Meijer now asking customers to not open carry

[MCgrease08]

I get that it's everyone's right to OC and generally it doesn't bother me. Now when I see someone OC in a manner that's really not a good idea, I want to say something but I just keep my mouth shut in hopes that they will learn from it.

How are they supposed to learn something if you don't bring the issue to their attention? Are they just supposed to use ESP to sense your thoughts and read your mind?

It also makes me wonder if they are prepared to fight back should some 5yo choose to disarm them...especially when often I see them with an arm load of stuff in the check out line.
As someone else said just because it's legal to do something doesn't necessarily mean its a good idea. Yes, to some degree it aggravates me that so many box stores are jumping on the band wagon. But they are right, to many people it makes them uncomfortable. Heck I've been out with my wife and she has seen people OC and always makes a point to point them out to me because it makes her a little edgy...even when she knows I am CC'ing.

Only bad guys hide their guns. The only way to make people feel more comfortable about seeing guns in the open is to expose them to normal people doing normal things while carrying a gun.

I open carry at Meijer semi-regularly. When I do, I generally wear slacks and a button down shirt. I also bring my kids with me and we do our shopping like a normal family. I'm polite to people in the store and offer to help little old ladies get items off of high shelves or put heavy items in their cart. I say "please" and "thank you" when I speak to the cashier. By acting like a polite and agreeable human being, I'm pretty sure I generally don't make people uncomfortable just because I have a gun on my hip. If they are uncomfortable despite all of this, that's their problem. I can't please everyone. But I do expose dozens of other to the sight of a normal guy and Dad, carrying a gun.

It doesn't bother me so much that stores ask us not to OC, that's their right. I will also say that I think part of their reasoning goes back to what happened after the active killer incident at the Walmart when the idiot decided to OC an AR while also wearing a tacticool vest etc at a Walmart. Concealed means concealed and you will avoid unneeded attention and they won't bother you.

Now I will also say we as responsible gun owners need to find a way to bring our "gun culture" more main stream again. To me that is the challenge

Slinking deeper into the shadows and hiding your firearm sure isn't the way to make gun culture mainstream again.

The entire goal of the anti-gun groups is to stigmatize gun owners so that we're too embarrassed, nervous, or hesitant to even acknowledge that we're gun owners. As rhino pointed out, this is out changing the culture and pushing gun owners deeper into the fringes. It's why they call us "gun nuts, ammosexuals, and crazy gun lovers." It's by design. It's designed to stigmatize and paint us as either evil, fringe, paranoid or unstable. If we're all painted as lunatics, then the general public doesn't mind us having our gun rights stripped away.

The only way to push back against it is to normalize it and being willing to have a calm, rational discussion with people when they ask us about why we carry.

 

[bwframe]

This isn't about OC at all. This is about anti-gun organizations intimidating huge food and merchandise suppliers to the American public.

It would be very foolish to believe that these anti-gun organizations will stop at this victory. They are changing hearts and minds with this win against those of us who are pro 2A.

We better get on our game...

 

[Leadeye]

This band wagon picked up steam during Bill Clinton's time in office with companies trying to out anti one another, even gun companies like Colt and S&W. This all vanished after 911 and Katrina. Like it or not, events change perspectives.

 

[hoosier21]

Interesting, OC'ers are ignoring Walmart's request in Texas.

https://thehill.com/homenews/news/4...Kh_7Vs-nrracBO1E3PL5y53ZgAJhbziTIUOIyZphwbRe8

 

[WebSnyper]

So. Bakers not making a cake is discrimination.
But this isn't.

Yep, this is the conundrum ...

Slinking deeper into the shadows and hiding your firearm sure isn't the way to make gun culture mainstream again.

The entire goal of the anti-gun groups is to stigmatize gun owners so that we're too embarrassed, nervous, or hesitant to even acknowledge that we're gun owners. As rhino pointed out, this is out changing the culture and pushing gun owners deeper into the fringes. It's why they call us "gun nuts, ammosexuals, and crazy gun lovers." It's by design. It's designed to stigmatize and paint us as either evil, fringe, paranoid or unstable. If we're all painted as lunatics, then the general public doesn't mind us having our gun rights stripped away.

The only way to push back against it is to normalize it and being willing to have a calm, rational discussion with people when they ask us about why we carry.

Agree with this 100%. When people ask about carrying, I tell them to think of how they keep a phone in their pocket for emergencies, contact with kids, etc and about how they wear seat belts, etc.
I tell them, think about how you feel when you realize you have left your phone or your wallet at home. That's how I feel when I'm not carrying. It is just part of my every day gear, and is my normal.

 

[rhino]

For those whose primary objection to open carry is based on examples of doing it in a way they find unsafe or objectionable for some reason: for every person who open carries like a doofus, there are a hundred or 500 that carry concealed with a commensurate level of carelessness. You just don't notice it as much.

 

[thunderchicken]

Contradictory. My thoughts inserted in red. I don't mind folks expressing their CC preference but if you're gonna "judge" OC be fair about it.

Wow. I think I am fair about it. Most people I se OC are obviously new to carrying in general..obvious by their equipment and choices of how the execute it. I could care less if someone is OCing or CCing so long as they are doing it in a manner that doesn't negatively reflect on gun owners as a whole.
And yeah if they don't want anyone to OC in their store its their right just the same as its yours to carry. So just conceal it and keep it to yourself if you so choose to go on their property.
We as gun owners get judged by what non gun owners see us doing. So if you have your floppydick holster hooked on your sweat pants and look like a fool it reflects on us all as being bafoons.

 

[thunderchicken]

Slinking deeper into the shadows and hiding your firearm sure isn't the way to make gun culture mainstream again.

The entire goal of the anti-gun groups is to stigmatize gun owners so that we're too embarrassed, nervous, or hesitant to even acknowledge that we're gun owners. As rhino pointed out, this is out changing the culture and pushing gun owners deeper into the fringes. It's why they call us "gun nuts, ammosexuals, and crazy gun lovers." It's by design. It's designed to stigmatize and paint us as either evil, fringe, paranoid or unstable. If we're all painted as lunatics, then the general public doesn't mind us having our gun rights stripped away.

The only way to push back against it is to normalize it and being willing to have a calm, rational discussion with people when they ask us about why we carry.

And I agree with you. I'm very much a not one more inch supporter. I probably should have been a bit more clear in some areas

 

[4sarge]

Wish i had planted a garden this spring. Time to check into mail order food. As quick as they all banned open carry it will be concealed carry next. Then signs with the force of law will follow.


Just got the email below after I thanked them for not jumping on the sheep bandwagon. Feelings versus security.

EXACTLY!!! The Anti 2nd Amendment LIBERALS Plan to BLEED US 1 CUT at a TIME.
The FUDDS are Saying, It's ONLY OPEN CARRY The CONSTITUTIONAL CARRY STATES are OPEN CARRY.
Look for law to be CHANGED that Business Signage carries the Force of LAW. Drying up Private Sales, wanting to strangle Internet Ammunition Sales, it is a WAR on ALL Fronts.
The GOP RINO's will show their True Liberal Colors. IF the POTUS Caves, the Ship is Lost.

IMO, 1 More Hard Core Progressive Liberal DEMOCRAT POTUS, will be the FINAL STRAW.

TRANSFORMING AMERICA into a SOCIALIST UTOPIA.

The WAR on GUNS and OUR CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS has long been thought out. This is a long term Chess Game for them DELIBERATE Moves until OUR AMERICAN FREEDOMS are GONE

 

[churchmouse]

EXACTLY!!! The Anti 2nd Amendment LIBERALS Plan to BLEED US 1 CUT at a TIME.
The FUDDS are Saying, It's ONLY OPEN CARRY The CONSTITUTIONAL CARRY STATES are OPEN CARRY.
Look for law to be CHANGED that Business Signage carries the Force of LAW. Drying up Private Sales, wanting to strangle Internet Ammunition Sales, it is a WAR on ALL Fronts.
The GOP RINO's will show their True Liberal Colors. IF the POTUS Caves, the Ship is Lost.

IMO, 1 More Hard Core Progressive Liberal DEMOCRAT POTUS, will be the FINAL STRAW.

TRANSFORMING AMERICA into a SOCIALIST UTOPIA.

The WAR on GUNS and OUR CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS has long been thought out. This is a long term Chess Game for them DELIBERATE Moves until OUR AMERICAN FREEDOMS are GONE

And I have been screaming this for years. On deaf ears.

People keep putting the same system sucking douche bags back into the seats of power expecting something to change. Hilarious.

 

[88E30M50]

We are losing the battle to carry. It starts with the requirement that those that carry do so concealed so as to hide who we are from the easily manipulated. It lets them portray us with a negative stereotype.

They are making great strides in changing the minds of the undecided. Ensuring that normal people are not seen with sidearms is a huge win for the anti-gun crowd.

 

[Route 45]

You just don't notice it as much.

That's kind of the point?

 

[rhino]

That's kind of the point?

Apparently you missed mine.

Most people never notice open carry either.

 

[Route 45]

Most people never notice open carry either.

If that was true, we wouldn't be having this discussion.

 

[KittySlayer]

Most people never notice open carry either.

If that was true, we wouldn't be having this discussion.

FIFY... Most people never notice open carry either unless the person wants to be seen in order to protest or make a point.

 

[rhino]

If that was true, we wouldn't be having this discussion.

Uh, no. That's not how logic works.

 

[Expat]

Apparently you missed mine.

Most people never notice open carry either.

A dapper fellow like yourself, open carrying a pistol in a proper holster, might not be as attention getting as those guys doing the RKBA audits with long guns.

 

[Trapper Jim]

Most people never notice open carry either.[/QUOTE]


This is correct. MOST people do not notice anything except Snapchat bings. If people would get their head out of their APhones they might just get a heads up on an idiot getting out of his Ranger truck dressed in BDU’s on a hot day crawling 150 yards with a long arm and heavy magazines around his waist creeping up on an elementary school. What a novel idea that civilians start looking out for each other.

 

[Route 45]

If people would get their head out of their APhones they might just get a heads up on an idiot getting out of his Ranger truck dressed in BDU’s on a hot day crawling 150 yards with a long arm and heavy magazines around his waist creeping up on an elementary school. What a novel idea that civilians start looking out for each other.

Yep.

Sitting ducks, all of them. Turrible, just turrible.

 

[Route 45]

Uh, no. That's not how logic works.

Logic dictates that you have no idea what people notice, unless you have psychic powers. Obviously, some people are noticing it.