Only in America...

[gjpollman]

Cant tell very well from the angle ad shadow but it looks like the grip to a Police issue baretta 92 or 94... definately not a Glock. That said if he is a federal cop many agencies require them to carry all the time, and as far as leaving it in the car... I would much rather my weapon on me than in a car that could be broken into and stolen.

 

[Wavex]

In any case, I see nothing disturbing or wrong about the picture.

Fred

What if it was a shotgun in a kid's park, would that disturb you at all? What about an AK47 or an Uzi? Is there any weapon that will look disturbing to you in a kid's park at all? or should any numbnut be able to carry any arms anywhere at any time?

I am just curious... my good friend thinks the constitution supersedes everything else, so that means I should be able to walk around your toddler's pre-school holding a loaded M16 right? You wouldn't feel the least bit disturbed by that either?

Where is the line?

btw, I am not trying to start a gun war in here... or turn this into a political debate... some ppl like guns, others don't... whatever!
I am just happy that I am not the only one to find this a bit disturbing, and curious to see other ppl's point of view

 

[(none)]

i have children and would NOT take them to a place where i felt i had to have a gun to protect them

So where can you take your kids? If you haven't noticed, criminals aren't afraid to break laws to hurt you and your family. "Gun free zones" are just places where criminals know for sure their victims will be unarmed. Think someone who is bound and determined to kill someone cares about breaking a gun carrying law?

What does it matter if the guy is open carrying a firearm? It is an inanimate object. It doesn't "just go off" and kill people. It is a machine, just like a motorcycle, that just does what the operator makes it do. Afraid your kid will be scared by it? That's your fault. Teach them correctly. If you haven't taught your children what they should do if they ever find a firearm, you are just setting them up for failure. Just like you would teach them a stove gets hot and a knife is sharp, you should teach them about firearms.

And yes, this is only in America, sadly. Most everywhere else in the world, people are taught to rely on the police to protect them. Too bad the police have absolutely no responsibility to do that. The police show up to a building where shots are going off inside, they are staying outside until the shots stop. Remember seeing all those school shooting, such as Columbine? The police didn't go in until the damned thing was nearly over. If you want to ensure that you and your family are safe, then you take the proper means to protect them yourself. I, myself, conceal carry most everywhere i am legally allowed to. I don't like relying on other people to take care of me. As the old saying goes: When seconds count, the police are only minutes away.

 

[Mancolt]

this reminds me of a time on the subway coming out of Boston, there was a kid in baggy pants and popular basketball jersey probably not older than 15 with a gun tucked into the front waistband of his pants. It seriously made me do a double take.

This would make anyone do a double take, even those of us that are adamant supporters of the 2nd Amendment. But there is a big difference between a 15 y/o gang banger, and a licensed (or at least law abiding) citizen carrying a firearm.

Frankly, I'm a bit surprised and disappointed to see so many people I respect on this forum jumping on this guy. He did absolutely NOTHING wrong, and you guys are saying to call the police on him. Would you like it if someone in a car called the police on you and misrepresented the truth? I'd compare calling 911 saying a man with a gun in a park (in this situation) is no different than someone calling the police when you pass them in the left lane (legally, not speeding) and say you are speeding and driving like a maniac. Would you like to let the police sort that out? Are you not entitled to be a law-abiding citizen free from the hassles of the police when you aren't doing anything wrong in the first place?

Plenty of people carry concealed, and you never have any clue. Out of sight, out of mind I guess. And many of you seem to have the misconception that "gun-free" actually mandates that it be so. If someone is intent on doing harm to others, do you think a "gun-free" zone sign is really going to make any difference? Keep in mind; the only people affected by laws are law-abiding citizens.

There are plenty of places where people thought they were safe, until they found out just how wrong they were. How many homes get broken into (isn't that supposed to be safe)? Virginia Tech was supposed to be safe too...

We have a culture that has taught people to fear an inanimate object. Cars, airplanes, knives, baseball bats, and just about anything can be used as a weapon, or a tool. Why so many people fear guns is beyond me, but I would guess it has something to do with whether you were raised around guns or not.

I might be surprised at first to see this sight, but surprise would quickly turn into pride. Not many (if any) other countries allow their citizens the freedom to own a firearm for protection. Obviously this guy was not there to harm anyone (as any reasonable person could discern in a few seconds).

I'm glad to see someone exercising their 2nd Amendment rights and doing so in a safe, responsible fashion.

 

[Signal 50]

I don't have an issue with open carry. I wouldn't practice it around my children, nor would I do it in a kids park simply because not everyone understands or agrees that its legal (which it is in many states). If you can carry concealed, why not do so and avoid controvery.

 

[VEGASRIDER]

I'm not a fan of firearms. As it always brings back horrible memories for me what happened to a special person that I loved very much and had planned to spend the rest of my life with.

Victim of a very violent crime, a robbery and kidnap, and possible rape. Worst crime that the homicide detective had ever witnessed in the 20 years of law enforcement.

Shot 5 times in the chest with a .38, stuffed in the back of the trunk of her own car which I drove all the time, and then set it on fire.

She survived for five days, died at the ICU Burn unit at USC Medical Center. Absolutely the worst time of my life, just a few days before Christmas.

Bunch of no good losers who belonged to the Crips gang. Shooter got what he deserved, DEATH PENALTY! The other three, life sentence without parole.

Only closure on the matter I'll get when I finally see justice served, and see that scum die up in San Quentin.

Sorry, minor rant.

 

[Fred]

Where is the line?

The line is pretty clearcut.

When you draw your weapon, whatever it may be, and attempt to harm another human being, you have crossed the line.

Where's the confusion?

Fred

 

[Fred]

I'm not a fan of firearms. As it always brings back horrible memories for me what happened to a special person that I loved very much and had planned to spend the rest of my life with.

Vegas, that's truly awful and I don't blame you a bit for feeling the way you do.

When I hear about things like this, I think, "If she'd been armed and trained, maybe things would have been different."

Like you, I want to see the good guys live and the bad guys die. I'm sorry that this had to happen to you and her.

Fred

 

[(none)]

I don't have an issue with open carry. I wouldn't practice it around my children, nor would I do it in a kids park simply because not everyone understands or agrees that its legal (which it is in many states). If you can carry concealed, why not do so and avoid controvery.

That's the thing though, Cali doesn't allow people to carry concealed. Why wouldn't you want to open carry in front of your kids? Don't wish to set them a good example? If you haven't noticed, that is how kids learn, by example and by watching their parents. Teaching kids they should be afraid of a machine because it could do them harm if improperly used teaches them nothing.

I'm not a fan of firearms. As it always brings back horrible memories for me what happened to a special person that I loved very much and had planned to spend the rest of my life with.

Victim of a very violent crime, a robbery and kidnap, and possible rape. Worst crime that the homicide detective had ever witnessed in the 20 years of law enforcement.

Shot 5 times in the chest with a .38, stuffed in the back of the trunk of her own car which I drove all the time, and then set it on fire.

She survived for five days, died at the ICU Burn unit at USC Medical Center. Absolutely the worst time of my life, just a few days before Christmas.

Bunch of no good losers who belonged to the Crips gang. Shooter got what he deserved, DEATH PENALTY! The other three, life sentence without parole.

Only closure on the matter I'll get when I finally see justice served, and see that scum die up in San Quentin.

Sorry, minor rant.

That sounds like a horrific, terrible incident and i am sorry for your loss. Maybe this guy is trying to ensure the same thing doesn't happen to him or his family. You wouldn't swear off cars if someone would have purposely run him or her down with one.

 

[Wavex]

Remember seeing all those school shooting, such as Columbine?

Do you think all the kids in that Columbine high school should have carried as well to protect themselves?

Do you think that if every man in the USA carried at all times like you do, it would make this country safer for all of us?

When was the last time you pulled your weapon to protect yourself and your family against the bad guys?

Not many (if any) other countries allow their citizens the freedom to own a firearm for protection.

Which is why all these other countries have proportionally about 5 times LESS gun related death than the US

Why so many people fear guns is beyond me

I don't fear guns when they're owned by professionals, I fear guns when they're carried by regular ppl (which is what that guy looked like to me)... do you think most regular ppl are level headed, smart, reasonable and respectful of others? I don't....................

 

[Wavex]

The line is pretty clearcut.

When you draw your weapon, whatever it may be, and attempt to harm another human being, you have crossed the line.

Where's the confusion?

Fred

No, my question was, is there any weapon out there that would look out of place in a kid's park in your eyes.

The constitution says that anyone can carry any weapon at all times right?... so that's the line I was asking about... do you have kids? would you feel comfy with anyone carrying heavy war weapons around them?

 

[Wavex]

I don't have an issue with open carry. I wouldn't practice it around my children, nor would I do it in a kids park simply because not everyone understands or agrees that its legal (which it is in many states). If you can carry concealed, why not do so and avoid controvery.

There you go... here is someone level headed and reasonable :thumbup::rockon:

You're a cop right?

 

[Fred]

Which is why all these other countries have proportionally about 5 times LESS gun related death than the US

Because they have almost no guns. That's obvious, and a straw man.

If you really want to compare, let's look at overall crime statistics for two good examples, the US and the UK.

They have less gun crimes because they have less guns. They are not lacking in violent crime, assault, rape, and kidnapping.

NationMaster - British Crime statistics

NationMaster - American Crime statistics

 

[champion221elite]

It's called "open carry" and I don't have a problem with it. That said, it's not my cup of tea and you'll never see me doing it unless I'm working my L/E job in full uniform.

My only argument against open carry is that it makes the person a target if encountered by a criminal. This is because criminals are predators and use the element of surprise. A person carrying a weapon in plain sight loses the element of surprise and becomes a target instead.

This is where concealed carry comes into play. It allows a person to discretely protect themselves, but not advertise themselves as "make me a target...I'm packing a gun".

Despite the downsides, I still think open carry has its place. I still choose to keep mine out of sight.

 

[(none)]

Do you think all the kids in that Columbine high school should have carried as well to protect themselves?

Do you think that if every man in the USA carried at all times like you do, it would make this country safer for all of us?

When was the last time you pulled your weapon to protect yourself and your family against the bad guys?
Of course not, but there weren't just kids in that school. There were plenty of teachers in that school who, if properly trained and prepared, could have stopped that entire situation cold. Instead, they have their hands tied behind their backs by not allowed to protect themselves and their students.

Oh, and never. I hope i never have to either, but it only takes one time for all of the work and preparedness to be well worth it. I'd rather carry and never use it than need it and not have it.


Which is why all these other countries have proportionally about 5 times LESS gun related death than the US
If you are going to state facts, you might want to back them with data. Also include other manners of death (such as knives). Anyone can pull any figures they want out of thin air.


I don't fear guns when they're owned by professionals, I fear guns when they're carried by regular ppl (which is what that guy looked like to me)... do you think most regular ppl are level headed, smart, reasonable and respectful of others? I don't....................
First off, what makes you think a "professional" is any more qualified than anyone else? How many cops have you heard of shooting themselves when cleaning their weapons? There are many "civilians" that have much more weapons training than police officers. Most of them see guns as a passion as well as a tool. Just because you see someone not in a uniform with a weapon does not mean they have no training.

replied above in red

 

[Fred]

No, my question was, is there any weapon out there that would look out of place in a kid's park in your eyes.

The constitution says that anyone can carry any weapon at all times right?... so that's the line I was asking about... do you have kids? would you feel comfy with anyone carrying heavy war weapons around them?

Carrying a long gun in a park is out of place, and I'd be on alert if I saw somebody doing that. It's not illegal, but I'd be asking myself what they're up to.

Would I let anyone carry? No. I would not let a 10 year old carry unsupervised. I would not allow high school kids to carry. You have to prove responsibility with a firearm before you get to carry it, just like with a car.

The constitution is a good document, but it's also an old document and doesn't account for a few things. For instance, with regards to search and siezure, it doesn't take into account wiretapping or dna evidence.

When it comes to guns, it doesn't account for small concealable weapons, fully automatic weapons, or the complete failure of parenting that has led to our current level of violence.

So to answer directly, no, not everyone gets to carry. For instance, I would not want you to be allowed to carry until you've:
A: Proven that you know when and why to defend yourself or others.
B: Proven that you do not have a history of violence.
C: Proven that you can hit your target.

My state, Texas, does this. Your state, California, does not. So my state, the gun nut state, it actually more responsible than yours. :Flip::Flip::Flip:

Lastly, I have no kids, but I have two cats, a sister, parents, a grandmother and numerous friends and my own ass who I would want to defend in much the same manner as you and your kids.

Fred

 

[BH322893]

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=taih2zUOmIM]YouTube - Family Guy Moses and Jesus Fight The Romans[/ame]

 

[Jman]

Very interesting and thought provoking thread! opcorn:

I have a side note about this one: I have recently become an uncle (again). It is rather remarkable how quickly a toddler can get a hold of something the moment you look away. If the holster wasn't absolutely child proof, it would be a concern to me. I appreciate both sides of the issue, but having something on your hip around unpredictable small kids may not be the wise decision here. My 2.

 

[fzme]

Guns don't kill people. People kill people.

That said, people who 'proudly' exercise their second amendment rights by carrying a firearm because of some worst-case scenerio that they have playing out in their heads are paranoid-delusional. Yes, situations beyond our control do happen, and bad guys are everywhere, but having a gun in public as a non-LEO is bat chit crazy.

 

[deeptekkie]

Texas does NOT allow open carry, no one here openly carries, many concealed though, off duty officers are allowed to carry, concealed and it CANNOT be their on-duty weapon, must be a personal weapon

only shotguns or long rifles can be non concealed in vehicles, mostly in rural areas where hunting is common in texas

states that claim to be open carry have ridiculous laws. so i consider them no open carry, one open carry state says you can openly carry unloaded, what good is that..

Agreed. I've always said, If it ain't loaded - it's just a hammer!