Sean Dempsey
Member
I am a gun enthusiast, never had a misdemeanor or felony. A few speeding tickets is the biggest thing I've had.
Never was into drugs or petty "youth" crimes. Was a bookwork through high school and college. Got a degree is Psychology. Now have a family and nice house I built, own a business as a graphic designer.
I don't get drunk, I usually top out at about 3 beers and call it quits.
But - I have many visible tattoos on my arms and legs, and plan on getting many more, including on my hands, feet, and neck. I wear t-shirts, most of which are for skateboard companies like DC, Innes, Element (never skateboarded). I also wear semi-baggy shorts that usually go down past the knee, but I don't lowride them - my belt is done up proper. Also, I wear simple adidas sandals all summer long.
I ususally wear a baseball hat, again from the skateboard companies. Combine that with dark sunglasses, and a massive beard down to my collar bones... I am not exactly your standard banker or accountant.
All this recent talk I've been reading of open carry and the "easy and hard way" has my wondering: Would you view my appearance as helping, or hurting the cause? I am hesitant to open carry, I get enough looks for tattoos on my arms and legs from people, especially cops who pull me over for something minor and see the inked forearm out the window.
I have no desire to change, and will continue to do what works for me. I don't mine the curiosity or looks people have, I realize I look like a questionable person. I'm not asking about the consequence to ME of open carry, I'm asking about the consequence to the gun community. I realize that most of the men here are of the older, more traditional type with more conservative and traditional dress, so of course those are the type of people you want portrayed as responsible gun carrying citizens.
But if you saw a guy who looked like a 30 year old skateboard pro with a 10 inch beard and tattooed arms and legs, with a nice shiny 1911 in a nice leather holster on his hip, would you say he's creating more panic, or less panic concerning open carry and sheeple?
Never was into drugs or petty "youth" crimes. Was a bookwork through high school and college. Got a degree is Psychology. Now have a family and nice house I built, own a business as a graphic designer.
I don't get drunk, I usually top out at about 3 beers and call it quits.
But - I have many visible tattoos on my arms and legs, and plan on getting many more, including on my hands, feet, and neck. I wear t-shirts, most of which are for skateboard companies like DC, Innes, Element (never skateboarded). I also wear semi-baggy shorts that usually go down past the knee, but I don't lowride them - my belt is done up proper. Also, I wear simple adidas sandals all summer long.
I ususally wear a baseball hat, again from the skateboard companies. Combine that with dark sunglasses, and a massive beard down to my collar bones... I am not exactly your standard banker or accountant.
All this recent talk I've been reading of open carry and the "easy and hard way" has my wondering: Would you view my appearance as helping, or hurting the cause? I am hesitant to open carry, I get enough looks for tattoos on my arms and legs from people, especially cops who pull me over for something minor and see the inked forearm out the window.
I have no desire to change, and will continue to do what works for me. I don't mine the curiosity or looks people have, I realize I look like a questionable person. I'm not asking about the consequence to ME of open carry, I'm asking about the consequence to the gun community. I realize that most of the men here are of the older, more traditional type with more conservative and traditional dress, so of course those are the type of people you want portrayed as responsible gun carrying citizens.
But if you saw a guy who looked like a 30 year old skateboard pro with a 10 inch beard and tattooed arms and legs, with a nice shiny 1911 in a nice leather holster on his hip, would you say he's creating more panic, or less panic concerning open carry and sheeple?