Rules To Live By : Shut Up!
Do Not advertise anything to anyone, by speech, dress or anything else.
True.
Family (I fired remember?) knew I hunted, shot some kind of shotgun game, and other firearm related activities. This goes w-a-y back as I was the eldest of four sibs and I did stop immediate threats growing up.
<time passes and who knows why they chose the route they did>
Baby bro is interested in shooting - only because his Father-In-Law hunts. I get him a shotgun. FIL mentions having handguns for various reasons like Home, down on the property, and "travel".
Baby bro asks about handguns, Laws about carrying and them lessons I gave him w-a-yback when growing up.
I was not going to give shooting lessons to kinfolks, I know better.
I was not going to pick out a gun for him , I know better.
I introduced him to a few folks I knew, and these folks lived nearer him. I did not want him to attend the Private Range where I assisted. [Security reasons for some UC and other folks]
Qualified Folks that lived near to him, with a lot of guns for him to try out and actually shoot, various stocks to try on same gun, and all sorts of holsters, belts - equipment.
I mean I have had this attitude and belief with new shooters before Internet was available to folks.
Fine, he finds a gun he likes. These Qualified folks contact me and confirm he really does shoot a Ruger Six series really really well.
I find a super deal from a buddy of mine on a Police trade in. His instructors find a great deal on holsters.
He attends training, gets instructions, takes the CCW class, gets picture taken, fingerprints taken and...
I paid for all of this.
His FIL, wife all go shoot at this other range. One big happy family. His wife is thinking how she used to hunt with her dad and getting the itch to do all this gun stuff with daddy and hubby (brother).
FIL comes in one day from work, showers, sits in his Chair awaiting supper and dies of a Heart Attack.
So I am clicking along "thinking" brother has a CCW. Is taken prudent steps and all with two kids and raising a family.
I am one that does not advertise myself and my business.
I had "fired" him - still had "done the right thing" by doing all I could anyway. We never shot together as our schedules varied, I was living out of town anyway. Also I don't go around asking stupid stuff like "you packin' - if so what?".
Good Grief! Folks always packed - I did even as a kid, concealed is concealed and keep your damn mouth shut. Even some Judges told folks this growing up and through the years.
My niece(this baby brother's little girl) is attacked by a dog. His Cellphone is not able to get a signal to 911, his wife is trying to get through 911 on a landline.
Neighbor - older fella, sees and hears the commotion and comes a running ( best could at his age) and either a cane or baseball bat ( forget) and gets that dog away and off of niece.
Needless to say I was very concerned about my niece and not real damn happy with baby brother!
I met this older fella and thanked him. He shared he was armed with a pistol in his pocket, his plan was to use cane/ bat to get dog off of the niece, keep distance and shoot if needed to in order to stop threat. He was lucky, in clobbering the dog, he let go and ran off.
Baby brother never sent in his CCW. The first "excuse" I was given was the A/C had played out and needed the money.
[I had paid his instructors direct, not given him the money]
Now his MIL re-married, a few years later, and new Step-FIL is a bit older than her.
Seems both Brother and He are Deacons of the Church. Step-FIL , still hunts, shoots some, and has kids from his first marriage (widower he is). He taught his kids to shoot and all.
I found out from him brother never sent in for CCW. Instead
gotta tread light here use his Belief system to handle any problems in life.
Step-FIL and I had a chat.
Nothing wrong with a Belief system, still I seem to recall something about "taking an action" and "being responsible" as one / along with a belief system.
Two cases of ammunition I bought (one for target, the other premium defense loads)- Sold and the monies to assist one his "church family" being the Deacon overseeing this family and other families.
[No time to check on his own Mom mind you - let eldest brother do that even if he does live out of town].
Step FIL informed me Brother still has the shotgun, and the Handgun...just locked in a safe and only wiped down and inspected along with the guns his FIL had and wanted passed down to grandkids. Nephew "might" get interested someday, he has done some paintball games. He is smart, and more academic.
Niece - she is a tomboy and not like her older brother.
She likes motorcycles, took some kids,tumbling classes, kids wrestling classes, intro to boxing, "cheerleading is for wussies" (she says) and got her own mini-4-wheeler that is made like a full size one.
See I am the one "wrong" in the family. I am the "Rebel" as I shot competition and "suggested" and "assisted" when I was
asked to assist brother on guns, CCW , lessons and everything.
I am not allowed to do things with my own nieces and nephews. I am that much of a Rebel.
Special circumstances have happened, and I have spent a wee bit of time with them. Niece was staying at mom's. She wanted so bad for me to come over.
Brace yourself - her bicycle was not doing right and mom said even as a kid her Uncle (me) had messed with bicycles.
"Daddy does not have time and Grandpa is out of town, my bike is not doing right, can we please call Uncle Steve to help?"
I went over to mom's. Niece just eating up all this attention, getting dirty, greasy and messing with tools. Even had a old inner tube and showed how to fix a flat and let her strike the match to the glue. Called being a responsible adult and teaching a kid.
Mom's neighborhood is not as nice as once was. Some folks came by and "felt mean", niece said. Good instincts she has. Situation could have gone south in a hurry - but did not. Mom was the one making matters difficult with her stupid moves getting in the way.
"I feel safer with you than my own dad, I don't understand why though" niece said to me later.
I passed it off as it is not unusual for kids to warm up to other adults beside parents, like a favorite teacher at school.
I sent her home with a old cracked Colt 1911 7 round magazine that one has to take apart from the top. I showed her how [mom tossing a fit] still niece thought this really cool!
Oh yeah, Rebel here caught pure hell from a Deacon brother that an Uncle would do such a thing!
NO. Niece has rights. She may not understand rights and everything yet - still she knows "something" as she senses all this.
I am in trouble anyway, not able to spend time with her anyway. What do I care I made her parents mad?
I do not care one whit about what her parents think.
I care about a kid being raised right, being parented right, and being able to make informed choices of her own.
To me, firing family and being a Rebel is worth it. Too many other folks I can assist by passing forward - and if a certain Niece turns out to be a Rebel, Outlaw or whatever else one may call her/ us. Fine by me!
Niece got into trouble.
Has her own TV with VHS or DVD player to use for her School education stuff in her room. [Teachers started this when she was 3 and still do education stuff like this, how to write, count, do math, all sorts of neat stuff]
She was watching 4 wheeler races , motor-cross and some show on Harley's - and had the 1911 mag taking it apart , putting it back and had a copy of the instructions I had given her .
After getting yelled at by her parents, she snuck in to the phone later, hit re-dial and called me. "Uncle Steve, I am grounded on TV, and they put away my magazine and instructions, anyway we can sneak me another one and I promise to hide it and not get caught again?"
She was at mom's again and waiting for her was a package sealed. She got another 1911 magazine, instructions, Harley Key ring and Harley Sticker for her helmet
Concealed is Concealed.
I meant that in order to protect yourself from looters and whatnot. And besides, you never know what can happen.