During the course of a neighborhood conversation a new neighbor casually makes it known that they respect peoples rights but they themselves do not feel comfortable with firearms in their home. A couple weeks later you are invited to that neighbor’s home for a cookout. How would you handle that situation? What, if anything, would you do?
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Respectfully decline. I can respect their opinion without compromising mine. Luckily, let me tell you about my neighbors. We just bought this house in October, my wife was off and unpacking while I was at work. Some of the ladies in the neighborhood came over to say hello and tell her that everyone had live cameras everywhere on this road and not to be alarmed by gunfire, as everyone up here shoots. My wife’s reply was “My husband will love living here.”
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I do yard work with an open carry side arm. Some of my cameras are in plain sight and there is the .357 vs 911 response time sign on the house next to the door. If I am still invited I will go armed (concealed carry) if asked to leave firearms at home I would have to politely decline.
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Go, and have fun. If the opportunity arises, educate and invite. Educate them about firearms and invite who ever wants to come out, basic pistol introduction class. Dust off the 22’s and bring the targets; it’s time to have fun and get educated… If none of the topics arise, eat as many ribs as they will let you have…
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I like your answer Joe. Spend a little quality time educating them and see where it goes.
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At the end of the day we are all responsible representatives of our “Martial Art”, and believe it, this is our “Martial Art”… I encourage people and USCCA members to guide the next generation to responsible firearm ownership. Video games do not depict our skill set.
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Having them on-record with the ‘we don’t feel comfortable with them in our home’ thing, I’d want to respect that. We typically open carry at home, and my hubby open carries pretty much everywhere, so it’s likely they’d already know. If they still invited, I might say “I appreciate the invite. I do carry though, and given what you’ve said, I’m concerned that would not be welcome.” Now there’s an opening to discuss, to let them feel their discomfort and have an opportunity to investigate and learn, an opportunity for me to teach. At any rate, that leaves the decision with them, leave it stand, or un-invite us.
Given that I live in dirt-road Missouri, I’m thinking I won’t ever have to address this issue 
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I would attend the cookout unarmed in Hope’s of bridging a gap and testing the waters of how open they would be to being introduced to firearms. I would also then return the invite and have them over to my place with some of my gun enthusiast friends, again hoping to have a productive dialogue.
For me it’s not “converting” people, I genuinely feel bad for people who are uncomfortable or scared of firearms. They don’t have to enjoy them the way I do but there is certainly no reason to have that fear in life. Save it for something worth being scared of.
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If you carry concealed properly, who’s going to know…
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I’m glad my neighbors carry!
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well, yes, but… if I tell my neighbor I don’t really want them bringing their illegal drugs with them when they come to a barbeque at my place, and they “carry” properly, I wouldn’t know either. I’d still want them to respect my wishes on that, not just stuff them in their pocket and come over anyway.
Of course, if I know they’re prone to illegal drugs, I’m probably not going to invite them, but just sayin’.
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I so just sang that in the State Farm jingle.
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I did the same!
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I carry concealed and don’t let any of my neighbors know I own a gun, so I’d have to make up a reason not to go.
I have to admit that I would be tempted to tell them the reason why if it were for an Independence Day cookout, just for irony’s sake.
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My neighbors can’t help but know that I carry with the USCCA and other gun decals on my car. I don’t know how they feel since I like to stay to myself and don’t go around talking to my neighbors, but I don’t think they really care since no one has said anything to me.
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My neighbors know I carry, when I’m out working on the yard, I’m shirtless half the time with my carry visible.
We have had questionable people wander down the private dead end road we all live on. My north neighbor is probably going to get a security camera system, I have some more cameras to mount. This same neighbor does not have guns, he bought a home security system instead of taking me up on my offer to take him shooting.
My little dog is a great alarm, my neighbors are aware that on occasion, if my dog is in alert mode, I will clear around my house.
These days it’s with the AR Shotgun and instead of a flashlight. My Thermal imaging tracker. Between my motion lighting, my eyesight being good at night, and the thermal tracker I can glance at, I can find even at distance, the smallest of animals or a person lurking in the dark.
My neighbor to my south, are to the best of my knowledge, an anti gun household, they know I carry and but have never voiced a problem or concern.
On our private road, we all are of different backgrounds, origins, and such but we all keep an eye out for each other.
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I don’t understand why someone would attend a social function that is hosted by such a person. If I was asked why I didn’t attend I would just say, “you said you were uncomfortable with firearms in your home, I didn’t want to make you uncomfortable.”
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Practice concealed carry and keep your choice to carry to yourself. Then enjoy the cook out.
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