What statements do you read when someone carries a gun in public?

“I’m a Republican…and a redneck.”

I live in South Carolina, though, so that’s true of pretty much everyone I see, gun or no gun.

“I’m scared of the world around me.”

Um.. “Hello, I want to talk about firearms”
“Look I just got my permit!”

I’m thinking:
“Should I be in this neighborhood?”
“you’re a jackass for open carrying”
“you’re new at this aren’t you?”

I figure it’s “I’m a security guard and just got off work. I’m just picking up milk or a pizza for the family.”

^^and what he said.

It also says “I am not a criminal. i have passed a background check. I am not running from the police. I have no history of drug or alcohol abuse, or mental illness, and I have no outstanding warrants.”

Yes, obviously no criminals carry guns.

@dappled_leaves When is the last time you saw a criminal open carry?

It says that person respects the 2nd Amendment.

“I am a small dicked coward, and a nazi.”

I leave the vicinity. Immediately.

Thank goodness, I’ve never seen this.

You mean, like the pigs?

I’m scared of guns. Like @syz, I get the hell out of the area, but it isn’t that common I see them. My extended family carries around guns. I’m scared just being in the same house where there’s a gun. My uncle once pulled out his knife in front of me and started waving it around (not directed at me) and I thought he went insane. I left the room and he later confronted me that he was just fooling around. Some humor.

My mother-in-law and a friend of mine at work both carry a gun in their purse at all times. I’m not sure why I should be appalled if the gun is visible. We have no clue who has a gun on them when we’re out in public. If anything, seeing it out in the open means it’s more likely that the person got that gun legally and isn’t some criminal.

I mean, I’d never carry one just for the hell of it and I still stand by my first response, but I don’t see the logic of being more scared or angry because a person’s gun isn’t concealed.

@livelaughlove21 The only reason to be angry is that most people who don’t understand or have not really been exposed simply freak out for no good reason other than they have been “told to” by their TV.

@ARE_you_kidding_me Perhaps my fear is irrational, but those things are an instant kill! Who knows…that person can go berserk and within seconds there’s a massacre!

Flaunting a weapon when out among the general public is a sign of at least passive aggression. The people who do it are making a statement, asking to be goaded. Sane people have every reason to be wary of them.

@dxs I do think that it’s irrational but that said I don’t carry myself. I carry pepper spray when I feel like I need it. I have zero problems with licensed concealed carry. I think open carry is not the best idea but I don’t have any real issue with it other than it scares some people.

Are you not pleased to see me or are you just carrying a gun?

I’ve never seen a gun carried in public (except in gun cases on the way to the range), but my first thought would be to evaluate whether I should call the police, or forcefully remove it from them myself. Yes, I am trained to do that. I couldn’t forgive myself if that person went on to use that gun in public.

Well, If it was here, I would call the cops, since it is unlawfull to carry a weapon that is not in a rangebag or thus.

So the thoughts would be that that is a threat, and the police better fix it.

Note: the police dont even carry guns in Norway when on duty, but keeps them in the cars

As an competition shooter, I do transport firearms from my home to the range on a regular basis, and they are always in a sleeve, inside my rangebag, and that is often inside a bigger bag, since I need a lot of extra stuff as well.

This is a setup that makes society feel safe, and it works equally well for hunters and competition shooters that. Basicly the only time I see gun in holsters are at the IPSIC matches, and they are at a approved and secluded area.
I deel that here it works very well, atleast for us Norwegians.

It depends on where I am. Pretty much I just take note and evaluate my surroundings. I have come to assume more of a safety stance in general, and do not like to be cornered or not know where my fastest escape route is.
I assume there are guns where I am on a regular basis and don’t think much past knowing for sure where one is.

@GloPro Sounds like Texas? That or a police dept.

I am curious. For those of you who get nervous and or “freak out” when you see a person carrying a gun, do you feel that way when you see police or Pinkerton guards stop off at a donut shop to get something to eat? Does it bother you?

Are you aware they are not permitted to leave their weapons outside of their “area of immediate control”. (roughly means the same thing as “within arm’s reach”.)
They are breaking the law if they leave their gun in their car.

I am with @GloPro. For sure she and I would be sitting on the same side of the table.

@pleiades Or in the hills of NY’s Southern Tier . (officially still a part of Appalachia)

Nevada, @pleiades, although I spend a fair bit of time in California, too. And yes, around sheriff deputies. Guns don’t bother me. People acting erratic, suspicious, aggressive or out of character bother me.

@LuckyGuy The side of the table that faces the door, I’m sure. It kills me on dates when I have to shut up and let the man choose. Not being a feminist, I gladly allow a man to choose the instinctually protective spot first. If he doesn’t care I beline for the corner forward facing spots. I also allow my bedmate the side closest to the bedroom door. I appreciate a man that chooses his side in an instinctively protective manner. If we sleep in a different bed and his side changes according to the door I notice and feel safer with him.

@GloPro Yep. And with the sun at my back and my left hand on the exit side of the booth.
A third, less important factor is facing away from the TV.

@LuckyGuy
Not to that extent, because with cops I completely know the reason why they are walking around with a gun. It is their bloody job. But they are pigs, so the nervousness is still there.
When it comes to non-pigs, I do not know why they decided to walk around with murder machines, but there is the underlying visible gun nut culture that pervades colonial society.
That gun nut culture leads to the general suspicion/conclusion that they, most likely, want to show off, intimidate, provoke, and that they are just waiting for an excuse to turn someone into swiss cheese.
And I do not believe for a second that they do it to “protect the constitution”, because most of them have no problem whatsoever with all the transgressions against all the non 2nd amendments. In fact, many of them support those transgressions.
It has become pretty obvious that those who cry the loudest about gun rights, will be the first in line to become oppressors once they get their chance.

@LuckyGuy: I live in a fairly gun-free city (New York). The police here are stupid, belligerent, authoritarian, thin-skinned, and inept. Our official crime statistics are low, but we do have a ridiculously high number of police per capita. The beatings and assaults they commit generally aren’t counted as crime except in the incredibly rare cases where they do something so unbelievably egregious they get prosecuted.

So, yeah, I do worry about the police. When I see them in public, I usually quietly go around them.

@LuckyGuy In my country, carrying an unsecured gun in public is illegal, hence my response above. Police and armed security guards don’t bother me, as they have to undergo rigorous testing to be allowed to carry a gun. I trust that the system will filter out any unstable persons before weapons are issued. Any member of the public carrying a gun likely means to use it, because they can and will be arrested just for carrying. It is a big risk to take. Therefore there are only two options – to alert authorities and those within range, or to forcefully remove the weapon from the possession of the offender.

@FireMadeFlesh Would you mind telling me your country? (You can PM if you prefer to keep it private.)
In the US the laws are on a state-by-state basis and even counties differ! New York City rules are very different than the rules in more rural counties. In my county, after passing a background check and a verification process that takes about 8 months to a year, we are permitted to carry a handgun concealed. We may not carry it exposed. It must be hidden from public view. You would never know a person was carrying.

Two to three times per year a Regional Gun Show is held in this area. People go to the shows to buy specific hard to find parts, or want a holster or case or whatever. Generally they want to make sure the parts fit, so they bring their handguns with them. Concealed.
Naturally there is tight security at the event. Metal detectors, wands, bag checks, etc. As part of the security you must present your gun to the examiners and they put a wire-tie loop through it to disable the gun.
It is interesting to watch how many people have them hidden and where. Of course this is not the usual population. In general only gun owners go to gun shows but it sure is fun to watch.
Everyone is so polite. “After you my good man.” “Please, after you.” There is never pushing or shoving or crowding or rude behavior of any kind. It is quite nice, actually.

@LuckyGuy Amen. Some of the nicest, most polite and level headed folks I have seen congregated in a single area are at those shows. In my state I can open carry with a permit. Only a jackass would do that though.

@LuckyGuy I’m in Australia. From what I’ve seen around the internet, we’re a somewhat controversial case study for the issue of gun control in the US. I realise that different rules work for different contexts, so I’m not saying that the US should necessarily adopt our approach. I also wouldn’t dream of accusing gun owners of being any different to normal people, so the civility of your gun shows does not surprise me. However our approach works here, and we haven’t had a gun massacre in 18 years – although there are still quite a number of criminal shootings.