Haha! No, was swapping roles for when wifey ask “Does this dress make me look fat?”
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I take a different approach, I carry conceal, but make it obvious that I carry. It is not quite as in your face as open carry, yet it still sends the message. My perspective is that the public should be aware I am armed, yet I do take into account their sensibilities. I have no problem with people who open carry, but I relize many do.
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I am somewhat of the same mind. I, however, do not understand why people are uncomfortable with open carry by a person in civvies but think nothing of someone in a uniform carrying. I recognize it and do not open carry because I realize it makes some folks uncomfortable. Thank you for the story and the “Awareness reinforcement”
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I have open carried in the past, simply because in my home state of WV, it was legal without a permit. People rarely seemed to pay any attention to it where I lived. Now I live in IL, and concealed is all that’s allowed here. Personally, I don’t understand people fearing firearms because my father introduced me to shooting when I was five. Ultimately, I feel it should be the individual’s choice how they carry their sidearm.
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Sometimes we gun owners are our own worst enemies. Sometimes you have to advance by taking two steps forward and one step back. As an old math teacher said. “The fast way is the slow way”. Yeah, open carry may be legal and it may be your right, but imagine how many non gun owners you may win over in the long haul if you comport yourself with great respect to others and years later they find out you were armed while doing so. It gets more people to your side than in your face behavior. Same applies to dressing gray man vs tacti-kool.
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@ValEForge My personality tends to agree strongly with what you expressed. At least in my situation where i have the luxury of not having any circumstances compelling me towards open carry.
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I’ve only had a couple of people get a little hissy fit about my open carry, more often than not I’ve had people ask me what I’m carrying or asking me about the carrying community. I’ve even had officers get into conversations about my pistol and why I chose it (and yes, I made it clear clear I had a permit and offer to show them) and I’ve had people thanking me for supporting the 2nd or thanking me for choosing protection over being a victim.
I get it, some places don’t allow open carry, you may not feel comfortable openly openly carrying or you would just rather keep it hidden. All that’s fine, but for those of us who choose open carry do so with the purpose of easier access and/ or because of a disability. So, on that note, can we agree to disagree?
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“The fast way is the slow way” that is an oxymoron with self defense. Every millisecond counts and I see what you’re saying tho, with the winning people over. That being said, the “virus” helped us big time with new gun owners and they saw that the gun laws are overly abundant and far too often un-needed.
I’ve helped turn several people just because they started asking questions about why I started caring. So there are two sides to your statement.
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I realize it may sound to you that I don’t agree with your choice, or that i am critical of it. I take ownership of that impression. But i want to say to you openly, that I support your choice and accept your given reasons as valid, and I once tried to indicate that I thought I might make the same choice given your circumstances. My intended focus when I opined on this event, was the possibility that my friends wife was so unnerved that her first instinct was to hide her concern completely, make a quiet exit, and call the police! It was that possible overreaction I had wanted to call attention too. Forgive me if I have made you feel you are under a critical eye, I happen to support you, and the others who are able , willing, or need to open carry, and negotiate the public in doing so.
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No, I wasn’t taking it as an attack on me, that’s what I hate about typing responses, you can’t come across they way you’re meaning. I was just throwing out a counter (totally not a counter attack, but light conversation) statement for you.
We who carry (and uscca members) are in the same family and families can disagree. But, yes I do see your side to it and understand your message. Hell, this is one of those times we could be sitting at a table drinking coffee and talking about the different ways this could hurt or harm us and if you were close to me I’d love to get together for coffee and going to my back yard range for some pew pew therapy.
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@Brian_J I completely empathize with your comment about typed responses. Facial expression, tone of voice, and all other such ques are missing. Sometimes it makes misunderstand all the more likely. I just wanted to be sure. I like the family reference, we are a community together under siege by “new” ideas that are not really “new” at all. I particularly like how folks here always manage to clear up misunderstandings so well, instead of ending up mad. … I’d enjoy that coffee, if we ever got that chance.
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your reply makes me feel proud lol , I am 6.3 250 lbs guy and you can barely notice I conceal a full size 1911
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We manage not to get “butt hurt”, because we’re reasonable people and we’d rather discuss things than act like “SNOWFLAKES”
As for the coffee, it would have to be BLACK RIFLE COFFEE, CAF blend… lol
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When I carry my 1911, sheesh try to conceal that at 5’8" and 148 lds. “Is that a gun in your pocket or are you happy to see me”
Lol
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Damn, I’m a hobbit on here… lol
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hahaha !! Appendix carry struggle ? 
that was a Good one Brian
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LOOL , it took me time , training and the right equipment not easy but i love the gun too much to replace it ha!. Thanks for the welcome 
i am loving everything USCCA is about
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That’s ok, I hear the USCCA is all about encouraging good hobbits. …
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