Last October, I got a new neighbor. He moved to middle Georgia from LA,Ca. He's from the inner city and moved here for a "better life" for his kids. When he was moving in, we did the good neighbor thing and walked over to introduce ourselves. We told him we were nurses, only have to work 3 days a week, and if he ever needed us just call or knock. Of course I was carrying concealed. He didn't notice and at the time, the subject of guns never came up.
Well, it was hunting season and one day he was up early for work (he's an electrician) and saw me loading up the truck. He came over and we started talking guns/hunting. I told him I had only been waiting to bring up the subject because I wanted to find out what kind of guy he was. He was dumbfounded to find out that I had been carrying every single time he had seen me. His only exposure to guns was "cops and criminals" (his words). He was able to spout all the typical anti line propaganda but none of the real statistics. He is very intelligent and strong willed. He proved this by being able to escape the "hood" (his word) without a criminal record. I truly expected I would have a flaming anti neighbor. But he actually listened to what I had to say and accepted an invite to the range for the next day. One day at the range and he was hooked. His biggest obstacle was overcoming the life long conditioning and realizing that my guns were all legal. He now knows that not all gun owners are criminals. He now has his own CCW and is now one of my range/hunting buddies.
To look at us, you would never expect a friendship. I look like a typical 40yo white Georgia country bumpkin and he looks like a typical 20 something black California gang banger. Two totally differen cultures. I guess you could say we used firearms to cross the barrier.
Well, it was hunting season and one day he was up early for work (he's an electrician) and saw me loading up the truck. He came over and we started talking guns/hunting. I told him I had only been waiting to bring up the subject because I wanted to find out what kind of guy he was. He was dumbfounded to find out that I had been carrying every single time he had seen me. His only exposure to guns was "cops and criminals" (his words). He was able to spout all the typical anti line propaganda but none of the real statistics. He is very intelligent and strong willed. He proved this by being able to escape the "hood" (his word) without a criminal record. I truly expected I would have a flaming anti neighbor. But he actually listened to what I had to say and accepted an invite to the range for the next day. One day at the range and he was hooked. His biggest obstacle was overcoming the life long conditioning and realizing that my guns were all legal. He now knows that not all gun owners are criminals. He now has his own CCW and is now one of my range/hunting buddies.
To look at us, you would never expect a friendship. I look like a typical 40yo white Georgia country bumpkin and he looks like a typical 20 something black California gang banger. Two totally differen cultures. I guess you could say we used firearms to cross the barrier.
