Scenario:
A local couple who are both Artists are attending an Arts & Crafts Festival as Vendors. An all day event in a suburb of a large Mid-West city. As they is setting up in the morning, the husband checks out his surroundings. It's an older neighborhood, not run down by any means. They has a great day, makes lots of sales, meets some very interesting people, not only other Vendors but Customers as well.
Packing up and heading out, the husband notices a gas station/convenience store on a busy corner has the cheapest gas he has seen in a long time and since he needs some fuel to make the trip home, he decides to fill up.
While pumping gas he surveys his surroundings (you all do this in a strange neighborhood, correct?) and begins to notice many unsavory types hanging around. Several of them start moving in his general direction and giving him looks as if he's next on the predator/prey menu.
Now our local artist just happens to be armed and reasonably well trained in the use of said arms. He returns their looks with a look that clearly states "you are not stalking a sheep here boys, but a sheepdog ready and aware of you and your pack". They quickly take notice of this and slip into the darkness.
Moving his truck close to the door he and his wife walk into the convenience store to purchase a drink for the ride home, keenly aware now of just what type of area they are in, our Artist is not surprised to see several store employees openly armed and aware of all who walk through the doors.
One of these employees notices the jacket our local artist is wearing, black leather with a bright patch over the left breast the proudly announcing to all that he is a NRA Life Member. Looking at that patch, then into the eyes of our artist, the employee gives him a slight smile and turns his attention back to the rest of the store.
Our Artist pays for the drinks and as he passes the employee who noticed his jacket he hears him say "Nice Jacket, have a great evening".
Now we cannot know for certain if the unsavory types meant evil to our local artist, but every indication was there that they were sizing him up as prey. Being armed did not make him superior to these said individuals, but he was prepared to deal with whatever might have arisen. Add to that the attitude and mindset that he WAS NOT prey and projecting that mindset just might have kept this situation from turning into something much worse.
Now for one main fact left out of the above narrative ........
That local artist was ME and my wife, one day before the tragedy in Connecticut.
I am always armed as those who have known me for years are well aware. This incident only more firmly cemented my commitment to all of us having the right to be armed if we so choose.
I have been inactive on this site for some time as my wife and I have started a fledgling business and it has been consuming most of my time. I have debated sharing this event with all of you but with what is going on, with politicians trying to take this very precious right away from us I felt compelled to share.
People who live surrounded by armed guards and have no concept what the rest of us have to live with, should not try and tell us we do not need what our Founding Fathers clearly stated was our right.
A local couple who are both Artists are attending an Arts & Crafts Festival as Vendors. An all day event in a suburb of a large Mid-West city. As they is setting up in the morning, the husband checks out his surroundings. It's an older neighborhood, not run down by any means. They has a great day, makes lots of sales, meets some very interesting people, not only other Vendors but Customers as well.
Packing up and heading out, the husband notices a gas station/convenience store on a busy corner has the cheapest gas he has seen in a long time and since he needs some fuel to make the trip home, he decides to fill up.
While pumping gas he surveys his surroundings (you all do this in a strange neighborhood, correct?) and begins to notice many unsavory types hanging around. Several of them start moving in his general direction and giving him looks as if he's next on the predator/prey menu.
Now our local artist just happens to be armed and reasonably well trained in the use of said arms. He returns their looks with a look that clearly states "you are not stalking a sheep here boys, but a sheepdog ready and aware of you and your pack". They quickly take notice of this and slip into the darkness.
Moving his truck close to the door he and his wife walk into the convenience store to purchase a drink for the ride home, keenly aware now of just what type of area they are in, our Artist is not surprised to see several store employees openly armed and aware of all who walk through the doors.
One of these employees notices the jacket our local artist is wearing, black leather with a bright patch over the left breast the proudly announcing to all that he is a NRA Life Member. Looking at that patch, then into the eyes of our artist, the employee gives him a slight smile and turns his attention back to the rest of the store.
Our Artist pays for the drinks and as he passes the employee who noticed his jacket he hears him say "Nice Jacket, have a great evening".
Now we cannot know for certain if the unsavory types meant evil to our local artist, but every indication was there that they were sizing him up as prey. Being armed did not make him superior to these said individuals, but he was prepared to deal with whatever might have arisen. Add to that the attitude and mindset that he WAS NOT prey and projecting that mindset just might have kept this situation from turning into something much worse.
Now for one main fact left out of the above narrative ........
That local artist was ME and my wife, one day before the tragedy in Connecticut.
I am always armed as those who have known me for years are well aware. This incident only more firmly cemented my commitment to all of us having the right to be armed if we so choose.
I have been inactive on this site for some time as my wife and I have started a fledgling business and it has been consuming most of my time. I have debated sharing this event with all of you but with what is going on, with politicians trying to take this very precious right away from us I felt compelled to share.
People who live surrounded by armed guards and have no concept what the rest of us have to live with, should not try and tell us we do not need what our Founding Fathers clearly stated was our right.
.
