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Self defense on the other end of the gun

mywan

New member
Joined
Feb 2, 2012
Messages
3
Location
Georgia
This is a different kind of self defense story. I grew up in east Texas. In my high school years I would often burn up the roads all night long, and breaking down or getting my truck stuck in mud fairly often. When knocking on some strangers door at 3 am to call for help I learned to appreciate people homeowners that were armed. These are the people people that would actually help. I can't count the number of times there was a .30-06 slung over the back of a couch as I was invited in to make a phone call. Today it is hard for me to understand peoples fear of guns. The thing I feared the worst was when I really needed help somebody would be too afraid to unlock the door. Gun laws make me more afraid and the more open and visible those guns are the more comfortable I feel. So I want to say thanks to those people who actually carry guns, even if most of my experience is from the business end of that gun. People have a right to defend themselves, and on the whole appears more responsible to me than my experience with cops. Neither bad cops or bad gun owners should change anything about what good people can and can't do.

So if your going to carry a gun carry it openly so I can see who I can trust. Let the public know that a gun is not to be feared. Later, as a store clerk, I seen lots of concealed weapons. It was those few who carried them openly that made me feel comfortable. I may not carry a gun as a personal choice, and some of you may have an issue with that, but I will stand by you and defend your rights to carry that gun, and feel more secure knowing you have that right and the backbone to show it openly.
 

SovereignAxe

Regular Member
Joined
Jul 29, 2011
Messages
791
Location
Elizabethton, TN
Glad to hear this side. We need more "antis" to be like you. Just because you don't want to carry a weapon doesn't mean you should outlaw it for the rest of us that want to protect ourselves.

I have cousin that's the same way. He doesn't really feel like he'd be a safe person to have carrying a handgun, but doesn't have a problem with anyone carrying one.
 

Dreamer

Regular Member
Joined
Sep 23, 2009
Messages
5,360
Location
Grennsboro NC
I have cousin that's the same way. He doesn't really feel like he'd be a safe person to have carrying a handgun, but doesn't have a problem with anyone carrying one.


And this is what separates your cousin from most "anti's". He is intelligent enough to 1) recognize his own limitations, and 2) to understand that it is illogical, unrational, and unfair to project his own limitations and fears onto others.

If more people who didn't like guns were as intelligent, rational, and thoughtful as your cousin, and weren't so psychologically screwed up that they automatically projected all their own worst character flaws on everyone else, this forum, and the hard work of it's members wouldn't be needed...

I salute your cousin. I respect his decision not to carry if he doesn't think he can be trusted with a gun. I also appreciate that he respects MY right to carry, and doesn't want to limit the rights of people who may feel differently than he does.
 

mywan

New member
Joined
Feb 2, 2012
Messages
3
Location
Georgia
What got me to thinking about this was when somebody open carried in a local store and a customer got wide eyed about it and asked if I seen it. I said yeah and to make the point it wasn't a big deal I asked the guy what he was carrying. He set the 45 on the counter in front of me to check it out and we talked about it and other things about 15 minutes. It bothers me how people get so stupidly fearful.
 

HKcarrier

Regular Member
Joined
Mar 9, 2011
Messages
816
Location
michigan
What got me to thinking about this was when somebody open carried in a local store and a customer got wide eyed about it and asked if I seen it. I said yeah and to make the point it wasn't a big deal I asked the guy what he was carrying. He set the 45 on the counter in front of me to check it out and we talked about it and other things about 15 minutes. It bothers me how people get so stupidly fearful.


Speaking of stupid... handing someone your gun, unholstering your gun in public, clearing your gun in public (or not clearing it at all)
 

mywan

New member
Joined
Feb 2, 2012
Messages
3
Location
Georgia
Speaking of stupid... handing someone your gun, unholstering your gun in public, clearing your gun in public (or not clearing it at all)
He merely placed it on the counter under his control in order for me to visually inspect. He never lost control of the gun. Nor did I make any move to indicate an attempt to take control of the gun.
 

Xulld

Regular Member
Joined
Nov 9, 2010
Messages
159
Location
Florida
Many of us here abide by a basic rule that once the gun has one in the chamber and we head out into public we never pull the gun out of the holster until it is needed in self defense or we are at a gun range or private place where we can safety unload the gun.

There are many good reasons for not pulling out a loaded gun in public :exclaim:
 

Kirbinator

Regular Member
Joined
Jan 22, 2010
Messages
903
Location
Middle of the map, Alabama
A lot of people just never learned how to handle firearms correctly. If you're going to do things like aim a gun at the wall while playing Duck Hunt, make sure you do it at home, alone... after you checked the gun six times to make sure it's unloaded, the magazine is out, and don't pull the trigger.
 

Grapeshot

Legendary Warrior
Joined
May 21, 2006
Messages
35,317
Location
Valhalla
Many of us here abide by a basic rule that once the gun has one in the chamber and we head out into public we never pull the gun out of the holster until it is needed in self defense or we are at a gun range or private place where we can safety unload the gun.

There are many good reasons for not pulling out a loaded gun in public :exclaim:

Ding, ding! We have a WINNER!
 

Packer fan

Regular Member
Joined
Nov 19, 2009
Messages
399
Location
Mountain Home, Arkansas, United States
Mywan,


I have no problem with you not wanting to carry that is your choice. I also appreciate the fact that you recognize that many simply want to protect themselves and others. I wont even label you as an anti just a chose not to. You are right in the fact that I'm more prone to stopping and helping people while armed not that I don't help when I am unarmed but I'm a lot more weary to do so. This is an aspect that people don't think about. Dose being armed make you more willing to help or not?

I've stopped to help a young lady that just burned herself by popping off the radiator cap on her car. I was OC at the time and not many people helped most walked away. (you can read about it here in this thread)

http://forum.opencarry.org/forums/showthread.php?91592-Helping-in-time-of-need

Thank you for posting.

BTW: I was not there and I understand that point you were trying to make but had it been me you were talking to I would not have unholstered my firearm just to have someone inspect it. I would have turned my strong side and let you see what you could see. If you wanted to come out and shoot at a later date I would have invited you and made a play date but unholstering, um, not for me.
 
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