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Cedar Park Dad wrote:Did you go into a Walmart with it? Thats the difference. When I grew up everyone that had a pickup had a shotgun or rifle in a rack (usually along with an umbrella). But no one ever ever walked into a store with one. You would have been run out on a rail for doing so.

Actually, I did go into a store with it, but then, my father owned the store. I don't even think there was a Walmart back then....there weren't any where I lived anyway. But actually, people did walk into stores carrying a long gun, for instance, to buy a scope and have it mounted and bore sighted. And I'm not talking about gun stores either, but department stores like the old Gibsons. In fact, I saw someone carrying a rifle in the Academy parking lot not too long ago, and that's what he was doing, heading into Academy to get a scope and have it bore sighted. Back then I had absolutely no fear of getting in trouble or someone freaking out because I had a long gun in my possession.

texanjoker wrote:

VMI77 wrote:

texanjoker wrote:I noted in those what appeared to be IDF Israel photos that for the most part the rifles didn't have magazines in them.

Yep, Israel, and what difference does it make if they're IDF? They're not in uniform and they're carrying rifles in public places....and yes, the mags aren't in the gun, but they have loaded mags with them...in some cases as described above, in special mag carriers that keep them at the ready. Furthermore, since they're in civies, there is nothing to stop a criminal or nut case from carrying the same way, as I doubt the police are stopping every person with a rifle and asking for ID everywhere they go. Israel has stricter gun than we do, and people aren't freaking out, because they're used to seeing people carrying weapons.

I only knew they were IDF because of the fact they were chicks with AR's... It is also common knowledge in Israel that off duty soldiers carry their rifles.

I have to ask since you are a definite supporter of these open carry guys. Do you open carry a rifle?

I agree that people who do this and video it have an agenda. I'm not a supporter of "these guys" and I haven't open carried a rifle since I was a teenager. Back then people didn't freak out. I sure wouldn't do it now because people would freak out. I'm not really interested in provoking a police response and trying to make some kind of political argument with the responding officers, as even if it wasn't potentially dangerous, it would be pointless, since the police don't write the law. I'd like to have the option though, so, for instance, if I needed to stop off on my way to go shooting, I wouldn't have to leave my rifle in the car. I really have mixed feelings about open carry. I'm not going to open carry a handgun if open carry passes here because I think it sacrifices tactical advantage. OTOH, the fact that people freak out is a product of the fact that they're not used to seeing people carrying guns in public, and if it was normal, people wouldn't be freaking out. My mixed feelings come from the fact that I think normalizing the open possession of guns would be good for gun owners, but I don't know how we get from where we are now back to the atmosphere of the 50's and 60's where you frequently saw people --even kids-- carrying around rifles and shotguns.

Robert*PPS wrote:I understand what Texanjoker is saying in that there is nothing really practical about this. In this case, the carrying of a rifle in Walmart is being done specifically for the reaction. I guess the danger of that is people vote for law changes that prohibit open carry of long guns when it is practical and useful. Of course other side of that coin is, if we don't exercise the right, we may lose it altogether.


I'm still stuck, high-centered, on this fence about this type of expression.

I agree, and I'm not advocating doing what this guy did, just challenging the logic of "you don't need a gun in Walmart." I wouldn't carry a rifle into Walmart precisely because I know people would freak out. OTOH, if I was on my way to shoot somewhere, and was stopping off at Walmart for ammo or some other supplies, I'd prefer to be able to carry my rifle with me rather than leave it in the car and risk it being stolen. People didn't freak out about stuff like this when I was a kid, so something has clearly been lost.

CoffeeNut wrote:

Maxwell wrote:

VMI77 wrote:Some people don't get all freaked out by people with rifles slung over their backs.....and they live in a more gun controlled country than we do. The freak outs are a gun grabber's dream. No freaking out evident in these photos --just sayin'.

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Don't let the libs denormalize gun possession.

Unless I am mistaken I only see loaded weapons, i.e. magazines in them, in the first picture. All of the others look like they are missing mags.

Well, it's not an exact example, but the point is simply that people aren't freaking out seeing guns in public. Yes, they're assumed to be IDF, but they're in civies, so it would be very easy for someone to carry that way who isn't IDF. So, anyone with a rifle COULD be a potential criminal or nut case. People are used to seeing weapons openly displayed so they're not freaking out. Here, even though we have fewer restrictions than Israel, people aren't used to seeing guns in public, and freak out. A good number even freak out seeing cops with guns.

It's Israel in those pictures and they have a mag carrier that goes in the magazine well and keeps a loaded magazine at the ready on the side of the rifle. The lady guarding the kids with the M1 Carbine likely has her magazine elsewhere. Also all of the pictures of the people with the M4 are military personnel as they're required to have their rifles with them so it's not really a fair example when compared to the general American public.

texanjoker wrote:I noted in those what appeared to be IDF Israel photos that for the most part the rifles didn't have magazines in them.

Yep, Israel, and what difference does it make if they're IDF? They're not in uniform and they're carrying rifles in public places....and yes, the mags aren't in the gun, but they have loaded mags with them...in some cases as described above, in special mag carriers that keep them at the ready. Furthermore, since they're in civies, there is nothing to stop a criminal or nut case from carrying the same way, as I doubt the police are stopping every person with a rifle and asking for ID everywhere they go. Israel has stricter gun than we do, and people aren't freaking out, because they're used to seeing people carrying weapons.

texanjoker wrote:

Texsquatch wrote:

Maxwell wrote:In my opinion self aggrandizing idiots like this make us all look bad.

Dude is a drama queen wanting attention . If I ever feel it is that dangerous that I need my rifle to go to Walmart then I am not going. He should be glad the employees were not freaking out. Instead they approached him like men and asked him to leave. Most would simply call 911 about a MWAG, who is wearing a hat and keeping his sunglasses on inside the store. He may have then gone to jail for having that weapon in the walmart (see Keith's post)

I also wonder what condition the rifle was in.

Have you gone liberal on us? That's the exact same thing the libs say about concealed carry: why do you need a gun to go to Walmart? One obvious reason I can think of is that he was headed somewhere to hunt or shoot and he didn't want to leave it in the car where it might get stolen.

Some people don't get all freaked out by people with rifles slung over their backs.....and they live in a more gun controlled country than we do. The freak outs are a gun grabber's dream. No freaking out evident in these photos --just sayin'.









Don't let the libs denormalize gun possession.