My personal thoughts

Verd · Oct 15, 2011

smokeyburnout said:
They charge $600 for the permit? Christ. I thought the $209.50 ct charges was excessive.

The class costs $100+the ammo needed for a pistol and revolver to shoot 100 rounds each. Then there is the $100 needed to pay for the permit, the $35 for the background check, and the $20 for the physical card from the DMV/DOR.

For myself, the cost is more. When speaking with idiots who believe that a cotton shirt protects society more than the actual gun itself being shown, I add double the above costs because my wife OC's as well. We are not going to pay for only one of us to have a CCL, thats pretty silly IMO. I also add in the amount of money I will lose by taking two days off of work to take the class since I work the graveyard shift and that means I will need to take off the night before the class so that I can be well-rested and not pass out at noon, and I have to take off the night of the class because I cannot do my job with only 4 hours of sleep. Which means, I add in another $200 to the cost.

So for me, the actual cost is actually higher than the stated $600 when you add in gas to drive there and back, and babysitter fees in order to have my children watched after while my wife and I take the class together. Which makes it as much or more expensive than the amount we paid for our two pistols and the 12g shotgun.

Verd · Oct 15, 2011

Ruby said:
I got my permit in 2009 and I think I paid right around $55.00 for it and had it in about a week and a half.

I agree with the point of this thread. Gun owners, and particularly OCers, are in the minority as far as the general population goes. I think we need people to see us in a positive light, whether they ever own a gun or not. Being polite in your daily life, with a gun or not, can take you far when working with people. After all, who controls your emotions, you or the other person? My grandfather used to say that you are only as big as the little thing that makes you mad. It's a lesson I am still learning. There are things that people should get mad about, but let's channel the energy to do something about the problem and not just rant and rave.

Just my .02 worth.

Exaclty (regarding the bolded portion). My grandfather had a saying as well, which he would only break out whenever one of us grandchildren accused someone else of "[He/She/It/They made me cry!" He would turn to the kid crying and tell them the following while keeping a straight face, "How in the world did they make you cry? Did they reach into your head and squeeze your eyes until tears came out? No? Well then, they only made your mad or sad, you chose to cry and can chose to stop crying whenever you want." Yeah, I know, tough love, but its been true enough for me to use it on my own kids with excellent results. Helps to remind them that you can't blame everything on other people.

And I agree with the rest of what you said. Politeness is far more constructive than arguments and shouts will be any day.

okboomer · Oct 16, 2011

No, no, no, ya'll are just pandering to their sensitive sensibilities when you adjust your words to protect their feelings from getting hurt.

There is nothing wrong with a succinct "because it is my Right" any more that there is anything wrong with telling someone who asks "what do you think you are going to do with that?" "None of Your Business"

It is not my job to protect their feelings from hurt or harm. It is my right to engage in a meaningful discussion with a non-hysterical person, and to gauge whether that type of person is confronting me, the succinct "Because it is my Right" will give me a pretty good idea about which type I am dealing with.

I generally will say it in a sort of short, snippy tone, wait a couple of beats, then smile ... if they are looking for an excuse to start a disturbance, they will generally launch into their tirade. That is when I turn and walk away. If they follow, then I say in a very loud voice, "Why are you accosting me?" I will most definitely and shamelessly prey on their exposed feelings and rain down as much embarrasment and public attention as I can so that peer pressure may accomplish what all else evidently has not: good manners.

For those who are truely wanting information, I try to keep the conversation upbeat and positive. I refer folks to this website all the time, OkShooters, and my new hangout spot, The HighRoad.

Aknazer · Oct 19, 2011

Assuming that I was able to legally OC, how I responded to someone questioning why I was OCing would also depend on how they questioned me. If someone comes off in being hostile and not open to it at all then I would be likely to say something along the lines of "it's my right" or "because I can" and walk off. But if they come across as less than flat out hostile then I'd be much warmer in my response (likely starting with something along the lines "for self defense").

smokeyburnout · Oct 20, 2011

okboomer said:
No, no, no, ya'll are just pandering to their sensitive sensibilities when you adjust your words to protect their feelings from getting hurt.

There is nothing wrong with a succinct "because it is my Right" any more that there is anything wrong with telling someone who asks "what do you think you are going to do with that?" "None of Your Business"

It is not my job to protect their feelings from hurt or harm. It is my right to engage in a meaningful discussion with a non-hysterical person, and to gauge whether that type of person is confronting me, the succinct "Because it is my Right" will give me a pretty good idea about which type I am dealing with.

I generally will say it in a sort of short, snippy tone, wait a couple of beats, then smile ... if they are looking for an excuse to start a disturbance, they will generally launch into their tirade. That is when I turn and walk away. If they follow, then I say in a very loud voice, "Why are you accosting me?" I will most definitely and shamelessly prey on their exposed feelings and rain down as much embarrasment and public attention as I can so that peer pressure may accomplish what all else evidently has not: good manners.

For those who are truely wanting information, I try to keep the conversation upbeat and positive. I refer folks to this website all the time, OkShooters, and my new hangout spot, The HighRoad.

What I'm trying to get across is that there is no need to ever enter a hostile situation. If the person who is asking you is asking in a hostile manner or demanding you answer them then it is your responsibility to either ignore them and go about your business or leave. If they are being the agressor then you have ever right to call the police and have them arrested for BOP. By engauging the hostile person your seen as the agressor no matter what because you are armed and other people can only think of what if. People in general like storys. They like to let their imagination run about what if or what could've happened. While just a hostile conversation to you most other people view that as what happens when you OC. I will never in my life say it isn't a right to OC. I'm just trying to explain my views and maybe open a few eyes to the public opinion.

since9 · Oct 21, 2011

smokeyburnout said:
Haz, I think your missing what I'm tryin to get across here. I'm not saying to not carry or to somehow lose your right to self defence. All I am saying is I think by being genuine and holding ourselfs to a higher standard than those that try to repress those rights is what shows that we are just regular LAC.

...

To reiterate, The point of my posting is in refrence to the attitudes shown and how that in itself could turn people off to listening and absorbing facts. Approach is everything brother.

I found your OP refreshing. It's not what people say, but how they say it that matters most.

In that vein, let's look at what the forefathers of our Founding Fathers were saying. Perhaps they had something, there...

In no particular order, early American settlers viewed the right to arms and/or the right to bear arms and/or state militias as important for one or more of these purposes:[24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31]

- deterring undemocratic government;
- repelling invasion;
- suppressing insurrection;
- facilitating a natural right of self-defense;
- participating in law enforcement;
- enabling the people to organize a militia system.

24 Hardy, p. 1237. "Early Americans wrote of the right in light of three considerations: (1) as auxiliary to a natural right of self-defense; (2) as enabling an armed people to deter undemocratic government; and (3) as enabling the people to organize a militia system."

25 Malcolm, "That Every Man Be Armed," pp. 452, 466. "The Second Amendment reflects traditional English attitudes toward these three distinct, but intertwined, issues: the right of the individual to protect his life, the challenge to government of an armed citizenry, and the preference for a militia over a standing army. The framers' attempt to address all three in a single declarative sentence has contributed mightily to the subsequent confusion over the proper interpretation of the Second Amendment."

26 Levy, p. 136.

27 Merkel and Uviller, pp. 62, 179 ff, 183, 188 ff, 306. "[T]he right to bear arms was articulated as a civic right inextricably linked to the civic obligation to bear arms for the public defense."

28 Spitzer, pp. 155-9.

29 Dulaney, p. 2.

30 Bogus, Law and History, pp. 67–9, 239–40.

31 Merkel and Uviller, pp. 62, 179 ff, 183, 188 ff, 306. - Source

All six of the reasons above sound better than "it's my right."

smokeyburnout · Oct 24, 2011

To be completely honest I found out about open carry from youtube. Somehow from what I was watching I was brought to a video of people from New Hampshire and their encounters with the police there. Their answers to any police questions were always more questions or "its my right" and as someone who knew nothing about the legallity of open carry I have to admit that I viewed those people as nutjobs. Now it wasnt what they were doing that caused me to view them in that light it was their attitude and their smugness. Now I must also say that it did cause me to think and in the end brought me here and opened my eyes.
I just want to reflect on my initial thoughts of those videos though. The way the situations were handled caused me to view them in a negative light and very potentially could have turned me sour to the thoughts of open carry in general. If I was a person who feared guns or was brought up in a way that showed guns in dangerous way I believe I could have been pushed towards the evil bradys. Again this is just my perception.

hermannr · Oct 27, 2011

smokeyburnout said:
To be completely honest I found out about open carry from youtube. Somehow from what I was watching I was brought to a video of people from New Hampshire and their encounters with the police there. Their answers to any police questions were always more questions or "its my right" and as someone who knew nothing about the legallity of open carry I have to admit that I viewed those people as nutjobs. Now it wasnt what they were doing that caused me to view them in that light it was their attitude and their smugness. Now I must also say that it did cause me to think and in the end brought me here and opened my eyes.
I just want to reflect on my initial thoughts of those videos though. The way the situations were handled caused me to view them in a negative light and very potentially could have turned me sour to the thoughts of open carry in general. If I was a person who feared guns or was brought up in a way that showed guns in dangerous way I believe I could have been pushed towards the evil bradys. Again this is just my perception.

Do you carry flares or a warning triangle in your car "just in case" you breakdown on some small road at night? I do, and in Germany it is required to carry a warning triangle. Why? For your safety, and the safely of the motoring public.

I OC for "just in case", and as a warning to those that may do me harm that this old man objects to being a victim.

Oh, may I add: I am sitting here in my own home with my baby CZ82 still on. Wife and I just walked up to our mail box (1/2 mile), so why is it on? My wife is afraid of our local resident bear and my other carrys are just to loud for my ears anymore. So far, the dog and the "bang" is all I need to get it running, and that keeps her happy.

My personal thoughts

Verd

Campaign Veteran

Verd

Campaign Veteran

okboomer

Regular Member

Aknazer

Regular Member

smokeyburnout

Regular Member

since9

Campaign Veteran

smokeyburnout

Regular Member

hermannr

Regular Member