Open Carry and elementary age kids

[Red Dawg]

Was thinking about something....With the school shootings, and such, little kids that don't know any better might really be afraid of us. I bring this up because I am attending my grandson's birthday party at some bounce house, or such this weekend. With my open carried gun, my lil guy will run up and hug me, but what will the other little critters think? We can argue, and some will say who cares what they think, it's your right. Yep, but until the school shootings stop, and our appearance with an open carried gun becomes way more commonplace, kids may freak the heck out...Guess in my mind, for the time being, I'll cover "justin" up with a jacket or shirt....But what is the take from you guys? Any better answers than I can come up with? Be nice, this time it really is about the children. LOL...

 

[Primus]

I agree red dawg. Sometimes its just tactful to cover up. If you know it will cause a ruckus or even think it might then its smart of you to realize that and adjust accordingly. You are still exercising your rights and protecting those at the party. Your not causing a disturbance while doing so. Carrying a gun shouldn't be an all or nothing deal or a screw them if they don't like it thing. I get when it applies to anti gun adults. The. Sure screw THEM. But if its kids that will freak out or the party gets disturbed in anyway.... well then it should matter to you.

Personally I think your on the right track. Just cover it up. When you leave pull it back out and show it off.

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[notalawyer]

Little kids do not have an inherent fear of guns. That is a learned behavior.

The more people, including little kids, see responsible people (not cops) carrying firearms, the better the world will be.

 

[Fuller Malarkey]

I agree red dawg. Sometimes its just tactful to cover up. If you know it will cause a ruckus or even think it might then its smart of you to realize that and adjust accordingly. You are still exercising your rights and protecting those at the party. Your not causing a disturbance while doing so. Carrying a gun shouldn't be an all or nothing deal or a screw them if they don't like it thing. I get when it applies to anti gun adults. The. Sure screw THEM. But if its kids that will freak out or the party gets disturbed in anyway.... well then it should matter to you.

Personally I think your on the right track. Just cover it up. When you leave pull it back out and show it off.

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That is what open carry is to you. Showing off.

Got it.

 

[notalawyer]

I agree red dawg. Sometimes its just tactful to cover up. If you know it will cause a ruckus or even think it might then its smart of you to realize that and adjust accordingly. You are still exercising your rights and protecting those at the party. Your not causing a disturbance while doing so. Carrying a gun shouldn't be an all or nothing deal or a screw them if they don't like it thing. I get when it applies to anti gun adults. The. Sure screw THEM. But if its kids that will freak out or the party gets disturbed in anyway.... well then it should matter to you.

Personally I think your on the right track. Just cover it up. When you leave pull it back out and show it off.

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All this does is play into the Anti's favor.

 

[Primus]

All this does is play into the Anti's favor.

How so? I ask because in his very specific example of the kids birthday party the antis wouldn't even know about the gun. It seems his example is a very personal thing.

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[b0neZ]

This topic does require a pause for thought, and OP brings up a valid question and reasoning.

No matter the age, we can never truly know another persons thoughts.

That said, I believe we can agree that most people have a herd-like mentality ("If he/she isn't freaking out, why should I?"), and if kids see a peer running up on an OC'er and give them a great big hug, that stands a good chance of sending an unspoken message to the rest that the OC'er is not a BG.

Of course, I could be way off the mark. Please correct me if this is the case.

 

[Fuller Malarkey]

"Hiding the guns" is fostering the fallacy that "police are the only one's that can be trusted with guns". I don't believe that is true, do you? If kids flipped out at the sight of guns, why do school resource officers carry them? Not many reports of traumatized kids because a cop walked by wearing a holstered firearm, unless you have a dork cowboy that talks to people while resting his hand on the butt of a firearm, or thinks BDU's and combat gear completes his "tactical Tommy" look. That might affect a kid. "I go to school in a war zone". Most damage inflicted on children by police is from instilling fear of beating, tasing, being taken from their parents, being sexually exploited, things like that.

What is presented as normal in this home will likely be accepted as normal. I would take no offense in explaining that open carry is my option of providing security for all present. No need for a defensive response, or a 2A speech. If you are comfortable carrying, it won't be hard to transmit that confidence, and confidence is contagious.

 

[WalkingWolf]

Little kids do not have an inherent fear of guns. That is a learned behavior.

The more people, including little kids, see responsible people (not cops) carrying firearms, the better the world will be.

+1

 

[Fuller Malarkey]

I agree red dawg. Sometimes its just tactful to cover up. If you know it will cause a ruckus or even think it might then its smart of you to realize that and adjust accordingly. You are still exercising your rights and protecting those at the party. Your not causing a disturbance while doing so. Carrying a gun shouldn't be an all or nothing deal or a screw them if they don't like it thing. I get when it applies to anti gun adults. The. Sure screw THEM. But if its kids that will freak out or the party gets disturbed in anyway.... well then it should matter to you.

Personally I think your on the right track. Just cover it up. When you leave pull it back out and show it off.

Sent from my XT907 using Tapatalk

Since you do not open carry or support open carry, it causes me to wonder where else you advocate we should not open carry, so as to "not cause a disturbance"?

What are we teaching our kids about firearms if we support police open carrying firearms but all other responsible adults should hide their firearms, as if having them is something to be ashamed of?

 

[b0neZ]

"Hiding the guns" is fostering the fallacy that "police are the only one's that can be trusted with guns". I don't believe that is true, do you? If kids flipped out at the sight of guns, why do school resource officers carry them? Not many reports of traumatized kids because a cop walked by wearing a holstered firearm, unless you have a dork cowboy that talks to people while resting his hand on the butt of a firearm, or thinks BDU's and combat gear completes his "tactical Tommy" look. That might affect a kid. "I go to school in a war zone". Most damage inflicted on children by police is from instilling fear of beating, tasing, being taken from their parents, being sexually exploited, things like that.

What is presented as normal in this home will likely be accepted as normal. I would take no offense in explaining that open carry is my option of providing security for all present. No need for a defensive response, or a 2A speech. If you are comfortable carrying, it won't be hard to transmit that confidence, and confidence is contagious.

I'm not certain, but it appears that you may have misread my post. I was implying that OC should not be a problem and was inviting those with a different opinion to chime in, but your reply seems to infer that I said something different.

Please reread what I posted.

 

[WalkingWolf]

I'm not certain, but it appears that you may have misread my post. I was implying that OC should not be a problem and was inviting those with a different opinion to chime in, but your reply seems to infer that I said something different.

Please reread what I posted.

I could be wrong but I don't think he was responding to you, but to another that responded to you.

 

[b0neZ]

I could be wrong but I don't think he was responding to you, but to another that responded to you.

It's possible, but I was post #7, his was #8. I saw no other responses to my post and he quoted me, hence the supposition of a direct response and my reply.

I guess we'll see.

 

[WalkingWolf]

It's possible, but I was post #7, his was #8. I saw no other responses to my post and he quoted me, hence the supposition of a direct response and my reply.

I guess we'll see.

My mistake I see he quoted you. Apologizes!

 

[b0neZ]

My mistake I see he quoted you. Apologizes!

Apology accepted!

 

[SpringerXDacp]

I agree red dawg. Sometimes its just tactful to cover up. If you know it will cause a ruckus or even think it might then its smart of you to realize that and adjust accordingly. You are still exercising your rights and protecting those at the party. Your not causing a disturbance while doing so. Carrying a gun shouldn't be an all or nothing deal or a screw them if they don't like it thing. I get when it applies to anti gun adults. The. Sure screw THEM. But if its kids that will freak out or the party gets disturbed in anyway.... well then it should matter to you.

Personally I think your on the right track. Just cover it up. When you leave pull it back out and show it off.

Sent from my XT907 using Tapatalk

The kids will not freak out as you put it. There may be an occasional, "Mommie that guy has a gun" but that would be about the extent of it. I've worked security (plainclothes), both on a volunteer and paid basis, many times over the years at a couple of schools for events being held on the weekends and have never had an issue from anyone. The most I got was, "Is that a Glock?" But then, it seems, with kids, every black handgun is a Glock.

 

[EMNofSeattle]

It just depends, in my community most kids had gone shooting with daddy or knew daddy owned a gun by time for school, my brother and I used to find my dads rifles which were leaned against the wall of the parents closet, but he kept his handguns out of sight.....

Unless the kid has been taught to fear guns it shouldn't be an issue, if you're someone the kids already trust to some extent I think you'll get more curiosity then fear. IMO

 

[Fuller Malarkey]

I'm not certain, but it appears that you may have misread my post. I was implying that OC should not be a problem and was inviting those with a different opinion to chime in, but your reply seems to infer that I said something different.

Please reread what I posted.

I edited my post to exclude the post of yours I quoted. I meant no harm or disrespect.

 

[Fuller Malarkey]

I'm not certain, but it appears that you may have misread my post. I was implying that OC should not be a problem and was inviting those with a different opinion to chime in, but your reply seems to infer that I said something different.

Please reread what I posted.

It appears you have made an issue of your post being quoted. Looking back, I can make my point better without quoting your post, so I edited it out. Sorry for the stress I may have caused you.

 

[b0neZ]

I edited the quote to highlight what I was playing off of. No intent to belittle or otherwise imply anything negative about your post. I am in agreement with all of it. If you object to being quoted, I'm not sure what to do about that. I quote when and where I can as a thought continuation sometimes.

It appears you have made an issue of your post being quoted. Looking back, I can make my point better without quoting your post, so I edited it out. Sorry for the stress I may have caused you.

No worries, and no issues. There was no stress involved. There was a curiosity, however, that I may not have been as clear as I could have been, and where I may have confused you.

I'm glad that wasn't the case.

Quote away.