Thread: Open Carry
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Old June 1, 2006, 12:20 AM   #32
Al Norris
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Join Date: June 29, 2000
Location: Rupert, Idaho
Posts: 9,660
Quote:
Originally Posted by Baradium
As far as those that say some states allow it but people "just aren't used to it." I think that is all the more reason for as many people as possible to open carry to get people used to it again. There's no reason to surrender a right just because you're worried of offending someone.
Which is just what I say in the story I related earlier, either in General or L&P, IIRC. Since it was some time ago, I will relate it again:

When I first moved to Idaho, back in the start of the eighties, it was all too common to see people driving around with shotguns and rifles tacked up in their trucks. Farmers would come to town with their pistols strapped to their legs. It turned no heads. Caused no commotion. Was the accepted mode of everyday attire. Of course, you didn't need to lock your cars or trucks back then. Heck, you didn't need to lock your house up when you left it for a bit.

No one was bothered. Thefts of property were rare. Burglaries even rarer.

Slowly, as more and more people moved in from other more restrictive states; as the gangs moved in with them; as the druggies became more of a problem; this lifestyle began to come apart. Too, we had young men join our Police Force. Some, not all, came from other ares that were much more restrictive, as far as guns go. These younger LEO's brought their restrictive ideas with them.

I watched the neighborhood, where I bought my house, change from mostly older white folk (with a few of us "youngsters," peppered here and there), turn into Mexico North. As the older citizens died off and their "kids" didn't want the old houses, the hispanics would buy them up and move in. For some reason, this intimidated the few younger whites who remained. They sold their houses and moved out. It was immigrants and migrants that bought them up also.... Till I found that I was one of the very few whites that still lived in the area.

Many of these folk were migrants from the Central Valley of California. With them, they brought their families. Among these families were young bucks who thought they had to make some sort of social statement... Like "we own this turf."

That didn't set well with me or most of my immediate neighbors. That was when my wife and I started carrying openly, as we went about our daily routines in our yard. Some of the local kids, thought it was fun to raid other peoples gardens. Or paint graffiti on outbuildings facing the alleys. Most of them decided that they didn't want to mess with crazy white folk that walked around with guns on their hips.

So pretty soon we could be found, out and around town, with our guns strapped on. Didn't seem to bother anyone... At least no one ever commented on this. Not the stores, not the gas stations, not even the banks.

But the wannabe gangsters were beginning to take over our part of the town. That's when I started noticing that my immediate neighbors began wearing their guns. It soon got to the point where the presence of the city police was everywhere in our neighborhood. Shootings started occurring, as one gang invaded another's turf. Almost always at some big fiesta.

With the increasing gang activity, you know it just had to happen. Came one day, when my wife and I were working in the front yard, we saw a bunch of guys walking up the street, a couple of blocks away, picking up small rocks and throwing them at parked cars as they moved towards my block. Well, we stood out towards the street, making sure the thugs could see us. Suddenly, I noticed that all my neighbors were standing out by their yards. All of them were armed. Pistols, shotguns and rifles. We looked at each other and smiled, then watched as the thugs came closer. They came to the intersection that led to our street and saw us. They dropped their rocks and decided to walk in another direction.

We ended up doing this about three more times that year. Never been bothered by these cretins since. Our other neighbors down the street saw what happened and they began to do the same thing. Now, we hardly ever see these thugs. Oh, they make their presence known from time to time, but so do we. No trouble. They've got guns, we know this. But so do we, and you know? They don't seem to want to be the first to throw lead. Suits me just fine.

I may be the only Anglo left in the area, where we live, but I get treated with the same dignity and respect that I show my neighbors. We all watch each others houses. We all make it a point of telling each other when we will be gone for more than a few hours.

In other parts of our town, the thugs walk about like they own the place. Maybe they do. They paint graffiti on many of the buildings and fences facing the alleys. But not here. Not in our neighborhood. Most, if not all of us are armed and we're not afraid to show these punks, we mean to protect what is ours. All of us go to the stores and gas stations and banks, armed. Openly carrying and it bothers no one.

(continued)
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