"Hey buddy, can I ask you a question?"

[bac0nfat]

N the other thing I'd like to point out is that what I said was said very light-heartedly and playfully. Again, inflection and tone are impossible to convey in type.

I agree, and it's possible the whole thing was no big deal. I'm just going off of what I see typed, which looks pretty disrespectful.

[FTNWO]

Right, but you didn't even know that he was a gun owner until after you told him he had bad parenting skills. So why should I believe you wouldn't have acted the same way to a non gun owner?



I guess. Semantics.

Again, I did say it playfully. I def must remember to be more descriptive in my posts.

[soberbyker]

Again, I did say it playfully. I def must remember to be more descriptive in my posts.

EVERYONE on this forum could benefit from that.


.

[Manxdriver]

[QUOTE=soberbyker;2123456][

It is not my responsibility how others perceive what I do or how I act.[/

You are correct, BUT, you can influence how they see you by not acting/dressing/behaving like a moron or slob or illiterate jerkoff. People DO read things into what they see. Suppose you saw a beat up old camper van parked outside the playground where your kids play, and that van had a sign that said "free candy". You go a little close and you spot a guy that you saw on the 'megan's law website' sitting in the van. You would naturally assume he was there to molest children, right? Well, perhaps today, just today, he is actually just handing out free candy. But you wrongfully pegged him as a creep cruising for kiddie sex. THAT isn't his fault , is it now? That's your fault for 'reading ' things into the story that aren't there!
Silly huh? It's the same way with us gun owner/carriers. People do make assumptions and we CAN help influence those assumptions.

[EandGWZ]

Playing with the kids this morning outside in front of my house, and this guy in a work van stops and says, "Hey buddy, can I ask you a question?"
me: Sure, whats up?
him: Whats with the gun?
me: What about it?
him: You were making my daughter a little nervous walking your dogs past our
house the other day.
me: The problem doesn't sound like my gun. It sounds like the problem is your
parenting skills. Do you teach her that good guys carry guns too and that
OC is legal in PA?
him: I know all that. I have guns and all my friends have guns. I just don't
see a need to open carry.
me: I see more than a few reasons (as I looked at my kids). I guess I
love my family more than you do. (He just stares blankly at me. At this
point, I've grown bored of the convo.) Tell ya what, lets just leave it at
its my right.
him: N its my right to ask.
me: Have a good day.

Honestly, I wanted to answer thats its my right to tell you to go f*** yourself. However, I restrained myself.

It never ends....people have a lot of balls. Kudos for how you handled yourself.

[bogey1]

WOW. So many fellow gun owners jumping on ftnwo...
Now some guy pulls up in front of your property and basically tells you how to conduct your way of life, and ftnwo is supposed to be nice to this jackass?
Sorry, i think he acted just fine due to the circumstances.

Screw that work van driver. you treat me like an asshole, i'll treat you like one also.
Where in the gun book does it say us gun owners have to bow down to these misguided jackass's? jmo

[PennsyPlinker]

I'm going to go against the flow here too. Could he have been a little more diplomatic? Perhaps. None of us were there, and cannot discern inflection, tone, etc from the printed word.

The bare truth of the matter is that it is the other guy's fault for his parenting skills. Let's say the whole story is absolutely true, and the little girl said something like, "Daddy, that man's gun scares me". Instead of explaining to the little girl that guns are tools and not everyone who carries one is a bad guy, he goes off to interrogate the neighbor as to why he needs a gun. Doesn't anyone else see the disconnect here?

My daughters hate clowns. When we would see one, they would get all weirded out. I did not approach the clown and tell him he really shouldn't be dressed up like that because it scares kids. I told my kids that lots of people dressed up like clowns - some were good, some were bad, and just get used to it.

[allen16323]

Well was it a company work van, like an HVAC company or another kind of company? If it was i would contact the company/supervisor and tell tham that you where confronted at YOUR home by an person driving a company vehicle of theirs. And his parenting skills are in quiestion, he went LOOKING for a confrontation when he could have taught the lesson of forgive and forget. All this does is show his children confrontation is an exceptable solution for a non event. Secondly he could have lead by example and educated himself, which is what he is trying to get out of the public education system for his child/children. Lastly, what he did was a major asshole move and tried to cause a disturbance in the presence of your children. Honesty is always the key, I highly dobt this guy was a gun owner because he should have had the basic train of thought to research, that goes back to my lead by example.

I would have, in my personal action, educated him about "Creating a hazardous or physically offensive condition that doesn’t serve a legitimate purpose" section of the disorderly conduct law. Did he remain in his van, or did he exit it, did he park on your property?

[bac0nfat]

WOW. So many fellow gun owners jumping on ftnwo...
Now some guy pulls up in front of your property and basically tells you how to conduct your way of life, and ftnwo is supposed to be nice to this jackass?
Sorry, i think he acted just fine due to the circumstances.

Screw that work van driver. you treat me like an asshole, i'll treat you like one also.
Where in the gun book does it say us gun owners have to bow down to these misguided jackass's? jmo

The guy just asked him a question. He didn't even express an opinion until after FTNWO told him he was a bad parent. FTNWO had an opportunity to educate someone about open carry, but instead it turned into an argument. He doesn't have to "bow down" to anyone, but it doesn't hurt to have a little respect before they give you a reason not to respect them.

[FTNWO]

The guy just asked him a question. He didn't even express an opinion until after FTNWO told him he was a bad parent. FTNWO had an opportunity to educate someone about open carry, but instead it turned into an argument. He doesn't have to "bow down" to anyone, but it doesn't hurt to have a little respect before they give you a reason not to respect them.

"Hey buddy, can I ask you a question?"
me: Sure, whats up?
him: Whats with the gun?
me: What about it?
him: You were making my daughter a little nervous walking your dogs past our
house the other day.
Him telling me I was the cause of his parental problem/responsibility WAS expressing his opinion. N then to say that he KNEW it was legal? I have lived here 7 years and this guy has NEVER introduced himself, said hi, waived, etc. N no, he did not get out of his van or put it in park. He idled in the middle of the street. N yes, it was a company van. Could be his company, though.