TexasCHLforum.com

mr surveyor wrote:I'm curious as to why having one's CHL and possibly carrying a firearm has to be some deep, dark secret? How does that same thought process exist with those that insist on open carry? Doesn't the attitude of "secret society" or "elitist group" tend to reduce the number of folks that need to be educated and brought into the fold? Having the ability to defend one's self, loved ones and property is a good thing, something we (collectively) would like to see expanded to greater numbers ..... right?

I think it is primarily following reasons:

1. How we pick our friends: Right or wrong, for better or for worse, guns are a polarizing thing in this society. Think about it.....do you tend to seek out your friendships among gun-owners, or gun-haters? I think for most of us, we'd answer that question by saying that we know people on both sides of the issue, but we tend to seek our friendships on the pro-gun side of the issue, because that's the side that we have more in common with. If we have to choose between people who, A) we may like but who will not approve of our free exercise of our rights, or B) people who we like and who share our world view, we are quite naturally going to gravitate to those whome we are most comfortable with.
2. Confrontation avoidance: Guns are polarizing because there is a certain kind of busybody (called a liberal) who isn't happy unless he/she is telling us where we are wrong and what we need to fix in order to bring our lives into compliance with their tidy little world view. Conversely, I could care less if that person chooses to own a gun and carry it or not. I just want them to leave me alone and stop trying to take away my rights. This is the primary reason why, even if Constitutional Carry was Texas law, I would still probably carry concealed most of the time. I just don't want the confrontations from busybodies who aren't happy unless I fall into their line. They won't ever accept that it's not any more of their business whether I carry a gun or not than it is any of their business whether I choose to wear red or green clothing. They may have an opinion, but when it comes to guns, they just can't keep that opinion to themselves, the way they might if they didn't like the red jacket I was wearing.

I don't need the hassles, so that's why I tend to keep it secret unless I'm comfortable with a specific individual's knowing. It's not because I'm an elitist. It's certainly not because I think it is shameful in any way whatsoever. It's just because life is short, and I don't want to hear most of the crap that people are going to spout if they're uncomfortable with my liberty.

I used to be a lot more open about it and didn't particularly care what others think. I still don't care what they think; I just don't want to deal with their crap.

My mother might suspect, but it is not a topic of conversation between us. Long ago, she forbade any talk about guns between my brother and me in her home. When she was out here in April for my son's wedding, she asked to see my gun collection so I showed her part of it, but she didn't really know what to make of it except that she can't stand guns.

I'm pretty sure that her commie boyfriend saw me unholster my XDm and put it up on the mantle, but I just grinned at him and he looked away. I have no idea if he mentioned it to my mother, nor do I care.