on early experiences carrying

Good article, but this guy still sounds like he has a lot of issues to deal
with...

"Guns are intended to kill people, or at least to threaten to kill people. That's really not a message I want to convey, even if it's not the message people seem to get when they see me with a gun."
Click to expand...

Uhh, ok. [thinking] Does he think that every police officer and security
guard he's ever seen was "threatening" someone? [thinking]

When I started carrying my paranoia might have been 1/10th of this
guy's- now it's not any different than carrying a cell phone or car keys to
me. Sounds like he's spent a lot of time over-analyzing.


-Mike
 
Yea, but I could see, growing up being "trained" that guns are bad. It might take some time to get over that. I mean, parents know everything when you're growing up....so if that's how he was raised. I could see that.

And, part of it could be, he's a journalist, and needs to keep it interesting.
 
drgrant said:
When I started carrying my paranoia might have been 1/10th of this guy's- now it's not any different than carrying a cell phone or car keys to
me..."
-Mike
Click to expand...

Mike,

I agree with your post completely, although I do try to remind myself everytime I holster my gun and carry, that there is an inherent responsiblity that goes with carrying a firearm, concealed or open. I think that many in the armed professions (police, military, private security etc.) fall into the trap of regarding a firearm as just another piece of equipment like a pen, cell phone or notebook, and this effects how they may use it or not use it. It's always good to keep the "color code" promulgated by Cooper and others in mind, realizing that a threat can manifest itself anytime, anyplace, and virtually under any conditions.

Mark L.
 
I didn't walk in expecting the Wild West, but I definitely expected more of a macho, sausage-party vibe than was apparent. As it turned out, I've been to bar trivia nights that were more menacing.
Click to expand...

happy50.gif


Nice article. Guy's got a few issues about owning guns; sounds like he's ashamed of it. Strange.

Oh... WTF is a "sausage party"?
 
mark056 said:
Mike,
I agree with your post completely, although I do try to remind myself everytime I holster my gun and carry, that there is an inherent responsiblity that goes with carrying a firearm, concealed or open.
Click to expand...

I agree that there is an increased level of responsibility but I think it helps to put it in perspective- it's like being responsible for anything else that could hurt yourself or someone else- not much different than driving a motor vehicle, for example. One could even argue that driving requires even more responsibility. (When I'm driving a car the thing is in motion a lot of the time, doing it's thing- on the other hand, my gun generally stays in its holster unless I'm at the range- it waits until it is called upon. ) I have to bite my tongue when I find people who are afraid of guns but yet they own a car and have a driver's license. Some seem to have no clue of the relative levels of danger WRT activities they're engaged in.

I think that many in the armed professions (police, military, private security etc.) fall into the trap of regarding a firearm as just another piece of equipment like a pen, cell phone or notebook, and this effects how they may use it or not use it.

It's always good to keep the "color code" promulgated by Cooper and others in mind, realizing that a threat can manifest itself anytime, anyplace, and virtually under any conditions.
.
Click to expand...

I didn't mean to portray any level of complacency- rather I should have worded what I said better- I guess what I was trying to get at is this guy seemed so nerved up about carrying a gun that he allowed that ONE thing to consume him. For starters, that's a hell of a way to live (talk about uncomfortable) it's also, ironically, an antithesis to what you just talked about above- if this guy is so absorbed worrying about someone seeing his
gun, how is he going to be able to spot a threat, when he's too busy worrying?

I guess my point is that merely carrying a gun doesn't have to be that uncomfortable. If it is, the person shouldn't be carrying or perhaps, mentally explore the reasons why its uncomfortable. It's also possible in this case that it's some kind of associative thing- he may be, subconsciously associating the presence of his firearm with the incident where the guy robbed him at gunpoint; so it ends up being a "constant" reminder of that event.. Who knows...

Perhaps I am being too hard on the writer- he does seem to be "learning" things, and that certainly isn't a bad thing. This article is also a lot better than the usual trash we see published about gun ownership.


-Mike
 
dwarven1 said:
Oh... WTF is a "sausage party"?
Click to expand...

Generally speaking an SP is a party where some guy (usually the host) has bragged about how all kinds of hot women are going to show up to it, and then as the night goes on its readily apparent that 99% of the people that show
up end up being males. [laugh]

-Mike
 
The whole issue of open carry is interesting, what with there being articles in the media about it's rising popularity.

It's funny what the trends are, what becomes the fashion, what becomes acceptable. At one point it was codpieces. Then in the 1800's, dueling was something that many a gentleman was involved in.

Today, dueling is considered pretty stupid by almost everyone. Open carry used to be no big deal once upon a time in the west, then it was basically nowhere to be seen, and now it's making some sort of a comeback.
 
So, this thread is where the men hang out? [smile]

I thought it was a good article. He was inhibited to start and then relaxed.

When I started to carry in 1988 in NYS, I was very cautious and almost paranoid that someone would "out" me. I practiced at home a lot before trying to carry concealed out and about. I used the mirror a lot and tried picking up dropped keys, etc. to see if I printed or the shirt/jacket rode high and showed the gun.

Now, I do a quick check in the mirror before I leave the house packing and don't think twice about concealed carry - from the point of "revealed" carry.

I am still very alert and cautious not to get in a situation where I actually need to use the firearm - avoidance is my preferred tactic. Condition Orange is the norm for me.

Regards,

Bob
 
I really liked the article, especially his relaxed demeanor and almost a change on guns/CCW from his earlier views. What immediately came to mind is the distinct difference between the two states (since I travel between them frequently).

With the exception of ATL, (the liberal hotbed of GA), most people could care less about guns or even stop and chat...asking you what do you like carrying, what do you own, etc. CCW in GA I've never had any issues.

Up in MA? I've always been balancing between cautious and comfortable because I know what exactly will come down on me. Only one 'bad' incident so far. Checked my Glock at Logan (flying back to ATL), and the TSA guys detain me. Not handcuff mind you, they want to make sure that I have 'authorization' to own and fly with a firearm. Riiiiiight. So I sit locked in their back room until a MA State Trooper comes over and takes my Mil ID & LTC- Class A. He apologizes, says I've done no wrong and gives me his card. The one cool trooper I run across, my God.

Almost makes me want to attend college somewhere else instead of MA, so my evil weapons can't do much harm in another state...[rolleyes]
 
Jose said:
I would strongly advise that you do just that.
Click to expand...

You know Jose, your continual rant against Massachusetts gets annoying after awhile. You don't live here and as near as I can determine you have no connections here. On these boards you hear about the very worst aspects of the Commonwealth. I cannot disagree with the criticisms, but we have our good points too, and one of these is higher education. I realize that there are many fine colleges and universities everywhere including Ohio (which I believe has record numbers of colleges and universities including Kent State [my father's alma mater] where your Ohio National Guard wantonly massacred students), but some of the very best ones are here in Massachusetts. A person would be foolish to turn down the opportunity to attend a quality school in Massachusetts, and frankly where you get your degree from these days, means a lot more than it did when I graduated from college.

Now this may surprise you, but I was born in Ohio and lived my early childhood days there. I had family connections there for many years, and have been over a period of time, a frequent visitor to your state. I've been to Cleveland, Toledo and Columbus, and frankly, I've spent enough time in the Rust Belt to realize that you have nothing to brag about, absolutely nothing. Our worst sections of Boston in no way compare to the slums of Cleveland, for example.

Now if you resided in a true "gun culture" state like Montana, or Idaho or Alaska, then maybe you could really gloat, but you know what? I have an unrestricted LTC A license here in Mass, and it gives me a helluva lot more latitude in carrying a handgun, than your Ohio permit, which is a relatively recent development in your state.


I certainly respect your right to your opinions and philosophy but frankly you strike me as a very bitter and unhappy fellow, who is severely lacking in compassion and a sense of humanity. Maybe you are part of a larger systemic problem that we have today in our country, I don't know, but anyway your rants against Massachusetts are getting old.

Mark L.
 
Last edited:
mark056 said:
You know Jose, your continual rant against Massachusetts gets annoying after awhile. You don't live here and as near as I can determine you have no connections here. On these boards you hear about the very worst aspects of the Commonwealth. I cannot disagree with the criticisms, but we have our good points too, and one of these is higher education. I realize that there are many fine colleges and universities everywhere including Ohio (which I believe has record numbers of colleges and universities including Kent State [my father's alma mater] where your Ohio National Guard wantonly massacred students), but some of the very best ones are here in Massachusetts. A person would be foolish to turn down the opportunity to attend a quality school in Massachusetts, and frankly where you get your degree from these days, means a lot more than it did when I graduated from college.

Now this may surprise you, but I was born in Ohio and lived my early childhood days there. I had family connections there for many years, and have been over a period of time, a frequent visitor to your state. I've been to Cleveland, Toledo and Columbus, and frankly, I've spent enough time in the Rust Belt to realize that you have nothing to brag about, absolutely nothing. Our worst sections of Boston in no way compare to the slums of Cleveland, for example.

Now if you resided in a true "gun culture" state like Montana, or Idaho or Alaska, then maybe you could really gloat, but you know what? I have an unrestricted LTC A license here in Mass, and it gives me a helluva lot more latitude in carrying a handgun, than your Ohio permit, which is a relatively recent development in your state.


I certainly respect your right to your opinions and phiolosophy but frankly you strike me as a very bitter and unhappy fellow, who is severely lacking in compassion and a sense of humanity. Maybe you are part of a larger systemic problem that we have today in our country, I don't know, but anyway your rants against Massachusetts are getting old.

Mark L.
Click to expand...


Thank you... I grew up just below where he lives...and I couldn't agree more. I ranted in the NOLA thread...and I can tell you that I enjoyed living in NOLA much more than I did in Dayton, Ohio.

Really, the only thing that I think Ohio has over MA, is that they have Dept of Wildlife public firring ranges. Something that would be nice to have up here... And they have Aim Surplus....but I'm sure it's nothing that he's really spent anytime going to... I used to take my lunch breaks at work, and me and a co-worker would go down there. Oh, and the fact that there's no list of what they can and/or can't buy.

Other than that, the accessibility of almost everything is better up here in MA than down in Ohio.

After living in Ohio for 10 or so years...the only thing that I miss is my friends and the cost of living. Other than that...there's nothing there I can't do without.


OH, and ETA +1 rep point.
 
mark056 said:
You know Jose, your continual rant against Massachusetts gets annoying after awhile.

I certainly respect your right to your opinions and phiolosophy but frankly you strike me as a very bitter and unhappy fellow, who is severely lacking in compassion and a sense of humanity. Maybe you are part of a larger systemic problem that we have today in our country, I don't know, but anyway your rants against Massachusetts are getting old.

Mark L.
Click to expand...

Well said, Mark. Jose appears to lack character as well. +1

Bob
 
mark056 said:
You know Jose, your continual rant against Massachusetts gets annoying after awhile.

Now if you resided in a true "gun culture" state like Montana, or Idaho or Alaska, then maybe you could really gloat, but you know what? I have an unrestricted LTC A license here in Mass, and it gives me a helluva lot more latitude in carrying a handgun, than your Ohio permit, which is a relatively recent development in your state.
Click to expand...
Huzzah! +1!

C-pher said:
And they have Aim Surplus....
Click to expand...
Don't forget Southern Ohio Gun - SOG. [wink]
 

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