Oh my God.

Yes, much more socially useful to direct those tendencies towards expensive sports cars. But open carry might be better than using pulpits. I do know a minister who carries in the pulpit:

http://www.religionnewsblog.com/10697/pass-the-lord-and-pass-the-ammunition

Mark and his brother Jay taught me how to shoot and hunt as a teenager.

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1977 300d 70k--sold 08
1985 300TD 185k+
1984 307d 126k--sold 8/03
1985 409d 65k--sold 06
1984 300SD 315k--daughter's car
1979 300SD 122k--sold 2/11
1999 Fuso FG Expedition Camper
1993 GMC Sierra 6.5 TD 4x4
1982 Bluebird Wanderlodge CAT 3208--Sold 2/13

I dont disagree with open carry but i like concealed. I would just like a little freedom to not worry so much about a bulge showing or not having to make sure I'm imprinting. It would also be nice to cary my glock on my hip when riding my bike down town. That would be much more comfortable and I could have a little more fire power on me if needed. I used to carry my gun all the time where it was legal when I first got my license but now I only take it with me when I travel or go to seedier parts of town. Although according to my police buddy theres a trend of crime all over the city, event the nicer part.

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1984 300SD Orient Red/ Palomino
1989 560SEC
2016 Mazda 6 6 speed manual
1995 Ford F-150 reg cab 4.9 5speed manual

Open carry is legal where I live. It's pretty common to see in rural areas but pretty rare in town. I'll OC on my way to and from the range, but that's about it. I could get a CCW, but I haven't felt the need. Like someone else said, if I lived somewhere that I felt the need to carry all the time, I'd move.

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Whoever said there's nothing more expensive than a cheap Mercedes never had a cheap Jaguar.

83 300D Turbo with manual conversion, early W126 vented front rotors and H4 headlights 401,xxx miles
08 Suzuki GSX-R600 M4 Slip-on 26,xxx miles
88 Jaguar XJS V12 94,xxx miles. Work in progress.
99 Mazda Miata 183,xxx miles.

Not a whole lot different than buying a Mercedes.

In some very rural places where I go camping, you don't leave the campsite unless you have a rifle or pistol on you. Yogi bear isn't very friendly if you walk up on him accidentally.

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2006 CL500
2009 C300 4matic
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

Clearly, the above comments support the position that carrying a weapon (open or concealed) is situational. Some localities, like my own, are very tolerant of firearms. Lots of hunters and target shooters. My state also has a very high violent crime rate. If there is a correlation, and I think there is, I do not see a causation.

When I load up to go shooting I pack a lot of long and short guns and it takes several trips to the car. Nobody in my neighborhood gives a crap. But I can easily imagine some communities going bat shirt crazy if they saw me doing that. Clearly, they would hate living here and just as clearly, it's reciprocated.

Another reason to support federalism.

Really? You like to make a big show of carrying guns into bars? If so, why do you think it's a good idea?Like Botnst said, this sort of thing seems to vary from place to place. I cannot recall a single relative of mine who has ever owned a firearm other than a BB or pellet gun and maybe a rifle or two used for target shooting. That covers four generations. Maybe some relatives have had guns. If so, they have been quiet about it. Despite our lack of arms, only one relative that I know of has been the victim of a violent crime. My brother got beat up and robbed by a bunch of teenagers once. His main injury was to his ego.

So, you feel safer having guns around. I don't, although I do enjoy shooting now and then. To each his own.That's true, but I am not clear what it has to do with your argument. Your previous paragraph referred to the benefit of having guns as protection against criminals. Now you bring in the government. Are you saying that people should arm themselves because the government won't protect them? I'm not saying that's a bad argument. I'm just not sure it's the one you intended to make.Also true.It does? Then why are people permitted to have open carry in Virginia?Well, you being infallible and all, I guess I should apologize for wasting your time.

Listen to the Swiss.

Gun Ownership: Why No One Invades Switzerland - YouTube

Its hard to make people lamp shades if the people your carving up are well armed.

"Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote."

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2006 CL500
2009 C300 4matic
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

Honus-
I'll always rise to the challenge when I have someone polite and well spoken to debate with

No, I don't carry in bars. I don't even go to bars, I just burn trees at home. Any "Open Carry" state is kind of a challenge for the armed citizen. While it is legal to open carry any LEO will understandably detain someone open carrying until they affirm said citizen is in full compliance with the law because it's very uncommon to see someone waltzing around with a gun on their hip.

With my comment on how "people really believe the gov't has their best interests at heart" I was indeed commenting on the inability of federal state and local bodies to protect their population. I believe mentioning Katrina and New Orleans in the same sentence should be sufficient with regards to hammering home my point. Too many folks believe dialing 911 will solve all their problems like some magic wand. In reality our LEOs are overworked and underpaid; with their response times best described as "lengthy" even on the best of days.

I must also admit I guffawed and spit out my tea whilst choking on laughter when I saw a BB gun called a "firearm" in your post. personally I would prefer to return to Blades and Bows, but like I said, I'm a bit of a Luddite.

During Katrina, the City of New Orleans illegally seized firearms from legal owners and refused to return them until they lost several court battles. The Police Chief at the time justified seizure because of reports of gang rapes and rampant murders, which were total fabrications. In the end the only people who were gunned down by an armed gang were a group of innocent citizens standing on a bridge. The armed gang were police officers.

No Botnst, that can't be. Our government would never try to confiscate our weapons, even with "an emergency" as a special circumstance. And of course they would not use gun registration lists to aid that confiscation. Not even during "dangerous times".

Geesh, I can't believe I even had to say that.

Oh yeah? Well you can kiss my ... (just kidding, of course)Eastern Tennessee is the place to do that sort of thing (burn trees at home, I mean). Many moons ago I spent some time around Johnson City. I love that place.Maybe the guys who made a big show of wearing their guns to bars have a legitimate point about liberty, or something. They are just a bit too in-your-face for me.I recently read a book about why our ridiculously punitive criminal justice system is so ineffective. One thing the author proposed to make the system less punitive is to have more police, which seemed counter intuitive to me. He says that more police on the beat would bring law enforcement to the community level, which would help build respect in the community, which would lead to less crime and less imprisonment. It is odd that increasing the size of the police force would make government less intrusive, but he cites some historical examples that back up his point. Here's the book: Amazon.com: The Collapse of American Criminal Justice (9780674051751): William J. Stuntz: Books It's a beauty.

Your Katrina example is well taken. Events like that are rare, so most of us go through life fat, dumb, and happy thinking that everything is taken care of.I didn't used to be a luddite, but have become one over time. That's why I hang on to my 300D. When the Martians come down and zap all of our computer systems, I'll still be driving.

Are you saying this is true, the nazis made lampshades from human skin?
Or is it an urban myth.
As for invading Switzerland, i doubt guns in closets are the reason it's not been invaded.

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1989 W124 260E

Swiss gun laws are somewhere between New York's and Arizona's -- they're not as loose as you'd think.

I rarely open carry, even though it's legal in my state. I'd rather those around me not know I'm carrying.

When I do carry open, it's my S&W 686 on my hip...but that's mainly when I'm out hunting.

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1987 560SL
85,000 miles