Zealot: : a person who has very strong feelings about something (such as religion or politics) and who wants other people to have those feelings : a zealous person.
Guilty as Charged..... Conservative, Right wing, hetero sexual, married, white, Born in the USA, Christian, Constitution Supporting .... Zealot. You talk like that is a bad thing? I guess your point may be, that being a zealot is OK, but when you cross the Extreme line, something is wrong, and who sets this standard of being Extreme. This country was founded on Zealots. By their action many would call them Extreme, thank goodness they were.
I have been OC'ing for quite along time. KNOCK ON WOOD, I have never been wrestled to the ground, and haven't been hassled or harassed for several years now. I have never worried about making people feel uncomfortable, that will happen no matter what you do. I think the most important thing I have learned while OC'ing is how you conduct yourself, carry yourself, and how you are dressed. I try to make eye contact with those around me, say hi, be pleasant, and act normal. I usually wear cargo pants because I love the pockets, you can never have too many pockets
. MOST wont strap a sidearm on their hip, it will be around their waste area. I prefer to wear my Blackhawk drop leg holster, instead of one on my side, because of an issue with my right hip.. Most of the time, someone will look at me, my sidearm, and most of the time I will make eye contact, maybe speak and say hi, and that's the end of the conversation.
The most often question I am asked is if I am LEO, I reply no, and most of the time that's as far as it goes. The last time I had a concerned citizen, was at a hardware store. The lady was elderly about 70, when I walked out of the store, she was parked in the HC stall and rolled her window down and made it a point to tell me that me wearing a WEAPON didn't make her feel safe. I told her I was sorry that I made her feel that way, but I wasn't wearing it to make her feel safe. I was wearing it to protect myself and those I hold dear, have a nice day.
We are out there, and many are testing out the waters. Keep on Keeping on....