Comments on: Not helping

By: DBM

DBM — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 01:19:07 +0000

At least he had the common sense not to paint the tip of his AR-15 day-glo orange…

By: Dave thA

Dave thA — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 23:11:45 +0000

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9k1FJixjXKE

Maybe some progress has come of this – above link is the news report – see the last 20 seconds.

I had links to two video of the incident – both have been pulled from YouTube by the uploader.

By: straightarrow

straightarrow — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 21:07:35 +0000

The manager should have asked the rifle bearer to lock it in his car as a courtesy to him and his nervous patrons. If the guy refused then he should have called the police if long-gun John did not leave when asked.

I would bet that the other open-carriers there would have been supportive of the manager in that case.

By: Matthew Carberry

Matthew Carberry — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 20:24:50 +0000

You really can’t see a difference between an office situation, which is more or less “private” and where by default the non-gun folks know at least one person involved with the AR takedown, and a restaurant full of strangers when one more stranger walks in at sling arms?

By: Rabbit

Rabbit — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 19:55:02 +0000

We disassembled and diagnosed a balky AR at the office last night and nobody pitched a hissy.

Location, location, location.

Some states are just more civilized than others, I guess.

Regards,
Rabbit.

By: Laughingdog

Laughingdog — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 19:13:38 +0000

“As for the store manager he is a dick; changing your mind as soon as it happens instead of carrying through with your word.”

Really? The reality of the situation just kept progressing farther and farther past what he was expecting when the question was first asked. The only thing he did with which I don’t agree is calling the police right off the bat instead of talking to the men first. But, since I don’t know how things were between the guy with the rifle showing up and the police call, I have to concede that it might have been the most reasonable action.

I’ve been active with the Virginia group of Opencarry.org, off and on, since shortly after the site was created. I open carry everywhere these days, since I’ve been too lazy to renew my CHP. But, unlike these guys, I understand the “don’t be a dick” rule that goes along with open carry.

If you’re showing up with a group someplace for an OC meal, the prudent thing to do is make the first visit on a slow night to get the people there used to it. You don’t show up on a busy night with a rifle, especially an EBR. The whole purpose of these things is to make people feel like it’s no big deal. Shocking the hell out of them isn’t productive.

By: john

john — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 19:07:47 +0000

John Smith, I doubt very much that the proprietor agreed to long guns in his shop. Sounds like he got taken advantage of, which is a stupid way to treat your allies when you are outnumbered by enemies.

By: John Smith

John Smith — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 18:47:33 +0000

I understand why open carry is becoming popular. The criminals know right away that this will not end well when they come upon open carry. With concealed carry it is a crap shoot to see who is carrying and who is not. Much better odds. As for the store manager he is a dick; changing your mind as soon as it happens instead of carrying through with your word. What kind of person says it is all right to do something but when you do it calls the police?

By: TomcatsHanger

TomcatsHanger — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 18:34:10 +0000

“Oh noes, the blacks decided to come eat on a busy Saturday afternoon! So Scandalous!!”

Wait, wrong civil right?

By: The Packetman

The Packetman — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 17:56:57 +0000

Sounds like a simple case of lawful firearms owners exercising their rights under the law, until it became uncomfortable for the property owner, who then exercised his right to refuse service.

Also sounds like all of the open carriers got a little out of line, since none were arrested.

Even sounds like the po-po are getting the idea that citizens have rights (lawful carry) that must be respected until they encroach on someone else’s (property, in this case) rights.

Seems I heard about a fellow open carrying an AR around a presidential town hall last summer, and aside from a great deal of panty-wetting in the MSM …..

Nothing. Happened.

I’ll go on record as not having any problem with folks carrying long arms around.

Don’t they do that in Israel?

My ‘security’ in a free state would be better served with an MP5SD than a Hi-Power.

By: Joat

Joat — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 17:47:05 +0000

Why not ask the guy to leave? Calling the police caused more disruption than the AR did. If I had more time I’d find the link to the guy in Minnesota who open carried an AR pistol.

By: Pete

Pete — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 17:41:17 +0000

He probably had a AR15 pistol.

While open carry advocates are good and thoughtful, a small few idiots can ruin it for the whole bunch.

By: Tam

Tam — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 17:31:08 +0000

Ten out of ten for enthusiasm, but minus several thousand for Thinking Things All The Fucking Way Through.

By: mike w.

mike w. — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 17:18:31 +0000

Yeah no kidding. “I can do this” does not equal “this is a good idea”

There aren’t many places where a store owner is going to be cool with you walking in with a rifle. It’d be like me walking down the street here in Wilmington with my AR. Sure it’s legal, but it’s also a terrible idea.

By: Boyd

Boyd — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 15:53:14 +0000

As a Texan living in Virginia, I’m a big supporter of open carry, but there’s a point where a difference in degree becomes a difference in kind. This fella went way past that point, IMHO. This just was just flat-out du…erm…not smart.