Saturday, May 21, 2011

OC update

Photo evidence - I really did it...and nothing happened. Mike says he thinks he saw a few people take a second glance, but that was it. No comments, no hysteria, no police. I did not go berserk and mow down other shoppers in a crazed hailstorm of bullets when I got in the vicinity of the beer cooler. Just a normal trip to the store, like any other Saturday...except for the first 15 minutes where I felt like I was stuck in one of those dreams where I go to work and I'm the only one who's naked and I had a giant neon "zOMG, GUN!" sign plastered to my forehead. Oh, and the collard greens I bought for tomorrow, that's a bit out of the ordinary.

When I got back to the car, I looked at Mike and Mike looked at me. "Well, then," I said. "I guess that's that."

"I guess so," he replied.

"No big deal."

"I guess not."

I'm still grinning.

And, hey! NancyR and MikeW are OCing too. Freedom is really fun, you should try it if you can. (And if you can't, well...get active!)

26 comments:

Kim said...

I asked this elsewhere but I thought I would ask you too. I am wanting to OC. I see it as a great way for people to see what the good guys look like and raise 2A awareness. I am still able to defend myself and my kids. Husband is worried that OC makes me a target for bad guys and for police harassment. What are your thoughts?

JB Miller said...

Nice work. Make it the new accessory of choice. Like a favorite watch.

breda said...

Lila - Having to deal with police harassment is worth the risk, in my opinion. You are not breaking the law, you are exercising your rights, YOU are doing nothing wrong.

And being a potential target for bad guys? Well, be aware of your surroundings, get a good retention holster, and practice your draw so you can react appropriately.

Otherwise, smile and have a nice day!

Robert Langham said...

LEO folks in my area, (Texas), open carry in regular clothes all the time. Nodody grabs their pistols. I have a kid that open carrys in MY classes I teach at Tyler Junior College. Most of the time nobody notices. He's a Sheriff depty.

But citizens...the folks who pay all the bill and who supposedly have all the rights....THEY can't open carry.

Kevin said...

I open carry alot here in AZ, especially because of the heat.

Never once had bad-run in with law enforcement.

One time in Yuma, police were called on my while shopping at a grocery store. When the police came, they talked to me, then to the person who called in the complaint. It was a couple from Northern CA, who were very agitated because I had a Colt MK-IV Stainless. They ended up getting several tickets because of the way they acted.

Rev. Paul said...

I'm glad it was uneventful, although I'd have been surprised had it been otherwise. Now you can do it again; does Bersa offer differently-colored grips to match your nails, etc?

Nancy R. said...

Welcome to the club!

Mad Saint Jack said...

Of course another advantage of OC is you can carry a bigger gun (cough JayG cough).


Lila- I worry about being targeted too (or being moved to the front of the list. I guess it would depend on whether the place you are going to is a high value target in its own right. Most places the chances of a bad guy lurking in the shadows would be slim.
The simple solution for that problem is for you and your husband to try OC together.

Cormac said...

@Robert Langham: Where do people OC in Texas?

Is it legal in smaller towns or unincorporated areas?

Kim said...

I live on the edge of Vegas. Crime is horrid. We are lucky in that we found a pretty quiet corner with a low crime rate but even 10 miles away things change. I think that is why he is concerned. Gun crime is insane and regularly officers are involved in shootings. They get cleared and then months later something happens and new charges are raised on an involved officer resulting in termination. I think he feels for him it is no big deal but for me being 5'4" and medium build I look like easy prey. I like the suggestion of doing it together. Then he wouldn't worry. ;) I would get to satisfy the activist in me and I can conceal carry otherwise. Thanks y'all!

Mulliga said...

I dunno - after what happened to Erik Scott, I'd be leery of OCing in a warehouse store. Glad everything turned out okay.

TinCan Assassin said...

So when do you go pay a professional courtesy visit to your co-vocationalists in Michigan?

I can see it now, "No, you don't understand, I'm a Librarian too!, Come join the Revolution!"

Kim said...

Mulliga one of the officers in his case is actually one of the ones I was thinking of when I commented. Officer fired after weapons indictment.

Heath J said...

Well done! :)

We need to have an OC dinner sometime. Strength in numbers, and I've got a teeny voice recorder.

Mad Saint Jack said...

Cormac- http://snarkybytes.com/2011/05/12/open-carry-dead-in-texas-for-now/

You can OC a long gun in Texas (just sayin').

lee n. field said...

Zehr cool.

Someday this benighted state will become civilized.

TheAxe said...

I'm pretty jealous, it's kind of mind blowing to imagine being able to go shopping with a gun visible and not get pig piled at the least. And MD is going to have to be dragged kicking and screaming to admit it's a right all it's citizens have.

Pawpaw said...

Let Freedom Ring!

It didn't hurt a bit, did it?

Old NFO said...

Good for you! Since I'm out of the US, all I got was a white screen... no photo

Bubblehead Les. said...

Now if I could only walk into a Bar while OCing and have a cold beer....

Anonymous said...

Lila: I've yet to hear of any honest to goodness evidence that carrying openly (or even carrying concealed with a derisively labelled 'shoot-me-first' vest) makes you a target of the bad guys. Yet I have heard of enough anecdotal stories of carrying openly being a deterrent to be nearly convinced of the opposite.

Now as far as law enforcement harassment goes, your mileage may vary. Here in NC, open carry is legal without a permit, but it's all kind of dicey, due to some localities restricting it and certain other places you can't carry. The NC legislature is trying to fix some of it, but it's been over a 100 years since the GOP controlled both houses and the gungrabbers are having a hissy fit about it, so it's a toss up as to whether or not all the progun bills make it through. Our Democrat Governor hasn't really shown her hand regarding guns. With the largely rural makeup of NC, it's going to be hard for her to veto any progun legislation if she has any interest in re-election. Then again, her chances of re-election are quite low, anyhow, so depending on her perception of that fact, the gloves may come off.

I have open carried a few places, but it's been mostly places I know are friendly, or at least neutral to it.

Coincidentally, I just carried openly today when I went to pick up a Chinese food order. I did it before at this same place, but it was accidental last time (pulled up, it was raining, waited in car and forgot to pull my sweatshirt over it before running in). Today was hot and I figured I would be quick and I wasn't going to put my hand on the gun and say "see, isn't my gun kewl?!" I think the girl at the register glanced at it after I was done paying. If she was going to make a stink about it, by then it was kinda too late since I was on my way out.

Anyhow, good on you, Breda, for braving it. The more people see peaceable citizens carrying guns while just going about their routine, the more they're going to just shrug and say "What's the big deal?" when the Bradys or the VPC come them and say, "Ooh, guns in plain view!11elvnty...You should be skeeered like we are!"

Incidentally, just found this site, although it's questionable how useful it is as it would be easy to write a false review. Check it out at http://www.friendorfoe.us

Patrick said...

Unbelievably fracking hot. That is all.

.45ACP+P said...

Have you joined OpenCarry.org forum yet? Lots of info and opinions there in regards to State laws and quirks.

PPPP said...

Yep. That's your basic big-box store right there.

Pretty hard to miss that hogleg too. Black, silhouetted against the pink.

Anonymous said...

I was going to do it today in the grocery store, but chickened out. Bwak bwak.

Oh, well, I'd been flipped off three times before breakfast, and I thought discretion was the better part of valor.

I second the OC dinner.

Josh Kruschke said...

In TX LEO's are not supposed to or have special privileges to OC out of Uniform, but who's going to tell them not to.

At lest that's my understanding of the carry laws in the state.

Josh