Books and their covers

[Wilrobnson]

I wasn't sure where exactly this topic should go, so I dropped it into the general board.  It's not an earth-shattering revelation or anything, but rather, a point made in a roundabout way.

On New Year's Eve, I went to a party hosted by friends of my wife.  I'd been there before, and wasn't too impressed with the host and hostess, nor their friends.  I mean this in the sense that I felt truly out-of-place at their house, and among their friends and family.  Let me explain.  I consider myself to be conservative.  I consider myself Republican.  God-fearing, patriotic and all that jazz.  The vast majority of my wife's friends, however, lean the other way.  I consider them to all be cast from the same vegan-eating, hemp-wearing, Greenpeace-supporting wannabee Buddhist mold.  My wife is caught somewhere in the middle, a practical pacifist with strong liberal leanings but a conservative's views on crime, firearms and government.

Anyhow, there I was, contentedly swilling ginger ale and trying to avoid conversation, which tended to be either praise of Hillary or discussions of why anarchists have the right viewpoint...I won't even get into the strong anti-LEO vein.  The host, a 20-something, bespectacled and bearded, long-haired, Che Guevera shirt-wearing, self-proclaimed ::hippie::, approached and asked if everything was okay.  I replied that yes, it was, I was simply tired from working all day.  He then asked me to come out to the back yard with him, as he wanted to discuss something with me.  I reluctantly agreed, and stepped outside.  The crisp air was refreshing after the stuffy atmosphere, and I couldn't help smelling leftover smoke from where previous partygoers had been slipping outside to indulge in a little illicit substance smoking.

The host, Gavin, turned to face me and asked bluntly "are you carrying a gun?"

"Well...Yes, I am." I replied.  "Why do you ask?"

"I noticed the outline of it under your shirt" he replied smugly.

I was wondering if this was going to become an argument, and bleakly looked ahead to being asked to leave and spending hours sitting in the car.  I began to mentally list all of my popular anti-anti talking points to myself, and steeled myself for a protracted disagreement, should it prove unavoidable.  I really dislike arguing with people, and will often go out of my way to avoid a confrontation when off-duty, and carrying.  I have no problem intervening in a dangerous situation, but if someone wants to get in my face over cutting in front of me in line, I can shrug it off.  It's not worth it when you're carrying, jumping into a fight with someone over talking too loudly in a theater.

Anyhow, as Gavin stood in front of me, I felt something rare.  I felt anger.  By God, I was going to tell this hippie off!  Sure, if he asked me to leave, I would go, but not quietly.  I felt I could leave him with something to think about, at least.  Maybe some stats on legal gun owners defending themselves?  Maybe a snarky comment about his family's safety? 

Gavin then did the completely unexpected.

"What are you carrying?" he asked.

"Gun owners all over the countr- huh?"  was my confused response.

"What do you carry?  he asked again.

"Duh, uh, uh...My Glock 30" I replied.  "That's a subcompact forty-fi..."

"Yeah, I can't bring myself to like Glocks" he said.  "I'm a Kimber kind-of-guy."

He then lifted the rolled-over edge of his tucked in shirt to reveal his Ultra CDP II in one of those low riding, in-waist-band holsters, the kind with the outer belt strap covered by his pager.

I was completely dumbfounded, and the look on my face must have told him exactly what I was thinking.

"I may be a peace activist," he said, "but I'm not blind to reality."

Long story short, I have a new range partner and another reason to challenge my preconceptions.

[gregma]

What an unusual encounter!  Thanks for sharing.

[joeroket]

Great story. Hopefully some can learn from it.

[Wilrobnson]

Great story. Hopefully some can learn from it.

Heh, I know I did.

[Wilrobnson]

What an unusual encounter!  Thanks for sharing.

In my opinion, the sad part is that it was an unusual encounter.  I wish people taking personal responsibility for their safety, and the safety of their family, was common.

[joeroket]

What an unusual encounter!  Thanks for sharing.

In my opinion, the sad part is that it was an unusual encounter.  I wish people taking personal responsibility for their safety, and the safety of their family, was common.

I think it is common. The uncommon part is people willing/wanting others to know about it. I find that alot of people with firearms like to keep it to themselves because they fell embarrassed or that other will think they are paranoid.

[Wilrobnson]

I think it is common. The uncommon part is people willing/wanting others to know about it. I find that alot of people with firearms like to keep it to themselves because they fell embarrassed or that other will think they are paranoid.

My experiences have shown me the opposite...A huge majority of people I've met, either in the course of work, or among friends, have no concept of the idea of self-defense, other than to run away from a threat as fast as they can whilst dialing 911.  Too much conditioning by the media, schools, the gubmint, etc, has led to the idea that the UN seems to share, that self defense is not a right, and that expression of such is murder.

Case in point- My son was 5, and in kindergarten at a school in the Kent School District, when we got a call from the school telling us we had to go to a parent-teacher conference regarding his 'fascination' with weapons.  His transgression?  He was drawing a laser rifle in his workbook.  This was the same school district that was telling the kids to call 911 if their parents so much as threatened to spank them. They sent home a handout with the kids stating that if they suspect a parent of spanking their child, or if a child reports spanking to the teacher or admin people, the police and CPS would be called.

I replied with a pleasant note and included a copy of the state law that states:

Physical discipline of a child, including the reasonable use of corporal punishment, is not considered abuse when it is reasonable and moderate and is inflicted by a parent or guardian for the purposes of restraining or correcting the child.

She replied with a letter saying, among other things, that she felt the citation of the law was a direct threat to use physical discipline on my son, and she would be checking with the school district's legal counsel to see whether or not they could intervene, along with the police and CPS, to have my son removed from "an abusive atmosphere".

Sorry about the off-topic rant there.



 

[joeroket]

I guess I could have worded it different. I was talking about people that carry not wanting others to know because of the mentality of the people you are referring to. The people that have the mentality that you are talking about are living in a fantasy world where NIMBY is the thought. I agree with you 100% on schools. I have my two sons in online school because of the idocricy of the public school system in Wa.

[Wilrobnson]

I guess I could have worded it different. I was talking about people that carry not wanting others to know because of the mentality of the people you are referring to. The people that have the mentality that you are talking about are living in a fantasy world where NIMBY is the thought. I agree with you 100% on schools. I have my two sons in online school because of the idocricy of the public school system in Wa.

Or maybe I misinterpreted it.  Agreed with the blissninny attitudes, he doesn't go to a Kent school anymore...Howver, where we are now (Puyallup) can be just as bad.  We're awaiting word of my changing employment status and subsequent move to Montana to homeschool him.  Just think, a school where he doesn't have to make sure his pocketknife stays at home when he goes!

[joeroket]

I was so glad when we got our boys out of public schools and into online schools. They have learned more in 2 years than they did the entire 6 and 8 grades they were in public. The downside is they still have to take the WASL tests.

[gregma]

I was so glad when we got our boys out of public schools and into online schools. They have learned more in 2 years than they did the entire 6 and 8 grades they were in public. The downside is they still have to take the WASL tests.

And the good news is they will more than likely ace it.  And skew the curve because those taught by the indoctrination centers making it harder for them

[Tony]

This story rules! Thanks for sharing.