Open Carry and the Wife

[nizman]

Hello,

I've been OC'ing for about a year now and joined MOC during a luncheon get-together last fall.  My reasons for OC'ing aren't necessarily for protection, but for public awareness.  In all the time I've been carrying, I've never had any issues, on the contrary, I've had many people come up to me and ask questions or simply extend their thanks.  Up until recently, my wife and kids have been supportive of this activity. 

The only time I was ever worried was when i carried at the local fire station open house.  Of the people there, about 75% were children under age 10.  The place was crawling with officers from the Kent County Sheriff, I toured a incident response van, and some other urban assault vehicles, being shown around by the kind officers, and no one said a word. 

So this July 4th, I strapped on my sidearm and headed off the the local parade with the intention of OC'ing.  When we got there, my wife asked that I not carry or conceal instead of OC for the parade (and we both have our CPL).  I was a bit upset and disappointed by this, so I left the sidearm in the car.  After later discussion, I learned she was very concerned about displaying a gun in such a large public setting.  What if the cops detained us?  What if the women and children saw the gun and sent them into mayhem and panic?  Or maybe, more subtle, what if it simply reminded the crowd about all the recent gun violence around the country and caused them to have a bad day?

Well, I don't believe I'll be OC'ing again in the future if it's going to cause these types of marital issues.  But I had some questions for the group who may have run into something like this before.
- Did anyone OC during this year's 4th festivities?  Any experiences to share (positive or negative)?
- If you did OC at a parade, what was the general reaction?
- Has anyone else have a similar experience (significant other objecting to OC in a particular situation)?  How did you handle it?
- If, by some slim chance, you happened to have been OC'ing at the Caledonia (south of Grand Rapids) parade, let me know how it went.

Thanks,
Bill

[part deux]

you've had nothing but positive experiences and she's worried something "might" happen?

Your intentions are great.

some more ammo
http://dailycaller.com/2015/04/22/the-pro-liberty-choice-dispelling-the-myths-of-open-carry/

[Pond Scum]

Nisman,

I can't comment on July 4th parades and such but we went to the World Record Sundae in Ludington on June 11th.

https://www.facebook.com/houseofflavors/

First some background .... I carry almost all of the time - mostly I CC, on my Goldwing I am mostly OC, upon occasion I am OC just going out and about.  My wife is very supportive of me carrying.  She has her CPL.  She seldom carries but is happy that I am carrying all the time.  For some reason she prefers me to carry OC.  I don't know why ...... maybe she thinks that I will get shot first - she has my life insurance salesman on speed dial!   

Now back to the festival ... I decided to go OC to the event.  Sue picked my Colt 38 Super in bright stainless and Real Elephant Ivory Grips over the American Classic 1911 with green grips.   She liked the white grips with my blue shirt.  - I just figured as long as I was being politically incorrect going OC to a massive children friendly event that the real ivory was a good touch!  And it was better contrast with my shirt!      (Black guns and black shirts are not very noticeable.)   

All of Main Street in Ludington was closed off ... the table was almost 3000 feet long.  About 1000 people helped assemble the sundae and nearly 5,000 extras were on hand to help eat it all.   Lots of crowds, lots of kids, parents, grandparents.  A couple of deputy sheriffs in my section of the table.  No crying or frightened children.  No Moms demanding anything.  Not one comment, question, or funny look about my gun.  Nothing!   Maybe the deputy was checking me out a bit or maybe I just thought he was looking at me ...... One deputy said hi as he was walking by me.  Nothing else.  Absolutely uneventful.   We were there just over 2 hours.

MOC has done such a good job over the years working with local officials that the police know the laws and they know they may see people with holstered guns.  And these deputies knew not to make an issue of it.  I'm sure that even many people in the crowd know about the legality of OC because of the work that MOC has done.  All the publicity we get with our advocacy with schools has really spread the knowledge of OC and 2A rights.

Here I am:





I think it helps that I have grey hair, a bulging belly, and I was there with my wife and 3 of the grandkids.  Also, I'm not dressed in tactical gear with a shaved head, AR15 slung on my back and a drop legged HK Mark 23 sporting a suppressor. 

My experience was excellent.  Your results may vary but I hope you can use my story to help your wife understand that 99.99% of all OC is not an issue. 

-Pondy

[gryphon]

Bill

I personally didn't go to any parades or attend fireworks this year, but I have in the past without problem.  Many in MOC regularly do.  In fact, MOC has participated in three parades in the last six weeks.  The response was very positive.  Here's an excerpt of what one member wrote about one of the parades:

I must say that I have never left an event feeling the way I felt today. When I reached out to St. Clair Shores a few months back about joining their parade there were some obstacles and road blocks involved. As an organization we worked through them, and with the city's blessing, we showed up today at 10:00 AM to the staging area on Little Mack.

This parade is the largest Memorial Day Parade in the state of Michigan, so naturally we thought there was really no greater place to honor those heroes who gave their lives for the very rights we exercise daily.

It was a very slow start to the parade and we didn't really know what to expect from the crowd of spectators. I believe that I speak for everyone involved when I say that in almost 90 degree heat, I had goosebumps.

With men, women, and children present we were cheered and applauded. People stood up as we walked by. Hats were removed. There were thumbs up and whistles were given. Police Officers and Fire Fighters acknowledged us with nods and waives. This was a truly humbling experience.

This was in the June 2016 Newsletter, which you will get monthly if you are a paid member.  Here's a few pics from the recent parades.

[Redwingsrule6971]

I was one of the people who walked in the Memorial Day Parade and the way Johnny described it was accurate. It truly was a great feeling.

We were there for about two hours beforehand as well, with kids and families all around and not one bad remark was made, but several good ones. People really did stand up, clap and point to us as we walked by in the parade, saying thank you for standing up for our rights.

In fact, at one point, I ran into the Burger King to grab something cold to drink and a little boy asked his Mom why the lady had a gun on her. His moms response? "Because she can and she wants to protect herself."

The little boy did nothing, except to finish filling his pop.

The more we OC, the more it becomes the norm and the more it becomes a non-issue.




Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[TheQ]

I no longer believe in celebrating the founding of our national mafia.

In the past, I have attended the Wyandotte 4th of July parade -- amongst the largest in the State. No incidents..really, none. That was in 2013 7 months after Sandy Hook.