He walked into the liqour store with a gun ...

[Zundfolge]

Think about that statement for a bit ... think about what image popped into your head when you read it. Think about the image that pops into the heads of most people you know when they hear that statement.

I would venture to guess that most of us here have the most positive view of guns and people who carry them and yet most of us here (at least those who are willing to admit) would read those 9 words and assume a robbery was about to take place (or worse).


Well, that was me tonight ... I picked up a bottle of Chianti while carrying a gun and guess what ... nobody died and nobody was robbed.


at any rate, on the way home I was thinking about that statement and I can't help but feel we are loosing the "hearts and minds" side of the RKBA issue when me, a hardened RKBA warrior, has such an automatic gut reaction to a string of words. (oh well, at least I have the Chianti for some minor comfort ... and no, I didn't drink the it before posting).

 

[P95Carry]

Zund .. you are I fear correct . I assumed (wrongly of course) this was a ''reportage'' thread .. about an ''incident''... terrible eh!! Must be the ''brain-washing'' effect of media headlines etc..

I might just as easily have mentioned, appropos when I was in town this afternoon ... ''Armed man walks into Bank'' .... (and out again ... no harm done, no blood spilled) !!! Or ...... ''Man with gun enters Chinese Restaurant'' ..... - eats - pays - burps ....... and leaves!!!

In truth .. these ''hype'' headlines could apply to any of us eh ... on an average day. ''Losing the hearts and minds'' tho .. well I don't think it's quite that bad but ... sure as hell ... the media has much to answer for.

BTW .... ''Vive La Chianti''!

 

[sm]

Interesting Thread Topic.

Well society and perceptions have certainly changed, that's for sure. I know P95Carry and I have discussed this.

Growing up, wait, heck hadn't been too long if one asked if your "were armed" it was viewed in a positive context. Being responsible, by having a SG behind the door, concealed, on nightstand.

Nowadays , thanks in part to negative media, "being armed" is viewed as being negative. Even the brady bunch think women should be passive and submit...now that to me is negative.

My area has just been listed has 3rd in the nation (FBI stats for '02) in burglaries, and many other crimes. Typical of my state we either top or near top for bad, and hit bottom, near bottom for good.

That's why I "am armed" ( CCW) as I enter, gas stations, grocery, retail, walking around the neighborhood...

 

[MJRW]

I disagree why that is our reaction. To state it in such a way to me implies there was significance of the proactive sort of that gun. Since I doubt it was a Liquor Store & Shootin' Range, my reaction is that the importance of the action is that the store was robbed by a person wielding that gun. No one begins a sentence "he walked into a liquor store wearing Nikes" unless there is something important about the Nikes.

 

[DontShootMe]

"A man in his 30's armed with multiple loaded handguns entered the downtown Bank of America this morning at 11:00 - He left with a large sum of money. The police were not called, the FBI was not informed."