bias

The Cleveland Plain Dealer should be ashamed of themselves.

Can't wait to see what they come up with when restaurant carry becomes legal in a few weeks. Gonna need some new underoos.

(By the way, congratulations to OFCC for making the City of Cleveland Heights abide by state law and standing up for our civil rights.)

what Breda's been doing*

• Painting practically every available, non-moving, non-living, surface in my home. The kitchen cabinets, the upstairs bathroom (robin's egg blue and white trim! Looks so cute, ohmigawd), the bathroom cabinets, the front hall (purple!), the other hall (not purple), maybe the kitchen floor (apple green!) because I seem to have completely lost my mind.
• Container gardening (yes, cucumbers really will climb up a tomato cage)
• Getting rid of the dishwasher, for reals. Seriously, does anyone want a perfectly good dishwasher? It's sitting on my porch annoying me. 
• Attempting to devise a way to nap with my eyes open and still retain the ability to answer reference questions.
• Sweating. Drinking water. Sweating some more. (lather, rinse, repeat)
• Organizing the Labor Day Northcoast II blogshoot. (anyone else planning on coming? PLEASE EMAIL ME YOUR RSVP, I want to cook food for you.)
• Actually reading books. (Fiction, even. Go figure.) This usually occurs while I'm sitting in the shade under my magnolia tree with something cool, and sometimes grown-up, to drink
• Admiring the hard work of the sparrows who have taken up residence in our birdhouse. They are currently raising their 3rd (!) clutch of eggs.
• Occasionally hanging out with William the Coroner
• Rescuing the disabled guy who lives next door after he fell and busted his face on the concrete. First time I've ever worn another person's blood, so that was interesting.
• Becoming friends with the pit bull who lives with the guy next door. He only looks scary. I give him sticks to play with, Mike made me buy Milkbones. Mike is a big softie.
• Still going to the chiropractor.
• Open carrying while openly wearing a prosthesis, short shorts, and a halter top. No one notices the gun.
• Other things even less noteworthy than these.

*I'm writing this post under the pretense that more than three people actually care.

ambassador

NancyR demonstrates why more women need to be out and proud about gun ownership.

OC report

I'd like to be able to say that nothing at all happened on the 1st Annual OC Nonevent but something did. But even then, that really wasn't much of a big deal, either.

I went to Walmart and was told, by a woman I assume is an employee, that I needed to cover my gun. She told me that the store has a "no open weapons" sign on the door and I needed to pull my shirt over my gun. So, not wanting to cause a fuss on Nonevent Day, I complied. I then proceeded to walk through the store with a big gun-shaped lump under my tank top.

But really - who could blame her, right? This is how scary I looked:

Tiny woman in a skirt! With a gun! And a ponytail! (the bigger deal here was the skirt, trust me)

Anyway, the five remaining minutes Mike and I were in the store were spent asking each other,"Is there a sign? I've never seen a sign. Did you see a sign?"

We checked on the way out. No sign. And besides, a "cover up your gun" sign doesn't technically exist in Ohio. She could have asked me to leave if the building had it been posted with a "gun free zone" sign, but there wasn't one of those either.

So I guess I'll be writing a letter to Walmart corporation, asking them to remind the store manager of their open carry policy, which is to follow state laws.

After Walmart, I went inside a gas station to buy some diet coke and chips then we went for a walk in the park. We saw gigantic tadpoles and I think I might have gotten about eleventy million freckles but nothing else happened. Then we bought iced teas at the coffeehouse and walked around downtown Willoughby.

I then went home and ate some blueberry birthday pie, still a bit miffed that I had to hide my pretty new Dragon Leatherworks holster.

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Meh...no big deal.

I'm going to go open carry now.

And maybe get an ice cream cone.

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OC QotD

"If you are going to openly carry your pistol please don't openly carry that chip on your shoulder."

- Matthew, Straight Forward in a Crooked World

(Wonderful blog. If you don't read him, you should. But if you don't, at least read this post. It's one of the ones that has changed my life.)

Winning hearts & minds!

(You're doing it wrong.)

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about that thing that's not really a thing

Since word seems to have gotten around the internet*, I wanted to clarify a few things about the upcoming June 5th open carry nonevent.

This is not a protest.
This is not a political statement.
This is not activism.
This is not an opportunity to stroll through the library with a shotgun.
This is not even an open carry walk.

This is going to the grocery store or for a walk in the park or out for a cup of coffee - just business as usual, minus a cover shirt.

Many of you will be open carrying for the first time. I know how daunting this is and I commend you for being willing to take that brave step into freedom. I also know, for a fact, that your perception of the world will change. And, so, in the hopes that we in turn can help change how the world perceives us, I'll be happy to publish your new-to-OC stories (and photos!) here.

*And, dude, really? Suggesting I "grow a set"? This is how you treat people who are already on your side?

down with O.C.

Hey, a couple of friends and I are planning on doing nothing of note on Sunday, June 5th. There may even be t-shirts to commemorate this somewhat trivial nonevent.

Want to join us?* (Of course, if you're in my area, hit me up -  maybe we can be unremarkable together!)

*Open carry only if you can, legally. Also, bonus points** if you email me photo evidence!

** bragging rights and the sweet, sweet taste of freedom are the only prizes that will be awarded. Maybe. Or at least until I can come up with something better (highly unlikely)

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!)

Today is the day

Since it's a gorgeous spring day and I don't feel like fussing with cover shirts, I am going to open carry to the grocery store. For a long time now, I've talked about the importance of atypical gun owners - like women & the disabled - being more visible in the fight for our 2nd Amendment rights so this it it...I'm going to walk the walk.

I'm wearing a pink shirt (opted against the one that reads "Radical Militant Librarian") and dolled myself up a bit (ok, just extra lipgloss, but still) in the hopes of looking as nonthreatening as possible, but I'm still so nervous. Wish me luck.

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worth a thousand words

On December 11, this young man* carried a shotgun into a Michigan public library.

“If my coat covers my firearm it’s a felony. I opted for something that is pretty much impossible to conceal.”

And yet, there he stands outside that same library - wearing both a winter coat and a pistol on his hip. (which, by the way, I'm totally okay with)

Perhaps Lansing wasn't windy the day this photo was taken.

*over 18, under 21 - which would make it legal for him to OC in MI.

To those that would rather fight than win

In the wake of two men openly carrying guns in the downtown branch of the Capital Area District Library, state Rep. Joan Bauer is preparing legislation that would add public libraries to the short list of facilities that are exempt from the state’s open carry law.

Good work, guys. Really. Thanks for your help.

manners matter

Michigan Open Carry needs to be reminded of that old saying about how 'you can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar'. Determined to demonstrate that libraries are public authorities created by the city and county, and therefore don't have the ability make policies that override state law, a few of their buffoons members have been visiting area libraries and exercising their right to carry openly and, apparently, scare the crap out of unsuspecting librarians. I've read a number of accounts about their activism and it seems to involve flashing their holsters at library workers and setting up camp in the teen reading area while carrying a shotgun.

As a gun owner, there are few better feelings than walking down the street in a freedom-friendly town with a pistol on your hip.
However, there are rules for open carry... mostly because I'm making them up right now. (& feel free to add yours in the comment section)

1.) Be exceedingly polite - use words like "please," thank you," and "ma'am."
2.) Smile a lot.
3.) Do not touch your gun. Ever.*
4.) Do not call attention to your gun. Ever.
5.) Do not talk about your gun unless someone asks. Ever.

The point here is to act as if carrying a gun is as normal as wearing a wristwatch. Doing anything else will destroy the potential joys of open carry for the rest of us.

Because, seriously? You come into my library carrying a shotgun and acting like an asshole, I'm going to call the cops on you too.

*unless you need it, obviously.

inconceivable!

We have circumnavigated the globe, scaled its highest mountains, plumbed the depths of its oceans, and walked on its moon. We can create a human life in a petrie dish, watch news stories unfold before our eyes, and store the entire Library of Congress on a microchip.

What was once believed to be impossible is now taken for granted - we even elected a black man, who campaigned against a woman, to be President of the United States.

But a person like me (or Lissa, or Tam, or Roberta, or Nicki, or Labrat, or Farmgirl, or Jennifer, or Brigid, or Phlegmmy, or Zendo Deb, or...) with a gun? Unthinkable.

Now, imagine for a moment that inside the Starbucks just a few yards away from the protest, is a group of ladies who had gathered for an afternoon of tea, pastries, and camaraderie. A diverse group including perhaps a young professional, an artist, and a stay at home mother, they are all open carrying. Business casual, blue jeans, or baby in tow, each woman has a gun on her hip.

...and oh, how they'd laugh at the suggestion that somehow they all wished they were men.

fun with non-gunnies, part 2

Scene II, late night in a tiny Colorado town,

Breda is standing on the walkway outside Snarky's room. The two women have just met and are having a cordial chat before retiring to their respective rooms. A few doors away, some people are having what appears to be a party.

A young man staggers out of the room, beer cup in hand. He stands under the light, swaying slightly. Breda notices him briefly and turns back to her conversation. A few moments later, the man asks, "Is that a gun in your pants?"

Breda, who has been open carrying since she arrived in Colorado, says, "Yes. This is a gun in my pants."

The young man stares at Breda blearily for a moment and then resumes his questioning. "What kind is it?"

"A Bersa Thunder .380."

"Whoooooa." The young man seems impressed, if slightly confused. "Is it loaded?"

"Yes," Breda replies. "It's loaded."

"Can I see it?" the young man asks hopefully.

Breda stares at the young man, her brow furrowing in disbelief. "No. No, you may not."

Time to go back to the room and lock the door before things get any weirder.

oh, say can you OC?

Anyone know of a good retention holster for a Bersa Thunder .380?

You know...because I can.

Turn off your TV. Do it now.

On last night's Gun Nuts Radio, we discussed open carry at Tea Party protests, whether it hurts or helps our cause and the media's reaction to law-abiding people carrying firearms. It was a really great show and we had some quality commentary from callers. (& if you listen very carefully, you might even hear that soft-spoken guy from SayUncle)

I spoke briefly about seeing the initial CNN report on the African-American man carrying an AR-15 on his back at a protest and how odd the coverage seemed to me. Watch...



Hmm...after showing an African-American man carrying a rifle, they immediately try to take the focus off of him, suggesting that a white man was carrying an AR too. And notice, too, that they imply that the pro-Obama crowd was peaceful and the anti-Obama crowd was not, even though every single reported instance of violence at a protest has been instigated by those supporting Obamacare. Conveniently for them, there are no photos of this angry, shouting AR-toting white man so, really, they can say whatever they like.

It seems to me that CNN made racist assumptions about this African-American man. They made the story appear as if this man was there quietly and peacefully supporting Obamacare and brought his rifle because he felt threatened by the crazy whackos on the other side of the debate. Naturally, if he's black, he just couldn't possibly be anything other than a liberal, right? The man was later revealed to be a pro-2nd Amendment libertarian who thinks all taxation is theft. I'm willing to wager he's not exactly a fan of socialized health care.

You might think. "A national news network wouldn't possibly lie or distort the facts so blatantly, would they? They wouldn't spin a story like that, right?"

Oh, no? Think again.

writing is a process, please stay tuned

The seminar in Columbus yesterday was absolutely amazing. I took many pages of notes* and have quite a bit to mull over before writing a post. In fact, I'll probably end up writing multiple posts regarding what I learned from Dave Grossman and Bruce Siddle - they covered a lot of information, and in some ways, not nearly enough. I could have listened to them all day, for multiple days. We bought copies of Dave Grossman's books, On Killing and On Combat and I might skim those while getting my thoughts together.

We were lucky enough to sit in the front row with John D and Lady D, who had reserved seats for us. They are just the nicest people and we were so happy to meet them. I also met Brent Greer of The Ready Line, and many people from The Buckeye Firearms Association - I only wish we had more time to talk. We were offered two tickets to attend the U.S. Sportsmen's Alliance Foundation's "Save Our Heritage" Rally where John McCain would be speaking (via satellite) but decided against it, seeing how we weren't exactly dressed for a $60 a plate dinner and already had a 3 hour ride back to Willoughby.

Instead, we stopped at a gigantic Amish-style restaurant on the way home. The place was packed with Ohio Buckeye's fans. While we waited for our table, we wandered around the gift shop. And amidst the knickknacks, I found a full-length mirror. I stood in front of it and saw that although my pistol grip was covered (& printing like crazy), the muzzle of my pistol could clearly be seen hanging out the bottom of my shirt. "If someone actually noticed this, what would they think?" I wondered.

They probably wouldn't realize what they're seeing. A five foot tall woman, sniffing soy candles in a gift shop with a pistol on her hip. Incongruous. Doesn't compute. This might just be my secret weapon.

Anyway, more later - I'm off to Sunday** with my Mike. Bacon might be involved. Brain food, you know.

_______________

* I'm thinking of scanning them and making a Google Docs file to share, if possible (and if you think it might be something you'd read)

**use it as a verb, it makes sense)

Open carry close to home

Ohioans for Concealed Carry has posted a story about a young man named Bryan being harassed by the Willowick police, who are very clearly ignorant of the law regarding open carry in Ohio.

Bryan was clever enough to record the interaction with his iPhone. A link to the audio can be found at the bottom of the article.

Willowick is just one town over from where I live. If I ever open carry, would policemen come, surround me, make me get on my knees and answer their questions as they try to intimidate me? There's only one way to find out.

An open carry walk is being planned for the area and I will be there.