Monday, July 11, 2011

OC Update

I’ve been OCing a bit more lately. Mostly, if I’m out with my pistol, I’m open carrying unless the venue is so air conditioned I want a jacket. And then I don’t worry about concealment.
I’ve OC’d at CVS a half dozen times, now. That seemed was odd at first, but it’s not a problem now. I’ve OC’d in Kohl’s  and Target a handful of times, and I added Old Navy to the list this weekend. I REALLY wish we had a Trader Joe’s or Whole Paycheck Foods less than an hour away so I could have that experience.
I had left work early one day a week or so ago and was grubbing around at home before picking Sweet Daughter up from camp at the YMCA. I had thrown on my shoulder rig and was heading out the door before I remembered the whole OC Ambassador mindset. I went back and changed out of the oversized shirt with stuff all over the front into a plain red fitted t-shirt. When I got to the pick-up spot, one of the counselors looked at me and said, “Are you a cop?”
“No.”
“FBI?”

“No.”
“CIA?”

Smiling, “No.”
“I was wondering because I saw those.” (Pointing to the two magazines on my right side.)

“They go with this”, I said, turning and showing her the holstered pistol. She looked a little surprised.
“So what do you do?”

II gave her a general idea.
“So why do you carry that?”

(Pointing at SD) “To keep her safe.”
Counselor #2 chimes in with “Yeah. I wouldn’t want to carjack your car.”

I said “That’s pretty much the point.”
I saw the light bulb go off over the head of Counselor #1. And she said she’d like to learn how to shoot. I told her I’d be happy to help point her in the right direction and the next time Michael W. came to visit we could maybe set something up.  

That’s a conversation that never would have happened if I’d been carrying concealed.  We’re winning -- one at a time.

19 comments:

  1. Yep OC teaches fence sitters that normal and friendly people carry guns.

    Also it teaches criminals that maybe confrontational crime isn't a wise move.

    Of course Concealed carry is also necessary for such learning experience, as well as protection of those who don't choose to carry. That way you never know!

    ReplyDelete
  2. This post is so awesome it is in danger of collapsing in on itself in a black hole of WIN.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I am so jealous. I really do wish LEO here didn't have the tendency to freak first and then respond nicely. That isn't all of them and out of city they do fine but in city you do run the risk of getting shot/manhandled by LEO or criminals as several high profile cases have shown. I look forward to moving to a little bit of a less high stress area after this project is done.

    Bravo to you!!

    ReplyDelete
  4. *happy dance happy happy happy dance* AWESOME!!

    ReplyDelete
  5. I'm glad Breda linked you, or I'd have missed this. Great logic, great conversation, great opportunity, all provided by exercising a basic right. Thank you for being on the OC team!

    ReplyDelete
  6. I wish we could do that. I think you should get an ambassador award.

    ReplyDelete
  7. My answer to the "You a cop?" is "No, more dangerous than a cop, an armed citizen."

    ReplyDelete
  8. the answer to the questions about law enforcement, might be even better stated
    "Nope, a Citizen."
    An unarmed person is a serf.

    ReplyDelete
  9. "Why do carry a gun? What are you afraid of?"

    Answer:
    Not a G_d D__n thing.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Good for you, Nancy!! NY state doesn't allow OC. If I tried that, I'd be emailing you from jail. A friend - a rape victim - had a permit to carry concealed, however, she carried her gun in her purse into a hospital where she was working and it accidentally fell out. She also explained that it was an "accident" that it was in her purse to begin with; she had meant to remove it prior to going to work. She was fired immediately. No discussion; no 2nd chances. What makes me scratch my head is....this woman had to walk thru parking garages in the wee hours of the night (which is how she was raped), yet she was not allowed to carry in the very place where she'd been accosted. Go figure.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Attire and attitude go a long way in making converts and in having people accept guns being OCed...

    Good job and continued good luck.

    ReplyDelete