A Matter of Perception

[Lynyrd]

On the way home from work yesterday. I stopped to get gas and went inside for a couple of items. I'm a regular, and the cashier always talks to me. I asked her if she had any customers openly carrying their guns this week. She said no, and she wasn't sure how she would feel about that. I looked at her, smiled, and said, "So if didn't keep mine concealed would that bother you?" Her eyes opened a little wider. "All this time, and I never knew!" "Yes ma'am." I went on to ask her if it bothered her when a cop walked in with a gun on his hip. "Well of course not, but I know he's a good guy." "Am I a good guy?" She smiled, "Well yes, but I know you. It wouldn't bother me at all if I saw you had a gun."

And therein lies the rub. When people see me openly carrying a gun, most of them will not immediately think of me as a good guy. That's what we need to educate people about. It's a matter of perception. In our culture, the news media, movies, TV, only two kinds of people have guns. Bad guys and cops. People are conditioned to think that way. If they don't see a uniform, but they see a gun .......

It's a matter of perception.

[sherlock7]

Lynyrd, very well said! Over time, education will change perception.....hopefully for the better.

Semper Fi

USMC

[Oldgringo]

Lynyrd, very well said! Over time, education will change perception.....hopefully for the better.

Semper Fi

USMC

Acceptance will come to pass only if people act, look and conduct themselves like mature, responsible adults.

[Richbirdhunter]

Lynyrd, very well said! Over time, education will change perception.....hopefully for the better.

Semper Fi

USMC

Acceptance will come to pass only if people act, look and conduct themselves like mature, responsible adults.

[LTUME1978]

Some people may come to accept open carry but most of the management (and their lawyers) will not. Now, because of open carry, we are getting 30.06 signs to go along with 30.07 signs. Walking around with open carry will never convince the people that control the signs to take them back down once they are up as most of them are antigun to start with. Ask yourselves this, how many $1million/year income folks from big corporations in the big cities do you see at your local gun range? The vast majority know little to nothing about guns and are scared to death of pistols. Open carry is a big loosing proposition for concealed carry folks.

[Lynyrd]

Some people may come to accept open carry but most of the management (and their lawyers) will not. Now, because of open carry, we are getting 30.06 signs to go along with 30.07 signs. Walking around with open carry will never convince the people that control the signs to take them back down once they are up as most of them are antigun to start with. Ask yourselves this, how many $1million/year income folks from big corporations in the big cities do you see at your local gun range? The vast majority know little to nothing about guns and are scared to death of pistols. Open carry is a big loosing proposition for concealed carry folks.

I tend to agree with you. Especially for large corporations. Small business owners are more likely to not worry about strangers with guns, but lawyers for the big companies will always worry about civil litigation if an accident happened. Private property is just that Private property. And they have the right to set rules for entering the property they own.

[zimmerdesignz]

Some people may come to accept open carry but most of the management (and their lawyers) will not. Now, because of open carry, we are getting 30.06 signs to go along with 30.07 signs. Walking around with open carry will never convince the people that control the signs to take them back down once they are up as most of them are antigun to start with. Ask yourselves this, how many $1million/year income folks from big corporations in the big cities do you see at your local gun range? The vast majority know little to nothing about guns and are scared to death of pistols. Open carry is a big loosing proposition for concealed carry folks.

[tiger1279]

I also agree. Since open carry passed I've seen more restrictions about where I could carry than I ever did before. I know open carry has been legal in other states for years. I also know that people in those states hardly ever actually do it. I guess other states have learned what we here in Texas will have to learn - people don't like to see people walking around openly carrying firearms. It makes them nervous. I for one will continue to CC and avoid confrontation.

[Dad24GreatKids]

Lynyrd, very well said! Over time, education will change perception.....hopefully for the better.

Semper Fi

USMC

Acceptance will come to pass only if people act, look and conduct themselves like mature, responsible adults.

A couple of weeks ago I was talking with my younger brother. He lives is Austin, graduated from UT, and is involved in the music scene there. He's also somewhat more left leaning in his beliefs and politics than I am. He told me that if someone were to open carry into a store that he was in that he would leave, that he wouldn't feel safe.

I asked him if he knew that open carriers had to be licensed, complete a background check, go thru training, demonstrate proficiency, etc. He had no idea that was the case and stated that his friends didn't know that either. He's much more comfortable with open carry after that 20 minute discussion.

Some folks will never change their thinking, but there is a population that we can educate and influence in support of gun rights. Let's not blow this.

[JALLEN]

One factor in the circumstance you describe, executives at huge multi national corporations not coming around to embrace open carry, is that our legal system holds the business operator liable for everything that happens in a business premises, everything.

You can't possess real estate, hire or fire, decorate the premises, open the doors, unlock the doors, stock the merchandise, accept cash, or credit cards, require employees to act and refrain from certain conduct or dress, or grooming, or language without bring exposed to liability. You are responsible if they lose stuff, or steal stuff, engage in mating rituals, or any other conduct that anyone on the premises objects to. You lose if they drive carelessly in any way related to their employment. If someone doesn't get the raise they imagine they are entitled to, or the promotion they covet, you lose. You lose if your retirement plan misses their expectations, or the health care plan doesn't have every "t" crossed and "I" dotted just so, as it may be required or expected from time to time. If the employees don't clock in and out with exactitude for wage and hour purposes, or fail to observe any of the other multitude of regulations affecting the business, you lose. If business declines and you are forced to close, you lose. If some hoodlums take over your store and rob your employees and customers, you lose.

I could go on and on, but the point is made. Why should they be enthusiastic about the prospects of having obviously armed people of uncertain intentions on their premises?

The employees and 4 customers in Sugarland the other night are thinking about suing, I imagine. There will eventually be a suit against a corporate operator, for emotional distress inflicted on some looney matron, a la Dianne Feinstein, who freaked out and melted down because the fellow in line ahead of her had a pistol.

Who needs it?

I knew a fellow in California whose wife was a manager at a large outfit. She carried on an affair with another manager for some time, and when they were found out, she sued the organization for sex harrassment. Both were fired, divorced their then spouses, and retired to live together on the proceeds of the settlement she, they, received. If the cost of that foolishness was charged to your P&L, you might have some reluctance to look at things in an upbeat, optimistic way.

[dhoobler]

Acceptance will come to pass only if people act, look and conduct themselves like mature, responsible adults.

We have been conducting ourselves like mature, responsible adults for the past 20 years. It does not seem to have mattered.

[Ruark]

Some people may come to accept open carry but most of the management (and their lawyers) will not. Now, because of open carry, we are getting 30.06 signs to go along with 30.07 signs. Walking around with open carry will never convince the people that control the signs to take them back down once they are up as most of them are antigun to start with. Ask yourselves this, how many $1million/year income folks from big corporations in the big cities do you see at your local gun range? The vast majority know little to nothing about guns and are scared to death of pistols. Open carry is a big loosing proposition for concealed carry folks.

True. Most people out there don't read this forum, and have no clue about the details of CC, OC, signage, etc. Many have no idea that you have to be trained, fingerprinted, etc. before you can carry. MDA doesn't mention this, and neither do companies selling signage. Some try to make it sound like you HAVE to have these signs up, like Office Max's advertising:

Helps you comply with mandatory posting requirements

Developed to help employers ensure that they are in compliance with all posting requirements.
Certain industries have strict posting requirements that are in addition to state and Federal posting requirements. Certain state contracts also require additional posting.

So naive, gun-fearing business owners, just to be safe, buy the signs and post them.