slowfiveoh
Regular Member
imported post
I am sitting here considering the angled attacks that always probe the 2nd Amendments armor for some sort of material weakness. I look back at passed legislation that has hindered our ability to practice an inalienable right, and I really have to ask, very sincerely, what the true intent of some of these *anti-firearms advocates* really is.
You see. I come from California. I know firsthand what happens to a state, or any governmental body, when it oversteps its authority, and frivolously acts on the behalf of it's individual citizens. I would like to certainly focus on California for all of it's shortcomings, but when it all comes down to it, I can't. Even if it IS billions in the hole, and has some of the most screwed up laws in the nation.
Here's why.
I don't know about the rest of you, but I was raised to be extremely independent. While all of my friends were getting the coolest new toys, I was always outside shoveling dog-doo, mowing lawns, or working some embarrassing job unfit for even a 14 year old. Nope, throwing together hotdog meals for the next guy to swing his newfangled SUV through the drive-through, wasn't exactly my definition of "high life". Eventually I transferred over to McD's @ 15 years old, then decided at 16 that I was through with fast food. I worked at a couple of bike dealerships (my passion at the time), as a plumber, as a truck driver (dump trucks), performance engine builder, and long story short, eventually ended up serving my time in the Army, and settling on a career path that is IT oriented. I often think that because I left home early, I was subjected to some facets of life, that some of my buddies never really got to see until much later, and maybe to some extent, still do not understand now! Behold, the birth of the entitled. Right? On the same shoe though, I realize my life as a teenager was probably not as "easy" as it could have been. One thing I learned early on in my life, that helped drastically in my military career, was personal integrity, and responsibility. Knowing this, I realize that I am a true product of my past.
It is this realization that overshadows any thoughts on my behalf, to blame the "big bad government", or the failures therein. After all, the way our Government was meant to be run exclusively on power that has only been granted to it BY the people.
Through a lack of personal responsibility, we let a lot slide people. We really did...
Societies shift has been this huge paradigm of where it was just 50 years ago. Now we have insurance companies, frivolous lawsuits, organizations for the most twisted of purposes, and a mentality here in America (generalized), that we are all *owed* something.
What's this have to do with OC? Oh boy,......
Everything, and then some?
Why is it that in our country we do the following:
"I am being attacked, somebody help!"
"Oh the coffee was hot? Well the lettering is TOO SMALL, and I couldn't read it!"
"Oh well he didn't TELL me the wheels were missing lugnuts!"
Are we seeing an emerging pattern here? Am I crazy? Why do we, as Americans, defer so much blame? Oh, that's right, because society has raised us to believe that we are entitled.
Open Carry is about quite a few things. None of which make a person "insane", or "stupid", or "careless" like so many people would like to imply. It is about the assertion of our inalienable right to defend ourselves. It is the very statement that we are responsible. We do not defer to law enforcement, or the welfare of others! We stand ready to defend ourselves, and those around us if necessary. We belie, and openly display our belief, that it is every law abiding, sane individuals right and responsibility, to protect himself, his property, and his loved ones. It is every man or womans responsibility to keep the government in check.
Ladies and gentlemen, open carry, is nothing less than acknowledged responsibility.
That's how I see it.
How about you?
I am sitting here considering the angled attacks that always probe the 2nd Amendments armor for some sort of material weakness. I look back at passed legislation that has hindered our ability to practice an inalienable right, and I really have to ask, very sincerely, what the true intent of some of these *anti-firearms advocates* really is.
You see. I come from California. I know firsthand what happens to a state, or any governmental body, when it oversteps its authority, and frivolously acts on the behalf of it's individual citizens. I would like to certainly focus on California for all of it's shortcomings, but when it all comes down to it, I can't. Even if it IS billions in the hole, and has some of the most screwed up laws in the nation.
Here's why.
I don't know about the rest of you, but I was raised to be extremely independent. While all of my friends were getting the coolest new toys, I was always outside shoveling dog-doo, mowing lawns, or working some embarrassing job unfit for even a 14 year old. Nope, throwing together hotdog meals for the next guy to swing his newfangled SUV through the drive-through, wasn't exactly my definition of "high life". Eventually I transferred over to McD's @ 15 years old, then decided at 16 that I was through with fast food. I worked at a couple of bike dealerships (my passion at the time), as a plumber, as a truck driver (dump trucks), performance engine builder, and long story short, eventually ended up serving my time in the Army, and settling on a career path that is IT oriented. I often think that because I left home early, I was subjected to some facets of life, that some of my buddies never really got to see until much later, and maybe to some extent, still do not understand now! Behold, the birth of the entitled. Right? On the same shoe though, I realize my life as a teenager was probably not as "easy" as it could have been. One thing I learned early on in my life, that helped drastically in my military career, was personal integrity, and responsibility. Knowing this, I realize that I am a true product of my past.
It is this realization that overshadows any thoughts on my behalf, to blame the "big bad government", or the failures therein. After all, the way our Government was meant to be run exclusively on power that has only been granted to it BY the people.
Through a lack of personal responsibility, we let a lot slide people. We really did...
Societies shift has been this huge paradigm of where it was just 50 years ago. Now we have insurance companies, frivolous lawsuits, organizations for the most twisted of purposes, and a mentality here in America (generalized), that we are all *owed* something.
What's this have to do with OC? Oh boy,......
Everything, and then some?
Why is it that in our country we do the following:
"I am being attacked, somebody help!"
"Oh the coffee was hot? Well the lettering is TOO SMALL, and I couldn't read it!"
"Oh well he didn't TELL me the wheels were missing lugnuts!"
Are we seeing an emerging pattern here? Am I crazy? Why do we, as Americans, defer so much blame? Oh, that's right, because society has raised us to believe that we are entitled.
Open Carry is about quite a few things. None of which make a person "insane", or "stupid", or "careless" like so many people would like to imply. It is about the assertion of our inalienable right to defend ourselves. It is the very statement that we are responsible. We do not defer to law enforcement, or the welfare of others! We stand ready to defend ourselves, and those around us if necessary. We belie, and openly display our belief, that it is every law abiding, sane individuals right and responsibility, to protect himself, his property, and his loved ones. It is every man or womans responsibility to keep the government in check.
Ladies and gentlemen, open carry, is nothing less than acknowledged responsibility.
That's how I see it.
How about you?