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Across the Fence:  Do you open carry?  |
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Prairie Princess
True Blue Farmgirl
1075 Posts
Jodi
Washington
USA
1075 Posts |
 Posted - Jun 26 2008 : 06:51:02 AM
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I watched Nightline last night, on the open carry of firearms. I thought it was really interesting, and so I've been looking at their website this morning... opencarry.org. This has always been a topic of interest to me, as people discuss the possibility of the government taking away our right to bear arms. To me, that would blatantly be going against our constitutional right, and I agree with an opinion a friend of mine voiced -- 'if they want our firearms, they can come on and get them'.
Now, I don't even hunt -- I'm THAT non-violent. But I do own guns. I do know how shoot them, and handle them safely. And I will use them for self defense ((after all, us females REALLY can't be too careful in today's world)).
Maybe I'm weird, but when I have my firearms, I feel connected to our history in a way. They symbolize our right to freedom, that simple. Because CITIZENS had their weapons, we became an independant nation, and gained our religious freedom in the 1700s. Because CITIZENS had their weapons, we expanded the territory of the US and were able to pursue the spirit of adventure in 1800s (and, I might add...when people were allowed to stand up for their rights [including being able to enforce them with their firearms], the higher the standard of integrity and justice in this country was).
Haha...I'm kinda rambling here... I was basically just curious how many of us (particularly us spirited farmgirls  ) open carry. It's becoming so uncommon, and a lot of time law enforcement will harass you to no end if you open carry your weapon. But it's a right we have, and I've been considering OC of my handgun just to make a statement: This is America, it is my constitutional right to carry a tool to defend myself.
There was a day when people carrying their guns on their hips didn't intimidate people, because it was a common occurance. There was nothing wrong with the idea at all... I don't know, what do y'all think???
~Jodi
"Women are like teabags...you never know how strong they are until they get into hot water." Eleanor Roosevelt |
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ruralfarmgirl
True Blue Farmgirl
4309 Posts
Rene'
Prosser
WA
USA
4309 Posts |
Posted - Jun 26 2008 : 07:05:48 AM
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Jodi,
We were talking about something similar a few days ago. My boys all hunt. We had them go through all the saftey training classes etc. when they were 12....I am 45 - which isnt a spring chick anymore.. but not ancient yet..... But I remember guys when I was in High school having gun racks in thier pick-ups with guns - ready to go to the gun club or hunting after school and now adays, kids can be sent home for having fingernail clippers in the pockets..... Not sure we are headed in the right direction....
Rene~Prosser Farmgirl #185
" Plant goodness, harvest the fruit of loyalty, plow the new ground of knowledge. Hosea 10:12 |
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KYgurlsrbest
True Blue Farmgirl
4853 Posts
Jonni
Elsmere
Kentucky
USA
4853 Posts |
Posted - Jun 26 2008 : 07:08:08 AM
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I guess it all depends on where we come from. I can see the benefit of carrying a weapon, when say, it's 1777 and each territory has a dedicated volunteer militia...but now, not so much. I think of it this way: If I live in the city, and as a taxpayer, I PAY taxes to support an organized police force, then I don't need a gun....why would I want one, really? I don't find target practice enjoyable, I'm not a hunter...so owning/buying/maintaining a weapon would seem wasteful to me. Perhaps if I lived out in the country, where there was a threat of wildlife, or something like that....but I live in the suburbs. And, in light of our right to carry concealed weapons, there are responsible folks that have licenses to carry/own, do all the right things, and then there is a minor percentage of those folks who may go through all the right channels and then still commit terrible crimes, like the man in Henderson, Kentucky yesterday, who got into an argument, went out to his car, grabbed his gun and killed several co-workers.
I consider myself spirited, but I don't carry a weapon at any time..not even a swiss army knife. I also work for an attorney and we handle criminal cases, and even the most rule abiding citizen can get themselves in a jam with a gun. It's not important to me to have that right, so it's a non-issue. Now, my best friend in NYC carry's one--but she's from Lubbock, Texas, originally, and she's always done things in a large way :)
Farmgirl Sister #80, thanks to a very special farmgirl from the Bluegrass..."She was built like a watch, a study in balance ... with a neck and head so refined, like a drawing by DaVinci"...
NY Newsday sportswriter Bill Nack describing filly, Ruffian.
http://www.buyhandmade.org/ |
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Prairie Princess
True Blue Farmgirl
1075 Posts
Jodi
Washington
USA
1075 Posts |
Posted - Jun 26 2008 : 08:22:46 AM
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Rene, kids in MT can OC as young as 14, and in WY, there is no age limit for open carry. So I can still see in some hick town, a kid driving around with a rifle in the pick up. But you're right...that is a perfect example of how times have changed, and personally, I think it's ridiculous. However, that's not the only area that has changed -- in today's world, kids are desensitized to violence and death through the media and video games, etc. They don't understand the weight and responsibility of carrying a weapon, so that does present the possibility for trouble. But I still don't believe that makes the weapon the issue -- society in general is just out of balance.
Jonni, my mum and my grandmother have a very similar mindset as you do. And your statement about paying taxes so we can have an organized police force is very true. But when people are targeted as victims, often it is the way THEY respond that determines the outcome of the situation. It is very rare that the police are able to respond in time. There was a situation last autumn, I think it was, just a few miles from Boise. A women was stabbed repeatedly, and then stuffed in the trunk of a car. She called 911 on her cell phone, and the police responded immediately. However, she didn't survive, she'd been hurt too badly. They played her 911 call on the news, and it was very haunting...to hear her voice as she pleaded for help, knowing that help didn't make it in time.
If that women had been carrying a gun for self defense, she would be alive. She lived in the suburbs. No wild animals...just the psychos that seem to be a step ahead of our police force. Those are the incidents that make me want to be ready and able to defend myself--I do not want to be a victim.
The man in KY who opened fire and killed several people, the school shootings, etc...all of these--I think the death count would be reduced if a responsible citizen had a way to respond proactively -- a firearm, for example. Instead, when people open fire on innocent victims, and nobody else is armed, there is nothing to do besides hide and pray until law enforcement arrives. And it doesn't matter how soon they get there, it is always too late for somebody.
And I know when I become a mother, I will carry a concealed weapon wherever I go. Because even if I decide not to defend myself, I will sure as heck defend my children. That is my responsibility as a mother, and if I were to fail that, I'd have to deal with guilt the rest of my life -- knowing that there had been a way to protect them, but I didn't utilize it.
~Jodi
"Women are like teabags...you never know how strong they are until they get into hot water." Eleanor Roosevelt |
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Prairie Princess
True Blue Farmgirl
1075 Posts
Jodi
Washington
USA
1075 Posts |
Posted - Jun 26 2008 : 08:34:54 AM
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Lol, sorry if I'm coming across too opinionated...  I don't mean to be, and I definitely respect your opinions. It's just a subject close to home for me since I value my personal well being. 
~Jodi
"Women are like teabags...you never know how strong they are until they get into hot water." Eleanor Roosevelt |
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82kygal
True Blue Farmgirl
548 Posts
Laura
Somerset
Kentucky
USA
548 Posts |
Posted - Jun 26 2008 : 08:39:37 AM
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Joni. When I lived in Idaho (four years ago) I had a concealed weapons permit. I had a long drive from Idaho City to Boise and alot of open space for a woman to be traveling alone.(45 minutes)Also a lot of deer that jump out in front of you and get hit but not killed. It was a good way to humanly put them down. Our family hunts, it is a good way to fill the freezer and know how it was processed. (we do our own)(Nothing gets killed unless it gets eaten).It would be a sad day to lose this right.
With God, all things are possible. (Mark 10:27)
What ever you are, be a good one. (Abe Lincoln) |
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Prairie Princess
True Blue Farmgirl
1075 Posts
Jodi
Washington
USA
1075 Posts |
Posted - Jun 26 2008 : 08:45:01 AM
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That's a really good point, Laura. Driving to and from Walla Walla, my cell phone doesn't get any service, and that makes me nervous. If my car were to break down, I'd be stranded and at the mercy of whoever may come along. And a LOT of psychos target women with car problems. So another situation where having a firearm is practical.
~Jodi
"Women are like teabags...you never know how strong they are until they get into hot water." Eleanor Roosevelt |
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KYgurlsrbest
True Blue Farmgirl
4853 Posts
Jonni
Elsmere
Kentucky
USA
4853 Posts |
Posted - Jun 26 2008 : 09:15:02 AM
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It's alright to convey your opinion, and I respect it, but I'm not likely to adhere it to my life. I'd say that we, ALL of us, respect our personal well being, and each of us respect ourselves in different ways. I've been a victim of several muggings when I lived in Brooklyn, but it didn't make me change my mind about carrying a weapon...and noone said to me, "you should get a gun!!". The police never came to save the day, nor did a responsible bystander. I was shaken but unharmed--and I always thought, I could have died. But it still didn't change who I am at my core--my sense of how I choose to live my life, which is to not think about what possible ways I can change my fate or the ways I may meet my untimely end.
I'd rather think about gardening, or changing views on racism, or petitioning our communities to employ more police, or provide better equipment for them with our taxes. You may believe me to be naive, but I feel MORE unsafe knowing that there are endless people carrying guns who believe a gun is the only method of protection available to them. That is a chaotic world that I want no part of.
Farmgirl Sister #80, thanks to a very special farmgirl from the Bluegrass..."She was built like a watch, a study in balance ... with a neck and head so refined, like a drawing by DaVinci"...
NY Newsday sportswriter Bill Nack describing filly, Ruffian.
http://www.buyhandmade.org/ |
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moxieblossom
True Blue Farmgirl
121 Posts
USA
121 Posts |
Posted - Jun 26 2008 : 09:22:46 AM
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Recently there was a story out about a man in California who beat his 1-2 year old son to death on a back country road. Passersby stopped and tried to pull him off, but they were unable to stop him (the theory is that he was high on SOMETHING nasty, nothing phased him). Finally a police chopper came by, landed in a nearby field, and the police had to shoot and kill him to get him to stop. By that point in time, the baby was dead.
My guess would be that if one of those passersby had a gun, he might not have gotten as far along as he did. When it comes to self-defense or the defense of children, I would have no problems using a gun to slow the attackers down. My husband and I are considering taking gun-handling courses later this year, you never know what's going to happen these days. I would also feel better while he's on business trips knowing that there's a gun in the house and I know how to use it.
All that said, if I see somebody carrying a gun, it makes me a tad nervous, but mostly because of the times we're living in.
http://vintage-moxie.blogspot.com |
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Prairie Princess
True Blue Farmgirl
1075 Posts
Jodi
Washington
USA
1075 Posts |
Posted - Jun 26 2008 : 09:37:26 AM
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To each their own, Jonni...that is the beauty of our wonderful America. It takes a strong person and huge amounts of faith to be able to surrender the outcome of a situation to fate. I think that is something that can be admired.
~Jodi
"Women are like teabags...you never know how strong they are until they get into hot water." Eleanor Roosevelt |
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Annika
True Blue Farmgirl
5602 Posts
Annika
USA
5602 Posts |
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Prairie Princess
True Blue Farmgirl
1075 Posts
Jodi
Washington
USA
1075 Posts |
Posted - Jun 26 2008 : 09:41:11 AM
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Haha...we should invent a creep detector!  German shepherds, anyone? LOL
The thing is, Annika, is if the law abiding and responsible citizens gave up their guns, those that go against the law would STILL go against it, and keep theirs. So passing laws that take away our right to bear arms is basically pointless. Those that go against society will continue to do so.
~Jodi
"Women are like teabags...you never know how strong they are until they get into hot water." Eleanor Roosevelt |
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KYgurlsrbest
True Blue Farmgirl
4853 Posts
Jonni
Elsmere
Kentucky
USA
4853 Posts |
Posted - Jun 26 2008 : 09:46:21 AM
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Thanks, Jodi..I appreciate what you wrote. By the way, I also have a 115 lb. german shepherd, a pit bull mix, and a large lab with a large bark. Not guns, but good deterents themselves :) Once, when driving in a very urban part of Cincinnati, I had all three dogs with me in the Honda, and drove through a not so great part of town White Castle. The girls at the window said, "Giiirrll, ain't NOONE gonna mess with you!!!!" and I was very pleased with that response
Farmgirl Sister #80, thanks to a very special farmgirl from the Bluegrass..."She was built like a watch, a study in balance ... with a neck and head so refined, like a drawing by DaVinci"...
NY Newsday sportswriter Bill Nack describing filly, Ruffian.
http://www.buyhandmade.org/ |
Edited by - KYgurlsrbest on Jun 26 2008 09:48:10 AM |
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Annika
True Blue Farmgirl
5602 Posts
Annika
USA
5602 Posts |
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Amie C.
True Blue Farmgirl
2099 Posts
Finger Lakes Region
NY
2099 Posts |
Posted - Jun 26 2008 : 09:59:49 AM
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This is an issue that comes up a lot in my neighborhood. We have a very high rate of violent crime for the size of our small city. I hear so many people say, "oh, better get a gun" or "if that person had been carrying a gun, they would be alive". But I'm just not so sure it works that way. There's always the element of suprise. No one can be on the alert at every moment while they're going about their daily business. And if you are carrying a gun when someone attacks you out of nowhere, that's just one more weapon they can use against you!! Think about it, are you going to draw first? If not, once the attacker has pulled a gun on you, your own gun isn't worth much.
My own father was attacked two years ago at gunpoint. He still refuses to carry a gun, even though several people have pressed him to accept one as a gift.
And now that I think about it, I have never seen anyone other than a police officer walking around openly with a pistol holster. It's too true that gun control laws are not going to stop anyone from committing a gun crime. |
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elphie0503
True Blue Farmgirl
500 Posts
Samantha
Gilmer
Texas
USA
500 Posts |
Posted - Jun 26 2008 : 10:05:18 AM
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For the better part of my life I have been against guns...I really didn't have a reason why...just to "heavy" for me I guess. Then a friend of mine, who lives in Dallas, as attacked inside her locked apartment...the police told her that she should've had an extra deadbolt on her door. Then another friend, her son was a victim of a hate crime because people assumed he was gay. Then just last night, my bestest friend in the whole world was in the process of being robbed...her animals were going crazy--she didn't know that she was being robbed--so she went outside to check what was going on. She was hit over the head with a metal pole by some punk who wanted her 4wheelers. She's ok, but what about next time?? I live in a town population 4900--we're known for sweet potatoes and football...one of those sweet towns where people think that "It couldn't happen here," but the sad reality is that it could. I'm not saying that every Tom and Harry should have access to one...there should be a tough application process, but I can now see the benefit of having something exta to protect my family!
Samantha
www.elphie0503.blogspot.com
A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort~~Albright
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Prairie Princess
True Blue Farmgirl
1075 Posts
Jodi
Washington
USA
1075 Posts |
Posted - Jun 26 2008 : 10:13:49 AM
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That's too funny, Jonni. I think people respect dogs just as much as guns.  I know I don't worry when I'm out walking my sister's dog. He's a little 45lb mutt, but he's got the coloring of a rottie or a doberman pinscher. People have this mental thing with dogs of that color, just like they do with shepherds. Anyway, he'd probably go for a kill if someone even looked at me cross eyed. Dogs are amazing creatures, lol.
Back to guns, though...I'll admit I do get a tad bit nervous when there's someone randomly walking around with a gun holstered. Kinda places you in a situation where you have to trust someone you don't know, because there's nothing you can do about it. Along those lines, I don't like pistols, personally. I think they look like street guns designed for street wars. I carry a single action revolver...it doesn't look so "threatening", but it does look business. It gives me six shots, and it must be manually cocked between shots, nothing auto about it. It can't be accidentally fired, as there's no round continually in the chamber, as with most pistols. And it can't be reloaded super-quick, whereas with a pistol, you simply put in a new clip and you're good to go. It's a firearm you naturally think good and hard before you use; it isn't designed for impulse. There is nothing 'assault weapon' about it. So even in carrying a weapon for myself, I try to 'look' safe, as well as be safe.
~Jodi
"Women are like teabags...you never know how strong they are until they get into hot water." Eleanor Roosevelt |
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Pearlsnjeans
True Blue Farmgirl
248 Posts
Vicki
West Haven
Utah
USA
248 Posts |
Posted - Jun 26 2008 : 1:05:10 PM
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I will definitely defend the rights of citizens to bear arms. I have a handgun and a concealed weapons permit. I don't know about being able to open carry because of the gang activity in my area...might get shot just because you have a gun in sight. The main reason I purchased a gun is for personal protection. At that time, I did some practice shooting at the range the guys there were very helpful and willing to take the time to teach my how to handle and care for a handgun. It's very doubtful that the police would arrive in time to help if someone broke into my home. So I'm keeping mine handy, at least at home.
Vicki
Farmgirl Sister #120
Farmgirls are elegant |
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Across the Fence: Do you open carry? |
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Do you open carry?
