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.
I personally think that each and every one of us knows someone we would not send out in public with a gun.....
Ya know, I know some sweet little girls who get blood spashed on their pretty litte faces over stupid ass-holes in situations like this. The work in emergency rooms. Some how or another someone having a "quiet" problem in his donut shop just doesn't cut it with them. Like with the mom and the dad or sister and brother showing up just in time to watch their son..............l..
LOL!
is that Tom Cruise there?
Hey "John Wayne" this is the real world. Sleep it off and we all wake up alive. Do something stupid and you get "rump-rangered in prison". Get the message. There is a real time and a real place for a fire-arm. Your breakfast shop isn't one of em. I am serious. Take a long walk and think about killing a "stranger". Those who have killed know the nausea of taking a life. Grow up!!!
I'm not sure how I wound up with this post but I do agree with it. Isn't it part of firearms training?
Well, the two HUGE pine trees are in the FRONT yard, so I have to pick up the pine cones and the branches anyway, to keep the place presentable to the neighbors.
As for the pine needles... yeah, I usually mow right over 'em too. I don't know where I got the bright idea to rake 'em up... and TODAY of all days. Sheeeesh, I guess I must suffer from some obsessive compulsion to make things more difficult than they need to be. But the needles don't break down as quickly as the softer clippings. And the grass does look a little nicer without the brown tinge. So I got that one out of my system for a while. Maybe I'll do it again in November or December when it's cool.
You are from the Pittsburgh area are you not? Me too. I went to high school at Mars High and college at Pitt.
Yep. We were practicly neighbors.
Fox Chapel HS ('70) and Penn State.
I can remember traveling to Mars for a basketball game when I was a freshman,
but I don't think we played yinz when I moved up to JV and varsity. Shaler, North Hills, North Allegheny, Hampton and Deer Lakes (West Deer?) were all in your general direction, but we also played Springdale, Oakmont, Gateway, Plum, Penn Hills, Wilkinsburg, and a bunch of others in the other directions.
LOL. I hate those accidental "rump-rangered in prison" replies....
There is nothing neat or cool or awesome about death. Death is what it is. Final. You don't play stupid games with it. the price is so damn high!!! It does not matter to the dead but it damn sure matters to those left behind.
Lighten up. You made the "rump-rangered in prison" in error, I presume, to the wrong person. If you truly meant it against "the invisible hand", then you need to take a few breaths and relax.
I really meant it to the original poster. I apoligize whole heartedly. This whole post makes me sick. So many here think death is such a game. Many have not even seen a fatal car accident. Killing is not fun. Sometimes it is neccesary but it is never fun. Again I apoligize.
Take a Reagan moment, an be optimistic, otherwise a 'Rat bastard may get the edge on us. ;-)
FRegards.
My CCW instructor offered some really sound advice - if you wouldn't go into a situation unarmed, don't go into it armed. I was one of those roudy kids not too long ago and that helped to form my opinions on people telling me what I can do and when I can do it.
For what crime?
Not if he was defending his life or preventing a forcible felony.
Neither was the case here, so what is the problem?
CJ's personal situation is not supported by law (that I've seen) and you support using the appearance of a gun to support noise problems between people?
Open carry is recognized in about 23 states, including many of the Western ones. That's not illegal. And it's not illegal to ask a bunch of drunken clowns to tone it down.
What I support is 1) open carry, and 2) people not giving up other Rights simply because they choose to open carry.
but the tongue wagging from too many anti psychotics to worry about.
Like I said, there is a contigent of folks here that despises the thought of an "average" citizen being on equal footing with agents of the state, as is the case with open carry.
If CJ shot someone, you would not be in his corner
That's the point. He didn't shoot anyone. He did nothing illegal. Why is it that "open carry" equals "shooting someone" in your mind?
Sure they have. IF he hadn't been openly carrying then nobody would care that he asked a bunch of drunks to keep quiet.
Our objections are about his poor-judgement behavior, and his intimidation with a weapon
Openly carrying a firearm DOES NOT equal intimidation.
Of course, many here believe otherwise, as they believe open carry is "poor-judgement" in and of itself.
>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.
>I think you did good. This country needs more folks like you willing to confront problems directly.
Holy smokes, were talking about some kids who were drinking, they weren't robbing the place.
I get the feeling that were dealing with repressed payback for some bad days on the playground. If you're letting some noise push you to homocide, you should consider Haldol over handguns.
So now "open carry" equals "homicide"?
I have shown the dictionary definition that demonstrates he was "brandishing." Others have cited the state (Montana) law that shows that that is a felony. No one who has lobbed here has spoken against open carry--you have inferred as much, because we think the poster demonstrated very poor judgement.
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