TexasCHLforum.com

Had a Facebook conversation yesterday with a friend from my church. He is neither anti-gun nor PRO-gun. He is on the market for a pistol, and would consider a CHL, but maybe not. In other words, he is a lukewarm fence-sitter.

He posted on Facebook yesterday that he saw the Open Carry demonstration in Arlington, didn't realize what it was and was pretty alarmed. After he was informed at the scene what was going on, he decided he didn't like it. He said he didn't have a problem with people carrying concealed pistols with a license, but he didn't want people open carrying long guns. When I saw him at church today and told him that the demonstration was actually for open carry of PISTOLS, he said "I have no problem with carrying pistols in the open or concealed, but I don't want people carrying AK47s around in public. He doesn't care if you own one. He doesn't care if you take it to the range. He doesn't care if you use it to go hunting.

BUT HE DID SAY THAT HE WOULD SUPPORT THE PASSAGE OF A LAW MAKING IT ILLEGAL TO OPEN CARRY LONG GUNS.

THAT is the effect that these OC long gun demonstrations have on even people who might be erstwhile friends of the 2nd amendment. When I asked him at church today what his major objection was, he said "It's just too much "in your face", and I don't like it."

You could argue that his fear is irrational, but that is actually irrelevant because he is a college educated conservative who votes, and he would support passage of a law which does exactly the opposite of what the demonstrators intended. It alienated him. And that is somebody who is an erstwhile lukewarm ally, and at worst neutral. Imagine someone who is lukewarm against, or an outright enemy of the 2nd amendment.

Baby steps. It is the only rational way. These in your face protestors are going to destroy the movement.