Man walked into Giant with his AR/AK

[Sandcut]

Let's not forget who we'e talking about here. The same people that feel we need to ban modern sporting rifles despite the fact that they kill fewer people than pools.

As I said, I get your point(s). And as I said, the same arguments will be used against handgun OC. Regardless of how little sense they make.

Yeah, but there is nothing that we are going to be capable of doing to change the minds of the truly anti-gun folks. So forget about them. They will make arguments whether or not they are valid or completely fabricated. The folks we don't want to alienate are the fence-sitters. People who are not particularly supportive, but also not openly hostile to 2A either. And since perception is reality, a guy walking into a store with a rifle or rifle-like pistol slung or partly in hand triggers that imminent action (that GL001 spoke of) loop in their brain. Shit, most people here say they'd take cover and assess. I can't blame someone who has no willingness or ability to engage for running from the building.

Perception is reality.

A gun in hand hints at imminent use.

A gun in a holster hints of stasis.

This isn't hard to understand.

[Lexington]

Perception is reality.

A gun in hand hints at imminent use.

A gun in a holster hints of stasis.

This isn't hard to understand.

Well said. That is one of many reasons why my hand never strays toward my weapon when I'm out and about, and it never leaves the holster unless it needs to be used, and so far - by the grace of God - that hasn't happened yet. I pray it never does.

Haven't had any issues with carrying at all this summer, other than a couple of people stopping me to either ask what sort of license was needed to open carry or to say they were glad to see someone else was armed.

So, at the moment, all is good in the neighborhood.

[alpacaheat]

Well said. That is one of many reasons why my hand never strays toward my weapon when I'm out and about, and it never leaves the holster unless it needs to be used, and so far - by the grace of God - that hasn't happened yet. I pray it never does.

Haven't had any issues with carrying at all this summer, other than a couple of people stopping me to either ask what sort of license was needed to open carry or to say they were glad to see someone else was armed.

So, at the moment, all is good in the neighborhood.

You are lucky.

I have unfortunately found myself in conditions where I've had to put my hand on my holstered firearm, or unsnap the retention strap on a holster with one. Thankfully never had to actually draw.

My wife has had to display (not point) hers to someone trying to break into her car, while she and our then-infant daughter were IN THE CAR. Thankfully she knows to lock immediately when getting in the car.
Thug ran away apologizing.

She had to do the same with pepper spray once too. Gotta love cities.

She may look little and cute but God help the idiot that tries something with her.



However the point is correct, a holstered firearm should not be threatening to anyone. A real lack of education creates most of the fear and paranoia....along with the media's demonization of us.

[Joe88XJ]

Actually some of us what we did at least what I did was went to Walmart and ask them what their policy is they did not ban open carry from their stores they simply asked people not to open carry there's a big difference. Target did the same thing several years ago and I went to Target and the manager said I'm not going to force you to do anything that violates your rights they simply made a request not a ban. It's just a political way to appease the anti-gun people. You've been paying too much attention to the news media that you should know by now you can't trust :-)

A good friend of mine has always opened carried and still does it until it’s too cold out.

Still goes to Walmart and the attitude is “fuck’em”.

So I’m assuming others have the same opinion and are just as stupid.

[qmcorps]

[The Unknown 1087]

https://www.pennlive.com/news/2019/1...ource=facebook

What a fucking douche.

He’s said before he didn’t want attention but still talks to the news.

[Justin///M]

Can you copy/past the article? Can't get past paywall with adblocker.

[The Unknown 1087]

Ryan Flohr, who has legally purchased seven guns since the age of 21, said he refuses to keep them out of the public’s sight in the wake of a mass shooting.

"I want to help eliminate the threat of mass shooters,” Flohr said in a phone interview. He said he thinks law-abiding, Second Amendment-carrying gun owners are the ones who are punished, largely because gun-control advocates overreact after a mass shooting

The 26-year-old Dover man shopped for groceries with his Scorpion pistol at a Giant grocery store in East Manchester Township in York County the last weekend in September. A patron saw his gun and told a manager, who called police.

"I have carried that gun on multiple occasions,” he said. “That was the only time it was a big deal.”

He said his intention wasn’t to “intimidate” or “antagonize” customers.

Northeastern Regional police officers determined he legally owned the gun and had proper permits. He wasn’t charged with any crimes.

"It’s my Second Amendment right,” he said, adding that he cooperated with officers and answered all their questions.

Dozens of big retailers, including Walmart, have told gun owners they want them to leave their guns at home and not bring them into their stores in the wake of a mass shooting in August at a Walmart in El Paso, Texas. It was the deadliest shooting in the company’s history at one of its stores.

Many stores say they haven’t banned open carry but hope customers will comply. Giant is among those that says it has endorsed an no-open-carry policy.

"We respectfully request that customers not bring firearms in our stores even if permitted by applicable state and local laws,” the company tweeted.

Flohr said he didn’t realize the store’s policy had changed. But, he said, “I don’t think there’s a better time than now to have open carry."

Related: Can Pa. stores keep you out if you openly carry a gun?
He said he believes that owning and carrying a gun, and showing he has the power to protect himself and others, might deter a mass shooter. He said it was laughable to compare the gun he carried to the weapons that mass shooters seem to prefer.

"You never hear of a mass shooting where the shooter had a pistol,” he said. "Mass shooters come into the store with 'assault rifles’ and hundreds of rounds of ammunition and bulletproof vests.”

Flohr said his gun is a 9 mm loaded with 30 rounds of ammunition. He said he didn’t have any additional ammunition with him, and the safety was turned on.

"My thing about all the mass shootings around the country, if a gunman came in to shoot up the grocery store, and they saw me, they’d think twice about shopping there,” he said. “Or, maybe I’d become the first target, I don’t know.”

He said he carries a gun in large retailers because he believes they’re more likely to be targeted by mass shooters. He doesn’t take his gun into places such as McDonald’s, he added.

A few years ago, he experienced a similar situation where a manager at Spencer’s Gifts at the York Galleria contacted police because he saw Flohr’s gun under his jacket. Flohr has a legal concealed carry permit.

Concealed carry permits are issued in Pennsylvania by county sheriffs’ departments. The permits allow gun owners the right to transport registered guns in cars and carry them, concealed, into public places.

Responsible gun owners need to band together to help prevent the next mass shooting, he said. He said he fears banning open carry is the start of an unraveling of gun owners’ rights.

"We’re going to be told you can’t open carry, that you can conceal carry only on Wednesdays after 6 p.m., and then we’re going to be told you can’t have guns,” he said. “Our rights will slowly be taken away.”

"I had my hands on the grocery cart,” he said. “The only time I touched my gun is when I adjusted it out of my way.”

Flohr said he’s spending less time on Facebook after he published a picture of him holding the gun he took with him to the store. He said he’s received constant hateful messages.

“I have nothing to apologize for,” Flohr said. "I’m never going to cave to people who are uneducated about guns. I feel that people need to be more gun aware than gun fearing.”

His post was shared nearly 1,000 times, garnered over 500 comments and received over 1,000 reactions. Some of them said he was showing off his white privilege.

Commenters speculated that if he had been a black man the situation would have ended violently. Others said he was seeking attention.

"Looking for attention, you could have just carried a smaller pistol,” Ricky Grace wrote. "It’s the damn grocery store, how scared are you? I’m all about gun rights but you obviously were not worried about your protection, you wanted to seek attention.”

His action was "ruining” it for other responsible gun owners’ rights, Grace wrote.

He didn’t carry his pistol for attention, Flohr insisted. While he’s used to openly carrying his gun at the supermarket, he said it’s clear that public opinion has changed.

A gun owners’ temperament is no different than a non-gun owners’ temperament, he continued. The assumption that a person who owns a gun doesn’t know how to control his or her temper is unjust, regardless of how the world views mass shooters.

To say a mass shooter never had a criminal record before they “went crazy” on a shooting rampage is a fear tactic, he said.

"I’ve been angry just like everybody else who has ever been angry with or without my gun,” he said. “I have never had the thought to shoot anyone. Nobody’s life is worth going to jail over mine. If I need to defend myself, I don’t need to shoot anybody just because they made me mad. I care more about my future than to just start shooting anyone who upsets me.”

He said that he and most other gun owners know better than to carry a gun into a bank, movie theater or an airport. He’s also received several “dirty looks” from sales associates where’s he’s always shopped.

Related: Central Pa. Giant evacuates customers after man with gun enters store
Related: Harrisburg woman stopped by security from boarding flight with loaded gun at HIA
He won’t shop any more at the Glen Drive Road Giant, which is only five minutes away from his house.

"Now that it seems like everyone knows who I am, I don’t think I could conceal carry without being harassed,” he said. “The manager was doing what he was told to do. They were told to approach someone with a firearm and ask me to leave the store and put it in my car.”

He continued: "I’m not looking to take any legal action against them. I just wish the people who had the time and the money, I wish they would stand up for those who carry.”

[GunLawyer001]

I have an asshole; I was born with it; I'm not going to pretend that I don't have one. It serves a vital function in my life, I would probably die without it.

Still, I don't flaunt it. I keep it under my clothes unless I'm cleaning it or using it.

I don't make others look at it in public.

Don't be an asshole.

[Emptymag]

My "favorite" quote:

"You never hear of a mass shooting where the shooter had a pistol,” he said. "Mass shooters come into the store with 'assault rifles’ and hundreds of rounds of ammunition and bulletproof vests.”

(shakes head and walks away)