Posted on 08/21/2005 6:02:36 AM PDT by CholeraJoe
"Never, ever leave home without it." No, not your American Express card, your sidearm.
This morning, I woke up about 4:15 and was hungry, so I decided to drive to the local 24-hour beanery. The only other customers were a table of 10, intoxicated 20-somethings making alot of noise.
There were 7 muscular young men and three loud-mouthed young women. After listening to their raucous laughter for 10 minutes, I politely asked the waitress to ask them to hold down the noise. All I wanted to do was eat my breakfast in relative peace.
Her request for quiet lasted about 45 seconds, then the noise and laughter resumed. At that point, I decided to do something.
Bear in mind that I am not an imposing figure. I'm 5'9", mid 50's, and slim. I walked over to the table, and walked completely around it twice. I said, "I'd like y'all to hold down the noise for a while, please." One of the young men started to give me trash-talk but within seconds was elbowed by the guy next to him, who whispered something in his ear. Then everyone at the table said, "Yes, sir, or OK."
What made the difference? Open carry. I was wearing a 9mm semi-auto on my right hip. I never touched it and I made no threats, but it was nevertheless visible.
Thank you. You experience was what I wanted to convey to CJ.
DK
I would give 5 to 1 odds that a jury would convict CJ if this were to have escalated into a shooting. CJ you were damn lucky this AM, otherwise you'd end up a poster boy for ban the gun crowds.
Do you really want 12 "tried and true" (idiots) deciding your fate?
I've always said that most problems in life can be solved with either a gun or a welder.
I support the second admendment. I have no problems with someone being armed. My words to CJ were to make him rethink what occured this morning. He was given a second chance. It is my hope that he will think about what would have happened if the situation escalated and he ended up shooting someone.
Sorry CJ, but if I was on your jury, you would be on your way to the stoney lonesome.
Hey BOZO....in Texas, the police consider a diner in public....
Leaving aside the legality or propriety of his actions, they were just plain stupid. No firearms instructor I've ever trained with would call it anything else. Defensive weapons are supposed to allow you to go home unscathed, and the BEST defensive method in existence is the Nike defense.
7 yards is the minimum distance away an attacker needs to be for a TRAINED defender to clear leather and get sights on target before he gets a fist in the face or a knife in the neck. Taking on 7 young (even unarmed, because they won't be for long) males at contact distance is suicide.
Joe, if you're going to carry, get some training.
OK, Perry Mason, you win, LOL.
see my profile.
"Don't you think those kids parents would be on the war path to see CJ behind bars?"
They might be.....if one or more of the kids had the presence of mind to get Joes license number.....or if the management knows who Joe is.....last night may well turn out to be only "Act I" of this vignette!
There are a substantial number of "conservatives" here that believe only our lords and knights should be "allowed" to open carry, so you've already gotten on their badside by simply doing that.
As for "intimidating someone with a weapon", that is BS. You didn't draw down on them. You don't give up the right to a little peace and quiet simply because you are armed.
Of course, if you were a cop, those same posters would not be accusing you of "intimidating someone with a weapon", since in their minds cops are superior to "average citizens". Quite the contrary, they'd be having orgasms over the "brave police officer" that enforced their will.
I think you did good. This country needs more folks like you willing to confront problems directly.
I would ask you be kind to those less knowing. So many people don't realize that public venues like stores, bars, diners etc. that are open to the public are public places.
They wish they were private and subject to ownership rules, rather than public ones.
I understand the difference, but disagree with the philosophy and interpretation.
DK
I stand corrected....I know when I have been licked....
That certainly is a possibility. Let's hope for CJ sake it's not. If one of those kids (and face it, young people are more likely to be democrat nutbars) or their parent is an activist... I'd keep a low profile, and not eat there for a while.
I always know that Patton has already typed in my response before I get to a thread like this.
Thanks for saying what I would have said!!
As someone else asked, what would he have done if one of the drunks had stood up and punched him in the face?
And my "assumption" wasn't any such thing, but a conclusion based on your own statement. Name a reputable firearms trainer who would council anything other than a to-go box in that scenario.
You sir, are an @$$.
"It wasn't brandished, CJ did no wrong..."
Yes he did. "Brandish" doesn't necessarily mean to unholster it and wave it about. Check out definition 2:
Main Entry: 1bran·dish
Pronunciation: 'bran-dish
Function: transitive verb
Etymology: Middle English braundisshen, from Middle French brandiss-, stem of brandir, from Old French, from brand sword, of Germanic origin; akin to Old English brand
1 : to shake or wave (as a weapon) menacingly
2 : to exhibit in an ostentatious or aggressive manner
Ostentatious is a given. Aggressive is open to debate, but I say the double walk around the table, showing the weapon, was aggressive.
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