[pax]

Got thinking about this. Awhile back my mom accused me of being paranoid. "You sure have a lot of fears," she said -- after I opined that maybe just maybe she & dad should get a lock for the gate into the alleyway behind their house.

Do your friends & relatives think you're paranoid, too?

pax

[CAS700850]

Nah, cause I don't tell them about all the voices... :D

Joking aside, I don't talk about all of the concerns I have, so they don't take me off to see a shrink.

[Rockrivr1]

I was at my parents house about a month or so ago and my Mom asked if we could have a "serious" conversation. I said sure. We sit down and in a very concerned tone she asks me if I think the world is going to come to an end soon. I'm thrown WAY off by this as I was expecting a talk concerning their will or how they want to be buried. Something like that, but I never suspected that.

I asked why she was asking and come to find out my fiance was telling her about the survival stuff I've been hording in my basement along with my firearms collection. I started to laugh and she gets a little angry and says
"I'm serious!"

UH OH :eek: I haven't heard that tone since I was a kid coming home after curfew! Had a "serious" talk with the fiance when I got home.

[mete]

I remember reading a book about the Warsaw Ghetto in WWII. A few people with a few guns made a HUGE difference. When the writer , a teenager at the time , was first seen by his mother with a gun , she asked "what am I raising , a gangster? " She was totally unable to deal with reality as their world collapsed around them........But there is a difference between paranoia and being careful. Wearing a seat belt -is this paranoia ? Having a fire extinguiser in the house ,paranoia ? Locking your doors etc ,etc paranoia ?

[sumpnz]

Just because you're paranoid, it does not mean they aren't really out to get you.

[Mr. James]

Yes.

[Alex45ACP]

You're only "paranoid" until something bad happens.

Then you're "well prepared".

[LeonCarr]

Yes, and I tell them, "Just because you are paranoid, that doesn't mean somebody isn't wanting to kill you".

I believe that when it comes to your safety or the safety of those you care about, it is always better to be proactive and in a heightened state of awareness at all times.

Clint Smith said it best. "People will call you paranoid if you carry a gun. That is ridiculous. If you carry a gun you have nothing to be paranoid of."

Just my .02,
LeonCarr

[taliv]

am i paranoid? no, i'm not really even that concerned

am i perceived as paranoid by most of my non-gunnut friends? yeah. i get those little 'subtle hints' about once/month or so.

[pax]

Rockrivr ~

What a terrible story! :D

I think I'd probably have sat there with my mouth flapping open & shut, something out of the blue like that.

pax

[LiquidTension]

I have been called paranoid on more than one occasion. Funny thing is, I usually evade trouble :rolleyes:

[odysseus]

I would answer this question, but for obvious reasons I will not. :neener:

[pax]

Hey, no fair leaving the stories out!

If someone called you paranoid, or dropped a hint, or whatever -- we want details! Who & when? What'd you say?

pax

[Biker]

Before I answer-are you with the Government?
Biker

[Greg L]

I don't think so. I will plead guilty to being observant of my surroundings & prepared for various things however (the knife in my pocket spends most of it's "in use" time opening packages/mail).

The people who chuckle at my "parinoia" also seem to be the first to call if they need help with/a solution to a problem of theirs :scrutiny: .

[Sawdust]

I have a good friend who called me paranoid when he found out that I carried "even at home". I kept telling him that you *never* know what is going to happen, even here in the "safest city in the country".

Then we had that crazy dude shoot three people, carjack a truck at gunpoint, beat a woman to death, beat three other people including two children, and wound a cop before killing himself in the Simi WalMart.

The initial killings occurred right around the corner from my good friend's house.

He no longer thinks that I am paranoid; he, in fact, now carries a PM9...even at home.

Sawdust

[Bobo]

No, but I am getting more and more "concerned".
Many "older" people don't see, or don't want to see the changes that have occurred over time. The world is becoming more and more dangerous for individuals. As a result self-protection is becoming more and more necessary. It's really too bad, but it's true.

[thereisnospoon]

I'm not paranoid, really.

Why do you ask?

Who are you anyway and why do you want to know if I'm paranoid.

Are you with the gov't?

Are you from Dr. Hannibal's office, cause if you are I'm not going back.

Why do you ask so many questions.

I can't talk now, I've got to go clean my guns...


I'm not paranoid, really......am I ?

[Twycross]

I don't think so. I will plead guilty to being observant of my surroundings & prepared for various things however (the knife in my pocket spends most of it's "in use" time opening packages/mail).
+1. Some of my family members think I am paranoid though. Lucky for me, they don't know about the half-dozen times I have cleared the house while they were asleep, because I thought I heard someone walking around, or opening a door (all false alarms, BTW).

[CGofMP]

I'm not going to answer such a question from a poster who is obviously a federal agent trying to pry into my personal affairs! Lets just say this AGENT PAX that you and the rest of the FBI's secret cadre couldn't get me by having my neighbors spy on me (YEA don't think I did not notice my neighbors walking their dogs and then occasionally surreptitiously LOOKING at MY HOUSE) - that's why I nailed plywood over my windows! And you couldn't do it with the bugs you planted in my office in my water cup - that's why I only drink pure grain alcohol and rainwater! In fact you could not do it with the Martian brain wave reading machine because *I* am smart enough AGENT PAX to keep you out of my head using my special hat made of Reynolds Wrap.

Oh yea, nice try on your attempt AGENT PAX on turning my dog against me ! But THAT wont work either!

http://mishami.image.pbase.com/u19/twwilliams/upload/36310024._MG_1536.jpg

NOBODY ANSWER PAX's Question! They will come and get you!

[mikewilczynski]

Mostly of the government

[Biker]

In truth, I'm not paranoid, just aware. I've seen a lot of violence in this world, largely because of the way I've lived. The fact is, when it happens, it happens here and right *now*. There's no time to get trained, no time to go home and get a gun-sometimes not even time to acsess the one you're wearing-and the police will arrive after it is over. You are the only one who can protect you and yours. Bottom line.
Biker

[thereisnospoon]

Okay, real answer.....yes.

And my family has many concerms about me. They don't understand why I carry a gun in Church, of all places. I told them it was to make sure the preacher kept to the Good Book and not bring in any of the new age crap. They didn't think that was funny.

They also think its weird that each of my vehicles is equipped standard with a rifle of some sort.(legally of course).

The best though was when we had some friends over for dinner from church. The guy is a gun enthusoast and Champoin Competition pistol shooter. His wife pretends to hate guns.

So were talking after eating and she (my friends wife) says something like, "so your wife says you have something like 30-40 rifles in your gun closet, is that true?"

I do a quick count in my head and think not even half that but let's play along...."yeah, so?" I reply.

What do you need all those guns for?" she asks.

"So I can arm the neighborhood when the SHTF." I say

Her eyes got as big as saucers until she realized I was joking (not really, but I convinced her I was).

Later that night I ask my wife, did you really tell her I had 30-40 guns in my collection?

"Yes" she says.

I'm thinking....AWESOME, I can go get more guns to fill the gap!

[Master Blaster]

I don't know who called me Paranoid but apparently they were out to get me. :scrutiny:

[KadicDeshi]

I was at a Coltons restaurant with my younger brother and sister (24 and 20 at the time) and a co-worker of my sister's. My brother made a comment that he found particularly funny and nudged me in the ribs when I wasn't laughing (he sometimes has a rather ... crude ... sense of humor). At least, he tried to hit my ribs. What he got was my GI Springer in my shoulder holster. He threw his hands out and proclaimed in a loud voice, "Get off me, dog! I can't believe you're wearing that!" I just shrugged and was going to let it go but he kept on with statements like "You just wear that to feel big," and "Oh, no, the waiter's gonna mug you!" until he realized that I was ignoring him and that everyone else at the table was tired of hearing him run his mouth.

The next day I found out that the same restaurant we'd been in had been robbed at gunpoint the previous week. I didn't bother saying anything to my brother about it, because I knew he wouldn't care or change his mind.

My sister, however, asked me to help her pick out a pistol and where she should go to get her AR CHL. :D

[Flyboy]

I think you posted in the wrong thread. That story belongs in the "you know you're a gun nut when..." thread.

:D

[The Freeholder]

My wife always accuses me of being paranoid. Until a hurricane hits, or the power goes off, or a tornado is sighted, or there's a lot of noise at an odd time, or....

I've stopped worrying about it. But I think the next time the lights go out, I may get confused about where the spare batteries are. :evil:

[skidmark]

My current ladyfriend put me through the "are you paranoid" inquisition when we first met -- about 5 years ago. All the why do you need a gun, why do you need to carry a gun, how come you have a gun if nothing ever happens ( :what: ), sort of stuff for a few years. Not every time we got together, not every time we went out - but often enough for me to be more than aware of it as an "issue." Went on for about 3 years.

One night we were coming out of a classical music concert at the local university. Late night (after 11:30, but I do not recall the exact time) and very overcast. As usual, streetlights do not work, and we are parked about 3 blocks away. Now I used to be a college student myself, even if it was when racoon coats were still the rage :D . So I am already set to defuse the alarms quickly if we see college kids out and about. Instead, I pick up on a shadow in an alley we have to pass by. It's just beyond the edge, not far enough in to be somebody wanting not to be noticed (drunk, sick, date a bit more willing than first presumed - what?) and too far in to be somebody trying to avoid the wind (of which there was none).

So I steer her over to the edge of the sidewalk closest to the street and move to the inside position while telling her I may want her to move out into the street quickly. She gives me the deer-in-the-headlight look for a second and then asks if there is something that is "bothering" me. As we get to about 10 feet from the alley I decide we are going to walk in the street and as I tell her to move I sort of nudge (OK, I pushed her, but in a loving way) her into the street. My off hand goes from around her waist to grabbing a bit of clothing at the small of her back so I can steer her while my strong hand gets a good combat grip.

We clear the alley and return to the sidewalk after about 20 feet, and I do a quick check of our 6, swing around to the outside again and we go merrily on our way.

Next AM's paper has a story about a couple who were mugged there about 30 minutes after we went by. I show it to her.

I am no longer "paranoid."

stay safe.

skidmark

[GhostRider66]

Just ask them how crazy anyone would have sounded on September 10 if they had thought of the possibility of someone flying a highjacked plane into a skyscraper (let alone two). Truth is you probably would have gotten locked up and your head examined. Doesn't sound so crazy now, does it?

[Justin]

Do your friends & relatives think you're paranoid, too?
They think it's part of my charm.

[hkOrion]

Yes. People think i'm paranoid. Then again, I don't think they're paranoid enough.

[2nd Amendment]

My (immediate) family feels about the same as I do regarding the government(or what passes for such these days) so I'm simply better prepared than they are. :) I pick and choose friends so I don't have any problem there, either. Beyond that tiny group everyone is just an aquaintance and so what they think isn't known...or cared about.

[P95Carry]

Depends a little whether you treat the word in dictionary definition terms, or in ''vernacular'' terms. Many folks forget the true meaning and just use it suggest a person is ''worrying too much''.

I do not regard my outlook as paranoid per se - way too stong a word - tho some I have come across consider my constant carry and other attitudes do comprise paranoia! :p They are welcome to their opinion!!

I prefer to just use the label ''eccentric'' - it makes folks laugh more :D

I consider daily life to be plain ol' condition yellow - enough to keep aware and observant of the environment around me and the stataus quo at national level. If you will - low level threat analysis.

I don't regard this as paranoia - just a wish to survive!

[DarthBubba]

Paranoid, What?!, Who Me?!, Who told you to ask that?!!!!! :scrutiny:

You are one of them, Yes yes I see it now.
The voices, the voices they say they don't like you!!!! :uhoh:

All kidding aside some of my friends think I lost it when I moved out of town and went to working odd hours to be a rancher and shooting enthusiast.
One even asked me if I had become a survivalist, Not realizing that my family had been ranching since the 1890's and I had always wanted to be a cowboy.
If you change your life and do what you want people will always think you have gone funny in the head.
Woe be unto he that does so with an enthusiasm for shooting you will be called every thing from paranoid survival nut to a creepy militia member.
Hey I am normal and I am still me I am just doing what I have always wanted to do.
And to all of you poor bastards out there still just getting by to get by, you will never feel better until you do what you want, come on out of there and join me on the self reliable happy at doing a good days work for your self conservative fringe.

DarthBubba :evil:

[entropy]

No. It's just that I think about what might posssibly happen beforehand , instead of when it happens or after. Those who are in condition 'white' deem situational awareness paranoia until after the fact.

[grimjaw]

A friend of mine, when seeing that I had a gun stashed in a odd (to her) place, called me paranoid. I disagreed, but didn't get too deep into it.

I feel about it the same way I do about insurance on health or property. Why pay for something that you hope you never need? Because you'll be glad you had it when it's there. It's only expensive if you never need it. Hell, at least I can sell my guns or pass them on if I never need them. Can't say that about my health plan or my auto insurance. When did it ever hurt to be prepared? I'm sure some people go overboard, but if the aliens do ever land with rayguns, there's going to be some formerly paranoid weirdo who becomes our last, best defense, tin hat and all.

jmm

[pax]

I'm sure some people go overboard, but if the aliens do ever land with rayguns, there's going to be some formerly paranoid weirdo who becomes our last, best defense, tin hat and all.
:D :D :D

grimjaw, you win the prize for the funniest response.

pax

[scottgun]

Some may call it being paranoid, I call it being prepared.

I'm an Eagle Scout and our motto is to be prepared. You're only paranoid till you need to use it, then you're prepared.

Just like some will say that insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results, I call that practice.

[Dave R]

They called Burt Gummer paranoid, too....

..then later in the movie, they said they'd have to stop making fun of his lifestyle. That's because the giant pre-cambrian worms had....uh, never mind. I just figured out how silly that sounds.

Nahhh. I don't believe the world is coming to an end. And I don't think the waiter is going to mug me. And my wife doesn't even think I'm crazy. After going through the Loma Preta earthquake, and then moving to FL just in time for Hurricane Andrew, she sees the value of being prepared.

So nobody gives me any grief.

[sssteinkamp]

We all have fire extinguishers and smoke alarms in our homes, not because we have created reasonable-sounding but fallacious arguments regarding the actual level of threat of fire in our homes, but because such items are prudent and have been shown to save lives.

This just happened yesterday:

Video Link (http://tinyurl.com/9nzll)

That's one of our clients. I knew those people, and worked with them regularly. Excrement can hit the fan anywhere, anytime...

Shane

[Standing Wolf]

Several people have tried to raise the issue of "paranoia" with me; no one to date, however, has been able to counter my objection that there's nothing "paranoid" about keeping a flash light, first aid kit, water, and some old clothing in my car, along with spare tire and some tools.

I've never encountered an accusation of "paranoia" that wasn't thinly disguised anti-Second Amendment bigotry.

[lucky_fool]

Like I always say, it's better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it.

[Flyboy]

My dad went off the deep end when he found out I carry. He's not anti-gun (though he doesn't see why anybody would "need" a .50BMG), but he's convinced that 1) I don't need to carry, and 2) I'm more likely to get in legal trouble for carrying than I am to need the gun. On the latter point, I'm inclined to think he's the paranoid one: the last person I recall hearing on the news using a concealed handgun in this area was just across the Arkansas border. He used a .22, wounding a would be carjacker. The official response came when the mayor called a press conference, called the guy a hero, and presented him with two new, larger caliber, pistols.

Mom's cool with it, and she's starting to think about carrying herself. Dayton (and surrounding areas) is starting to get ugly. The first thing she needs to do is dump 5/3 Bank, though.

Friends? Every one of them is cool with it. In fact, a couple have asked me to take them shooting and asked for my advice on what they should get for their own defense. One even asked me to take her shooting to help her get over her fear of guns (posted about that several months ago).

In general, no, people don't seem to think I'm paranoid, and I don't make much effort to keep quiet about the fact that I carry.

[sssteinkamp]

The official response came when the mayor called a press conference, called the guy a hero, and presented him with two new, larger caliber, pistols.

WOW! Anybody got a link to that story?

Shane

[NineseveN]

Be polite. Be professional. And have a plan to kill everyone you meet


That about sums it up. My current GF calls me paranoid. I laugh at her. She's no anti and shoots competition once a month, has grown up around guns all her life, but she sees no real reason for my Target FAL with 20x Scope and bipod, the 12guage, the AK, the handful of handguns or the .45 that is strapped to my hip even while cooking dinner...or the thousands of rounds of ammo, my field surgery kit, my bug-out bags or my tactical vests...

But someday she'll get it, I think. ;)

[RevDisk]

Used to.

At work? I had a bad feeling. Bad, bad, bad feeling. I was a short timer and about to go back to the States, so people laughed it off as me just being 'nervous' and 'paranoid'. Our replacements showed up, and I briefed them and warned them. They laughed it off also. Very shortly after I got back to the States, I was proved right. SHTF, in a bad way.

Some of my friends got trapped in a church, Alamo style, fighting off people trying to molotov the place with them inside. Few weeks beforehand, we were at the range, cracking jokes and shooting off plenty of rounds. For a couple seconds, my brain kinda locked in "I gotta help them! Where's my rifle!" mode and then reality kicked back in. I was half a world away, and I could see my replacements screwing up live on CNN.

No US fatalties, but a fair number of civilians died because of the inaction of the replacements. My buddies were reinforced by a relief column. (Say they were rescued, and they'd likely punch ya in the face.)

My coworkers don't call me paranoid anymore. Now it's 'insightful'.

[Taurus 66]

I've been told by so many I'm paranoid because I not only carry, but for the fact that I own rifles and shotguns too.

So let me get this straight:

Our soldiers have advanced military weaponry, so this means they're super paranoid, right? I say to those soldiers, "Show no cowardice nor paranoia. Be Brave! Lay down your weapons and extend out a hand shake to your enemy".

Our police must be paranoid too ... go figure.

Firearm industries are in the business of manufacturing weapons of mass paranoia. They are an evil empire who prey and capitalize upon everyone's fears.

Then there's all of you here. You're all so frikkin' paranoid!

:p

[Flyboy]

It was the Scott Eizember case back in late 2003; the would-be victims were Dr. and Mrs. Samuel Peebles, but I can't find any information on the mayor's presentation. I do remember being impressed, though.

[Monkeyleg]

My best friend thinks I'm completely paranoid. I posted a thread awhile back about him. He thinks that, just because our little neighborhood is nice, that none of the dirtballs from the surrounding areas are going to bother me or my wife.

It's like talking to a wall when I explain that the manager of the Burger King around the block was shot in the head in the parking lot, or that the manager of a bank nearby was kidnapped, taken to the bank to open the vault, then shot. No matter what incidents I cite, he thinks that I wouldn't be able to shoot in such a situation. He believes that because he believes he couldn't shoot anyone. Projection.

Oddly enough, my parents (who are in their upper 80's) understand completely. My oldest brother has been attacked several times. So, when he's in town and we're showing each other our carry guns, the folks don't get upset.

[Zach S]

Sorry pax, I have no interesting stories, I probably would if I had a better memory though.

I've been called paraniod by a lot of the girls I've dated for the simple reason that I own a gun and carry it. At that point I know its going downhill and I'm pretty much ready to take her back home, which would normally happen when I mention that I have a lot more (at the moment, I think 12) at home.

Some members of my family used to call me paraniod, which is odd given the experiances that some of us are old enough to remember. They used to call me paraniod because I got sick of hearing it and normally replied with "Dont you remember when [something happened]."

I cant remember the circumstances of when my grandmother called me paraniod, and it wasnt what I said in my reply that I felt bad about, but the tone I had when I said it. Evidently I got my point accross because she hasnt said anything else about it. Then again, she may still be thinking the same thing, but she doesnt say anything about it, even on when a lot of the family is over at her house and I put my pistol on top of the fridge to play some football. I guess it would fall into the same catagory as my hair, she hates the fact that I have long hair, but she doesnt say anything about it, anymore.

Ironicly, the two youngest never said anything about it. Outside of a few jokes, Mom hasn't either.

[chris in va]

My female friend did...at first. After I settled into having the CCW I 'lightened up' some and in turn made her relax a bit. Any trace of doubt however was erased after several people got jacked up just before I moved from that nasty town I was in.

She calls me her "bodyguard" now... :rolleyes:

[NIGHTWATCH]

Not paranoid but "funny". I was a funny guy, until the LA riots encouraged some chaos in brooklyn. Until 9-11. Until the power outage that left the eastcoast in the dark. Then I was not funny. Then I was a "close friend" that we can go to....hah! :D


People are funny.......we get the last laugh though.

[brickeyee]

Just because you are paranoid does not mean they are not out to get you.

[CajunBass]

They used to, until I told them about the mutant ninja gummy bears from space. Now they understand. :what:

[KriegHund]

My friend calls me paranoid for keeping a couple of gallons of water in various bottles.

I just tell him "Just dont come to me if the water ever stops flowing..."

Whoa...spelling went wierd on me...

[Texian Pistolero]

NO!

I no longer see black helicopters in the night.

(Now it's black V-22 Ospreys.)

I am NOT paranoid. quadranoid, maybe.

[R.H. Lee]

Nobody who knows me considers me paranoid. They've remarked at how much I notice that they don't see (or didn't pay attention to). My stress level is lower when I'm not armed, however.

[Hardtarget]

Though I've never been called paranoid,(straight out), I have seen a raised eyebrow a time or two. I cut 'em short with "don't start on me 'bout that". They're not going to change my mind and I'll probably not change their's either. I just point out that I'll be prepaired...they can do as they please.
Mark.

[P95Carry]

My stress level is lower when I'm not armed, however. That Riley almost seems a paradox!!! I am more ''uncomfortable'' shall we say if not carrying - I am incomplete!!

[Byron Quick]

Some of my carrying friends have said that I'm paranoid. No problem. Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they aren't out to get you. Paranoids have enemies, too.

I've been on the short end of odds of several thousand to one on several occasions. The universe is trying to get me. It's already killed all of my ancestors.

[Preacherman]

Reminds me of when I was part of a church group trying to help the victims of violence in another country back in the 1980's. I wasn't a pastor at the time, just another layman, but well-armed. The members of the group were good people, and genuinely committed to our work, but all of them, without exception, were very, very uncomfortable around me, because I was always armed. The general feeling seemed to be that "We're in the business of helping the victims of violence, but you're constantly prepared to be violent, and there's a disconnect here". I simply nodded at their comments, and went on carrying.

One night, while we were in an area that had seen a lot of communal violence, our group was attacked by one of the "mobs" involved. Things got very hairy indeed, and three of our group were injured, one seriously. The only reason more weren't injured, and none were killed, is that I used my weapon to end the attack and get us to safety.

Thereafter, it was noticeable that some of the members of our group would refuse to go into "problem areas" unless and until I was around! :D

[crucible]

Thanks Preacherman-for that and your service.

Chris

[Khaotic]

Not only did I used to get some strange looks from friends because I carry a few weapons and tools at all times, but the primary cause was a set of editorials written a few years back under a different name along the lines of 'this is how it's going to go down' - they were upsetting to some folk, and caused more than a few paranoiac comments.

I'll note that two middle-of-nowhere automotive breakdowns and a couple close run-ins with bad, bad people caused a good bit of viewpoint changing - you can't fault someone for carrying a small kit of tools, when he fixes the broken down car 44 miles from the nearest rest stop and service station.

The biggie is the editorials however, given that every single one was spot-on, and now all those folks who went on about how 'paranoid' they were and did not heed said advice to prevent the situation, have come back now that it's too LATE to do anything about it asking for advice.

Not gonna repeat my responses, as the language was rather 'colorful'.. but they don't make those comments any more, no.

-K

[Clean97GTI]

When my mother moved from Las Vegas to a smaller town in another state, she went on and on about how nice and quiet it was there. She said she felt safer and more relaxed. Understandable as Las Vegas seems to move at a frantic pace sometimes, and being a fairly large city (approx 2 million people now) crime is a concern. She, being the cops daughter, always was careful to lock doors on the house and car. The gate was locked and all accesible windows had a dowel or bar in the track. Even if you managed to jimmy the lock, the window would be nexto impossible to open. She also kept a S&W model 19-? that was her fathers service weapon when he walked a beat in Los Angeles. Yes folks, I said walked in LA...thats how long he was a cop there (1949-1973 I think) Always careful about security.

Anyway, I go and see her and my grandfather who has recently moved in with her. I hear them talking in the backyard when I get out of my truck. A quick Hello! over the fence and they came out to greet me. I then proceeded to grab my duffle and walked to the front door. I waited for my grandfather to unlock it for me (its a long walk around the back fence with a 50 pound bag in hand as well as boxes.
Well, he just walks right up and opens the door! :what:
I asked her why they don't lock the doors.
Her answer floored me.

"Because the only crime around here is HS kids getting a little rowdy and drag racing."

Well, thats nice mom, are you sure thats all?
"Yes??? *puzzled look*"
What I mean is, are you willing to bet your life on it?
"I don't think anything is going to happen and thats one of the nice things about living here, I don't have to be afraid anymore."
I guess ignorance really is bliss. :banghead:

needless to say, I expected MUCH more out of mom who grew up in LA and spent over 30 years in Las Vegas. I expected a lot more from my grandfather, the cop, who taught her everything about home security.

You'll understand if I don't mention the town in a public forum.

[21H40]

When we first got in country I made my soldiers unload each magazine (we were only given a couple ... not a "full load" for whatever command decision) and inspect each round before we'd leave the gates because I didn't trust the ammo or magazines provided my company. In the first month I turned in almost 30 rounds that were dented, bent or corroded enough that I didn't trust them. There were also 3 magazines that had been damaged to the point that the follower stopped moving after 5 rounds were removed. I checked my soldier's rifles/saw's for cleanliness/lubrication. We're in Kuwait. It's at least as safe as it is back home. :scrutiny: I was called paranoid more than once. At least I know that IF my guys have to shoot, their weapons will work. :cool:

[XLMiguel]

No one has caled me "paranoid", but I have gotten the "what do you need a gun for", or "we live in a safe/nice area" drivel.

I usually respond with a short synopsis of the local crime stats, along the lines of 'within one mile of where we're standing in the last 12 months there have been 2 homocides, three rapes/attempted rapes, several warm burglaries, a couple of car-jackings (at the metro lot), one drive-by, and there are 5 registered sex offenders'. I lso point out that nice neighborhoods are where the scummies like to go 'shopping'. 9-1-1 response is usually under 10 minutes, but a lot can happen in 10 minutes, so my question to you is, "why don't you have a gun?"

The usual response is a slack-jawed blank stare or "well, uh, well, uh, well, uh . . . " I their attention span permits, I ask if they have fire insurance or a fire extinguisher, sometimes point out that the police have no obligation to come and protect them, etc. I also allow as maybe guns aren't for everyone, but everyone ought to have a plan. We have enough weather-related 'events' that some sort of preparedness has proven desireable, but like everything else, some get it, most don't.

You can lead a whore to culture, but you can't make her think.

[GunGoBoom]

I am *not* paranoid....be back later, got to go build another AFDB:

http://zapatopi.net/afdb.html

[petrel800]

A couple months ago here in Atlanta when we had the "alleged" court house killer Brian Nichols on the loose, I pulled the AR out of the closet. After loading it and putting it on safe, I proped it up against the wall next to my bed. When my girlfriend saw it she said that I was taking this a little to far and that I was Paranoid.

When I woke up the next morning, I turned the TV on and while flipping through the channels, I wound up on Fox News and low and behold they were releasing the information about the customs agent that was killed, less than two miles from my house.

I asked my girlfriend if I was still paranoid. Its funny how reality will change a person quick.

I cherish moments like that. Its not everyday that a woman will admit, you were right, I was wrong.

[Missashot]

Haven't been called paranoid, but I did get asked "Why?" when I told several friends and family members that I had started carring concealed. I explained that I have a baby to protect and since I have to walk with a crutch, I figure that bullets will travel a lot faster than I can! :neener:

[mete]

Back about 1970 we had double digit inflation in crime in this country ,17% IIRC. Yes that did create a great increase in applications for CCW here in NY state. Were they all paranoid ?

[tuna]

Overseas, everyone thought I was paranoid when I was a driver between two different bases during OIF and I just laughed it off and continued what I was doing. One guy I was driving started asking me why I was doing what I was doing...
Q - Why don't you stop or slow down for pedestrians/children/goats etc
A - Easier to hit a stationary target, I'm not stopping till we get there

Q - Why were you pointing a gun at the local cop that stopped us (gun was under my leg, spare gun was in view of cop)
A - US Contractor in Kuwait got killed by a cop a while back

Q - Why don't you just drive around the goat herd instead of through it (no I wasn't running over goats, I was doing pretty well at dodging them, but I wouldn't have lost any sleep over hitting one)
A- Hard to put mines / IEDs in pavement, pretty easy to put in dirt

Q - Why do you think everyone is out to get us
A - At least one of them is, if you can tell me who, I'll ignore the rest

After that trip, that was my permanant detail, as requested by those that had to take the trip.

[grimjaw]

Q - Why do you think everyone is out to get us
A - At least one of them is, if you can tell me who, I'll ignore the rest

I near fell out of my chair laughing at that!

Hope you're safe home, tuna.

jmm

[NineseveN]

Q - Why do you think everyone is out to get us
A - At least one of them is, if you can tell me who, I'll ignore the rest


Best.
Line.
Ever.

Thank you. Hope you are safe and sound.

[tuna]

Glad the story is appreciated. Yes, I'm home safe and sound, thanks for the concern, but there are still a bunch over there who need your thoughts and prayers.

[NineseveN]

No doubt Tuna, have some buds over there right now, a few of them home hoepfully for the duration. Send them prayers and pizza! :)

Hope you don't mind if I steal that line of yours from time to time, it is priceless hehe.

[TallPine]

Nobody, at least out loud - but who knows what they're thinking...? ;)

And I open carry most of the time, too.

We have a really weird neighbor (but hopefully not for too much longer) and my wife's friends seem to appreciate it when I escort them back out to their car after dark.

[MikeIsaj]

People think I'm paranoid because, I AM! Paranoia guides my life everyday.

I use a seat belt because I am paranoid about the other driver.

I lock my pool gate because I am paranoid about a child drowning in my pool.

I look before I cross a street because I am afraid a car may hit me.

I watch my children because I have an unreasonable fear that there are bad people out there wanting to hurt them.

I carry because I am paranoid that one of the thousands of criminals I have dealt with may hold a grudge.

A common thread here is that many of us have been called paranoid, until someone needs help.

In Beirut I was called paranoid for having my men fill sandbags every day for a month or so. When they blew up the Marine barracks next to us, no one thought I was paranoid while they pulled plate glass and rebar out of the sandbags they slept next to. Two hundred feet away, I had 39 men and no casualties. Call me paranoid all you want.

[Phil Ca]

Some years ago a fellow employee at the govdotorg agency I worked for was charging me with all sorts of malfeasance trash and I was under investigation by his elected official doing a Congressional Inquiry. The "Inquisition" was being conducted by a senior aid of he elected official who brought out a stenographer and a weasel type lawyer with him.

As I entered the hearing room I was greeted and invited to have a seat. As I walked to my chair I asked, "Well, what does my friend - - - have to say about me this time?" The little weasely looking lawyer looked up and declared in a loud voice, "He's paranoid, he's paranoid!" I looked at him, smiled, and said back just as loudly, "I am not paranoid, I KNOW that - - - is out to get me!" The Inquisitor said, "We cannot tell you who is the accuser as that is an 'anonomous' person. Before I moved another step towards the chair I stopped and smiled and said, "In that case we have nothing further to discuss and you folks have a nice weekend in SF at government expense!" I turned as if to exit the room and the Grand Inquistor laughed and said, "OK, come on back, his name is - - -, allright?" I said that I just wanted the record straight and that we would not be playing games around some anomonous entity that meant nothing.

During the next hour I put to rest the charges against me and blew - - -'s whole "case" against me out of the water. I ws supposed to have cheated on my time sheet, misused a goverment vehicle for personal reasons, comandeered a government vehicle when it was taking an ill employee to the government hospital and a few other charges that are not even worth remembering.

My accuser tried some other tactics including suing me and 50 "et als" for 2 Million dollars each. The federal judge declared the charges bogus and dismissed the case. My nemisis went to Texas to pick up a plane that his uncle left him and he went up and crashed within sight of the runway. I'll admit that I wanted him to go away but not that way He had a law degree and was a bright person but had a one track mind. He saw himself as the Lone Ranger and I saw myself as Batman and we were like two trains headed towards each other on the same track. When I was served with the papers for the phony lawsuit I knew that he was likely down the street with a camera and telphoto lens recording my facial expressions. I kept my face expressionless and thanked the person serving me the papers.

No one else has ever called me "paranoid" that I am aware of.

[secamp32]

Until we almost got stuck in Miami during a hurricane and she realized how defenceless we would have been. The same goes for the water purification filter and flashlights I always bring on vacation. Clean water was hard to come by after the storm! I'm not paranoid, I'm prepared. :neener:

[svtruth]

I do not have a CCW (new to shooting and in NE) but I do spend a lot of time on boats. When I anchor for the night, I don't just chuck it over the side. I look at the wind, tide, sea state, other boats if any, remember what the forecast said about any changes. I back down on the anchor, take cross bearings which I check before bed. Before I go below, I double check the anchor line for chafe.
When I get up for my midnight squirt (57 year old prostate) I check wind, waves and my cross bearings.
In that setting it is not called paranoia, it is called seamanship and is generally to be admired.
IMHO calling someone paranoid is actually an attempt at denial that danger exists.

[grampster]

One is only paranoid when one has a holstered .45 1911 hanging from the soap ona rope cord in the shower. :what:

[NineseveN]

One is only paranoid when one has a holstered .45 1911 hanging from the soap ona rope cord in the shower.

Dude, who let you in my bathroom?!?! :what:

:uhoh:
:eek:
:scrutiny:

[Working Man]

Q - Why do you think everyone is out to get us
A - At least one of them is, if you can tell me who, I'll ignore the rest

Words to live by. :D

[ctdonath]

Why would I be paranoid? I've got a gun ... and fire extinguisher ... and seat belt ... and steel-toed boots ... and ...

What's odd is that the ones who label ME paranoid are the ones who are constantly expressing fear about all kinds of things going wrong - things which, go figure, they haven't prepared for.

Reminds me that my cardiologist expressed reserved skepticism about my gun ownership (couldn't hide it when carrying "In The Gravest Extreme" and the like at the time) ... until right after 9/11, when he asked what kind of gun he should get. Ditto those who laughed at me about survival preparedness ... until Y2K appraoched, and they said they would be visiting me if anything went wrong - and their chuckles were obviously a thin veil over their seriousness in saying so.

All too often, it's not those labeled paranoid who are afraid - it's the ones doing the labelling.

[ctdonath]

Paranoia Quotes


I was walking home one night and a guy hammering on a roof called me a paranoid little weirdo. In morse code.
-Emo Phillips

No matter how paranoid I get, it's never enough to keep up.

The question is not whether I'm paranoid, it's whether I'm paranoid enough.

The truly paraniod are rarely conned.

Doesn't matter if I'm paranoid - they're still after me.

I sincerely believe people talk about me. Mine would be a pretty meaningless existance if they didn't.

Why are some people terrified of "black helicopters" and don't even notice that they are being monitored almost constantly by the whole network of obvious surveilance cameras, credit cards, ATMs, EZpass, company ID/access cards, magazine subscriptions, SSNs, taxes, fees, video rentals, Internet firewall recording, 'cookies', ... ?

Paranoia: the belief that someone cares.

Paranoia is the belief in a hidden order behind the visible.

When everyone is out to get you, paranoia is only good thinking.

"Paranoia is knowing all the facts."
- Woody Allen

"Paranoia is just another word for longevity."
- Laurell K. Hamilton, The Laughing Corpse

"Perfect paranoia is perfect awareness."

"Paranoia is reality seen on a finer scale."
- Philo Gant, Strange Days

"The issue is not whether you are paranoid, the issue is whether you are paranoid enough."
- Max, Strange Days

"Why are you so paranoid, Mulder?"
"Oh, I don't know. Maybe it's because I find it hard to trust anybody."
- Scully & Mulder, The X-Files, "Ascension"

Paranoia strikes deep
Into your life it will creep
It starts when you're
always afraid. You step out
of line, the man come and
take you away.

"I don't agonize over decisions as much these days. The criteria of what's important to me is clear. The insecurity that you feel, and the paranoia that you feel, have been around for a long time -- you know it's a liar because it's been lying to you all along -- every time you start something new. You get used to it, and you sort of go, 'Oh, you're showing up again, well f*** you.'"
- John Cusack

Freedom is just a hallucination created by a pathological lack of paranoia.

Paranoia doesn't mean the whole world really isn't out to get you.

If you ever wanted to know what a person with acute paranoia looks like, just keep watching.

I have the power to channel my imagination into ever-soaring levels of suspicion and paranoia.

Paranoia is heightened awareness.

Paranoia is a social disease--you get it from screwing other people.

"Paranoia is the delusion that your enemies are organized."
- Arthur D. Hlavaty.

"This is the Nineties, Bubba, and there is no such thing as Paranoia. It's all true."
- Hunter S Thompson

"There are two kinds of paranoia: Total, and insufficient. I am both, because if you think you are sufficiently paranoid, you're not."
- Guildenstern, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead

"The truly paranoid are clever enough to not *act* paranoid."
- Q, Star Trek: The Next Generation

"When everyone _is_ out to get to you, being paranoid isn't going to help." -
- Q, Star Trek: The Next Generation

"When did you get so paranoid?"
"When they started plotting against me."
- The Paper

"Paranoia is only the leading edge of the discovery that everything in the world is connected."
- `The Illuminatus Trilogy'

When you've been through everything I have, paranoia is merely a precaution!

Paranoia is not the belief that everybody's out to get you -- they are.
Paranoia is the belief that everybody's conspiring to get you.

The greater the concentration of power, the greater the paranoia it generates about its need to destroy everything outside itself.

I love this job. Nothing like paranoia and neurosis. Who needs a Coke habit? I've got journalism!!

There's something inherently American about paranoia. Given the increasing scarcity of rational things to fear in 20th century American society, we dream up theories whose inevitable result is the chaotic disruption of our comfortable, orderly life-usually with dastardly consequences. I think we get a perverse thrill that comes from it.

"Mulder, are you suggesting that we somehow create our own quirky focal points of paranoia, as a result of the lack of things that are worth fearing in our day-to-day lives? That we're not whole as beings without something to worry about, something to keep our eye on?"
"That's my point exactly, Scully. What if, in a society characterized by a Goldilocks economy, we can't find anything to worry about? What if we somehow go looking for things to fear, things that will destroy this economy, things that will reach every corner of government, every
enterprise, every man, woman, and child?"
- X-Files

[NineseveN]

Update, had a discussion with the lil lady today. We were talking about how she once said I was paranoid, I asked if she thought I was paranoid because of all the guns...

"It's not just that"

Well, what else then?

"your, well, how many first aid/field surgery kits do you have?"

I have 2 FA kits, on FS kit. One FA in the car, the other and the FS kit is at home. You keep Band-Aids, alcohol, antiseptic/peroxide in the bathroom, right? Well, that great if we break a dish or a wine glass and cut our hands. What happens if one of our window panes breaks or something more serious happens? That's where my stuff comes in. Nothing wrong with that. So what else?

"All the ammo? and Your 100 water purification tablets? How many gallons is that for?"

Look, I buy in bulk to save money. You buy frozen pizzas by the dozen because it saves money. I order ammo and camping supplies online in bulk for the same reason.

"Oh, I didn't know that. Okay, look, you carry your gun EVERYWHERE. It's always near you in the house, you have a rifle in the trunk of your car, handgun on your hip and a bag full of survival supplies in your trunk as well...little paranoid?"

Okay, look, I have an overnight bag in the trunk. Sleeping bag, radio, flashlight, basic tools, a knife, mostly camping things. I drive 70 miles to work everyday, what happens if I break down? As for the gun on my hip, you're allergic to bees right?

"Yes."

And you carry that epi-pen in your purse, right?

"uh, yeah."

Well, I'm allergic to disaster. *patting my hip* THIS is MY epi-pen, okay?

"Okay, I understand then, the rifle though?"

Someone said online the other day something that really made sense to me. I don't think EVERYONE is out to get me, but I can be sure that someone might be. if you can tell me who that someone is, I'll ignore everyone else. It's like bringing a condom on a date. it doesn't mean you know you're going to score, but you have it, because if you need one, chances are you REALLY need one.


We had a god laugh at that. She decided I wasn't paranoid, but I was something more than just prepared. We're in the process of trying to agree on a word to define the level just above simple preparation, but not unstable like being paranoid.

Let you know how it turns out. :D

[P95Carry]

Well, I'm allergic to disaster. *patting my hip* THIS is MY epi-pen, okay? I like that - a LOT!!! :)

[Ryder]

Those who know me don't insinuate I fear anything. Maybe behind my back but I've accomplished some amazing feats that most won't attempt so probably not. Who cares what a bunch of sissies think anyway? :D

Some strangers do seem paranoid of me. Little old ladies scurrying to get out of my way always causes me a big smile :) Men hold doors for me from far away. I suppose they worry I might take offense if they don't? I wouldn't but I appreciate the consideration. Some are smarter than most and do appear to realize I am hard to offend and they are extra safe around me.

I don't know that it means anything. People should be free to be afraid of things. People shouldn't be telling others they can't be afraid of thinigs (real or imagined). Unwarranted confidence is the cause for many seriously painful problems.

[Ky Larry]

I used to be paranoid. The aliens kept beaming radiation into my brain. Now I have 736 cases of aluminum foil stockpiled in the basement for TEOTWAWKI.
I am no longer paranoid, just prepaired. When the scouts start landing from the mother ship, my neighbors will be beating on my door begging for hat material. :what:

[RevDisk]

I am no longer paranoid, just prepaired. When the scouts start landing from the mother ship, my neighbors will be beating on my door begging for hat material.

I just finished watching C-Span coverage of Congress. So, uhm... can I borrow some of that uh "hat material" ?


:D

[MarkDido]

I'm not paranoid, but I am schizophrenic..... and so am I!

[SalukiFan]

Paranoid? Maybe you could call me that, but I just feel prepared...

I am always bewildered when I hear some people say they pick and choose when to carry ("nothing's going to happen at the grocery store", "it's not a rough neighborhood", etc.) or make fun of people for having a supply of food and water. Do these people read the newspaper?

[Preacherman]

They cured my schizophrenia, but where am I now when I need me?

:neener: