03Lightningrocks wrote:I believe the difference is in how it is being brought up. If someone is saying they are carrying to brag and act like a tough guy or big shot, they are definitely a BONEHEAD. If it is just coming up in a conversation while talking weapons for one reason or the other, but not in a bragging way, that is very different...IMHO. I ran into a guy at a Wally World while looking for ammo. We spoke briefly about lack of ammo and how it makes it hard to get practice. Somehow the short conversation came around to him mentioning he wanted to get his CHL and he ask if I had one. I said yes... The conversation then turned into ways of carrying...the gentleman was wanting to learn more about it all so I spoke of different carry methods. He then asked if I was carrying because he could not tell if I was. I said yes as I patted on my three clock and said it was hiding under my love handle. Nothing in the whole situation was loud or bragging.... Just one human trying to share info with another. I sent him to this sight, by the way.
I agree for the most part. I don't have a problem telling someone I trust that I have a CHL. It's just part of the evangelism process. If I preach the value of a CHL, it only makes sense that I would have one. However, I am very tight-lipped about how and where I carry. I'll only discuss that with someone who has (or is getting) a CHL and needs some advice. As to whether I'm carrying at any given time, I'm even more careful about that. I'll only revel that in situations where I feel it's absolutely necessary (and a traffic stop is not one of them). In short, the only time I'll discuss CHL matters is when I'm trying to win someone over to our side, or when I'm trying to give someone advice. My sidearm is not a toy, it's not a curiosity, it's serious business.
That brings us to the story a friend once related to me. It seems a friend of hers (I never met the guy) had recently gotten his CHL, was very excited about it, and was bragging to his friends. Well, the two of them were alone at church together,a and he offered to take it out and show it to her. She said sure, and he proceeded to draw from his 12 o'clock and hand her the gun. I couldn't believe the story when I heard it. Bragging about his CHL, carrying at 12 o'clock, and passing around a loaded gun all seem most unwise, and taking it out without cause is certainly illegal. Can you imagine if he'd been caught? He could've lost his CHL within a month of getting it issued!
Recently I found out that one of my friends who has knowledge of my CHL has been telling my other friends about it. He's interested in shooting, so we've talked about self-defense, CHL, etc. I've also taken him to the range, so he's seen me unholster/reholster before. I always thought it was understood that he should keep quiet about it, but I guess I wasn't clear. You can imagine my surprise when a group of us were having dinner at another friend's house, and she exclaimed, "So, I hear you carry a gun with you! Do you have it now? Can I see it? I'm not sure I like you bringing a gun into my house."
During my CHL class, our instructor told us a couple of good ones about would-be CHL'ers who failed their range qualifications for safety violations. One guy showed up for his qualification drunk - twice. Since showing up drunk was unsafe, the instructor failed him - twice. No CHL for that guy. Another student came in for the qualification with his gun in a triangle bag. While still at the front desk, the instructor asked him what he planned to shoot. The guy replied that he had a Glock 9mm, then laid the bag on the desk and unzipped it to show to the instructor. This was at the Bullet Trap, where most of the employees OC. Well, sure enough, while the instructor was yelling for the guy to drop the gun, another employee had cleared leather. He reprimanded the guy and failed him. I guess he learned his lesson though, because he came back later for his second attempt and passed.
