I would get into anything major there. Its all cash from hand to hand and not a formal job.