“Funny things start going through your head when you and your five-year-old daughter are suddenly surrounded by a dozen people wielding high-powered weaponry,” houstonpress.com blogger Jef Rouner writes. A dozen? I count four. Anyway, “Mostly, you know, expletives and panic, but also an agonizing moment of loss where you are suddenly trying to distill decades of complicated gun nuttery to a child that is still convinced Doctor Who is real.” A [presumably] unsuspecting Mr. Rouner had driven his daughter into the midst of the Open Carry Texas Brazoria County Monthly Education Walk. And they survived! A much-relieved Rouner had this to say about that . . .

“It’s not a parade, Heart,” I told my daughter, my hands gripping the steering wheel hard while vision of accidental gun shot wounds from my wife’s nursing textbooks played out in my head. “It’s a demonstration. A protest. A gathering of people to express a political opinion.” . . .

“What for?” she asked.

“They think that we need guns everywhere,” I said. “Lots and lots of guns.” I have never discussed firearms with her. There are none in my house. I have a rich tradition of alcoholism and suicide on both sides of my family and I suck at hiding things. There is simply no scenario where my home is safer with a gun in it.

“Why?” she asked.

“Because they think it will make them safer,” I replied. From behind me I heard her take a deep breath.

“No it’s not!” she yelled. “They’re going to do something stupid and die! They’re going to kill people. Look at that boy! Even their children are going to kill people! Who does that? Come on!”

Indoctrination much? Of course, Mr. Rouner reckons out of the mouth of babes – his babe – come civilian disarmament pearls. The swine. Or as we say in Texas, the feral hog (no intimation of pest control intended).

Despite living in Texas my whole life this was my first encounter with open carry activists, and while I freely admit they did nothing at all to me or anyone else I saw the sheer reckless bravado that comes from the movement never ceases to amaze me. The disregard for any kind of misinterpretation of their acts that could lead to something truly horrible happening is very real and apparently of minor importance to these people. I’m glad that a kindergartener (who by the way has already gone through school lockdown drills in case of an active shooter) can see that walking around armed is asking for trouble.

I mean, it’s not like some of these people don’t snap and do great harm sometimes.

And I do not now, nor will I ever, understand why the Second Amendment should mean that I have to drive my family through essentially a militia on a Sunday afternoon in a safe neighborhood simply so a few Texans can live-action roleplay with live ammo. The kid is right. It’s just stupid.

The kid is wrong. An open carry demo is an effective way to educate Americans about their natural, civil and Constitutionally protected right to keep and bear arms. A real gun carried by a real American – who does so peacefully and respectfully – beats a pro-gun rant any day.

Mr. Rouner missed a teachable moment; he could have explained the importance of the Second Amendment to his child. Then again, he doesn’t understand the importance of the Second Amendment. If only he’d parked his car, stepped out and discussed his [mis]apprehensions with the open carry demonstrators. Unfortunately, Rouner lacked he courage of his convictions. Literally.

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181 COMMENTS

        • To these guys, “high powered” sounds more better to gain clicks. I got money says his daughter (Heart? Really?) never said any such thing.

        • Well, if that dope can “imagine” four placid people into a dozen armed SEALs surrounding his car, he can “imagine” his spawn named after a body part mouthing those Disarmist punch lines.

          My bet says the conversation never happened outside of his warped, panic-stricken mind.

        • I’d tend to agree with you jusbill. Just as he lied about the number of OC activists, he would have no problem lying about what his daughter said. Liberal/progressives see the “ends justify the means”.

          If lying about what his daughter said to make an anti gun point, he would see it as for the “greater good”.

        • Nah, due to the tiny bullet, 5.56 is an intermediate or light rifle cartridge. It is NOT a “high power” rifle round. It’s even illegal to hunt deer with it in a bunch of states because it isn’t thought to be capable of humanely killing a deer. A full power rifle round would be .308, .30-06, etc. That’s “normal” or “full power”. So I’d say “high power” has to be more than “full power” so you’ve gotta get into long actions for .338 Lapua mag and other magnum cartridges. Probably .300 Win Mag at a bare minimum…

        • Power is more than size of projectile. That’s more powerful than a “Fat man in a little coat”.

          I know what you are saying and I am not going to debate it. Sure there are guns that knock you on your ass when you fire them so they are definitely higher powered.

          My point is “high power” is kind of necessary for the rifle to function as designed. We aren’t talking about hunting. The antis only care about power to kill humans and that is ALL guns.

    • Apparently a Remington 700 in 30-06, because it’s not black and doesn’t take a 30 round clip that it can fire in a half second.

    • That’s one of my pet peeves too. That a$$clown couldn’t possibly identify caliber from a glance– he certainly can’t name a “low powered” rifle.

      I, however, can. The .32-20 undoubtedly qualifies.

      Though generally “high powered” is a moron’s synonym for “centerfire”. Just as “clip” is the moron’s synonym for “magazine”.

    • Buzzwords repeated to scare the ignorant:

      High powered
      loaded
      high capacity
      assault
      semi automatic
      military grade
      black
      fully loaded
      sniper style
      long range
      close combat
      concealed
      open carried AKA brandishing
      low ready
      slung
      sawed off
      long barreled
      full auto
      automatic
      double barreled
      pump
      high caliber
      Saturday night special

      Yet when somebody runs over a pedestrian, we don’t hear:
      300 horsepower
      2 ton pickup
      high speed
      3,000 pound
      automatic transmission
      over sized tires
      metal bumper guard
      AWD/4WD
      Dual gas tank

      • I have assaulted at least three people with a super soaker. I have drenched hundreds, but three were so not pleased with the act that they were ready to fight over it. I’m never going to grow up. No law says you must.

          • One guy held a grudge for two years. Out of the blue he was being a dick to me and when I questioned it, he explained that two years prior, I shot one of his contacts out. My aim is that good. I felt bad and apologized. We get along fine now.

    • Ruger 10/22
      Beretta Cx4 Storm
      Browning T-Bolt Sporter
      Mossberg 817
      American Tactical STG-44 Rifle STG4410
      Browning BL-22
      CZ 452 Scout Youth
      Savage 11FCNS
      Anderson M416
      Armalite A4
      etc.

      • Well what do you expect when the man-child had “vision[s] of accidental gun shot wounds from my wife’s nursing textbooks played out in my head.” ???

        That is classic hysteria — a totally and utterly irrational fear of firearms.

        • And, he seems to be proud of it, and disinclined to change anything about himself, though quite willing and/or eager to violate my freedoms. I’m thinking “turd” might be a good nickname for such people.

  3. Children’s commentary is always good for a nice liberal editorial. I’m sure these topics would fly as well:

    “Mommy, why are those two men kissing?”
    “Daddy, why are those women wearing big baglike clothes that cover their whole bodies?”
    “Mommy, why do those ladies have big jars with little babies in them?”

    • “No it’s not!” she yelled. “They’re going to do something stupid and die! They’re going to kill people. Look at that boy! Even their children are going to kill people! Who does that? Come on!”

      Yeah…s-u-r-e…his five year old daughter said that!

      Whatever…’Brian Williams’ Rouner.

      Why am I thinking Rouner deliberately inserted himself and his daughter into this event?

  5. So we’ve established that many common sense reasonings regarding gun control directly or indirectly originate from the byzantine machinations and subtle manipulations of infantile overlords who don’t understand anything about what they want to have control over. And sometimes from their kids, it seems.

    • Speaking of machinations, I found it interesting that while this was his first encounter, the actions of these people never cease to amaze him. A “blogger” who can’t do better than that, “you might be a moron!”

  6. That’s interesting, my five year old daughter says, “Daddy, I want to go hunting with you and shoot a deer!” As soon as she’s twelve…

  7. Interesting he mentions how his daughter thinks Doctor Who is real. I was really bothered especially by the writing when David Tennant was the doctor as it was very anti gun (otherwise a fun characterizaion except for toward the end where he was constantly whining) . Historically there have been Doctors that seemed more than happy to use guns.

    http://basementrejects.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/doctor-who-day-of-the-daleks-doctor-fires-gun-jon-pertwee.jpg

    This is for a character that exterminates entire species and had tortured individuals for “eternity”. He does it all in the name of good of course.

  8. So we are supposed to take the views of a child who ‘thinks Dr. Who is real’ as some kind of great insightful take on guns? A kid who would probably recommend ice cream and donuts as a nutritious meal.

    • Just FYI, there are actually a whole lot of armed moms…they tend to be the ones who truly care about their children’s safety. Unlike the article’s frightened pajama boy.

  10. Have there been any instances where an open carry event has helped public perception of gun rights? Seems like it does more harm than good….

    • Only if you take the MSM and gun control bloggers at their word. To buy that line of thinking is to ignore evidence to the contrary.

      For example…the dude fails miserably in his explanation to this daughter. The goal is not to have guns everywhere or everybody carrying. The goal is to remove restrictions, unconstitutional restrictions, on those that choose to own and carry arms.

      There is a huge difference.

      It’s only a problem for those that cannot see the difference and have a knee jerk, histrionic reaction to something they’ve been programmed to hate and to embrace the concept of “control of others.”

    • @ bt justice who asked, “Have there been any instances where an open carry event has helped public perception of gun rights?”

      Actually, yes there have been many such instances. The problem is, some OC events (generally the ones that get media coverage) follow the Liberal model of “lets get together in a large, impressive MOB and make as many people uncomfortable as possible.” I will never understand why we in the “firearms community” will disparage those who want to take our guns, but engage in a wholesale adoption of their public relations tactics. How do we convince the “general public” we are “better than they are” if we do the same inconsiderate things they do?

      That said, the “Open Carry Events” that truly help our cause are the ones where you get a lot of non-media-based exposure while doing something NOT primarily focused on “guns” or “rights” or “the Second Amendment.”

      For example, there is an OC group on the West (Liberal) Side of my state that regularly goes out and picks up trash along the freeways while Open Carrying. At the start, they generated hundreds of “emergency” calls:

      Call Center: 911 please state the nature of your emergency.

      Caller: Uh, I am on I5 and there are dozens of people here with guns!

      Call Center: What are these people doing?

      Caller: Um, they appear to be picking up trash.

      Call Center: Is anyone pointing their gun at anybody?

      Caller: Well, no, the guns all seem to be in holsters on their hips.

      Call Center: Well, they have the right to do that; call back when there’s a real emergency.

      Now, almost nobody calls 911 these days; they are used to seeing the folks out there and they like having litter free roads!

      The point is, have your OC group go do “community service” of a type nobody can fault. Get all the proper permits/permission/et cetera (in our state, we have an “adopt a highway” litter control program that is perfect). Do your service in a location where it is legal to Open Carry. Chose a location with a lot of unmediated public exposure (you don’t need television crews if everybody on the road or at the park can see you directly). Carry your firearms in a safe and responsible manner. Have some unarmed people along, too (maybe invite some of your Liberal Friends).

      This type of event puts anybody wanting to complain about “people with guns” in the position of also complaining about “people repairing park benches” or “removing snow from local business parking lots” (with permission of the businesses involved!).

      Now you DO have to do good work, or someone will complain about the repair job or service work and use that as an attack against “those gun nuts who can’t do anything right.”

      My $0.02 worth!
      (And that’s inflation!)

      Reply

      • ^ ^ THIS

        This deserves to be an article! Provide a visible unmistakably beneficial community service _while_ open carry to psychologically link “nice guys” and “carry guns”

      • Seconded with great enthusiasm. I think I’ll start something like this here. I already pick up trash with several organized groups.

    • bt justice,

      Yes, all open carry events where the open carriers conduct themselves civilly and do not assault anyone are positive events. Sure, a few people may initially freak-out at the sight of all those “evil guns”. And then they realize some time later that it was a non-event. Before you know it, it is nothing to be concerned about.

      I carry a handgun openly sometimes. Most people never even notice it. When people do notice, many are curious and either ask questions among themselves or will inquire with me directly. I make sure to dress nicely and be extra positive and polite. And I often have my family with me.

      One of the best places for open carry is walking and hiking on established walking and hiking trails. People naturally recognize the value of a handgun for defense against four-legged predators.

      Be friendly, upbeat, and confident while exposing people to open carry. It will make a positive difference.

      • uncommon_sense said, “Yes, all open carry events where the open carriers conduct themselves civilly and do not assault anyone are positive events.”

        Unfortunately, even when conducted with extreme civility, Open Carry Events do not always produce positive results. I am a big fan of Open Carry, but when the News People come out to visit, they may not be all that “impartial” in what they film. The OC Folk may or may not get a chance to be “friendly, upbeat, and confident” if the reporter chooses not to interview anyone.

        That said, “Hiking trails” are certainly excellent places to Open Carry — that is a wonderful suggestion! Taking along friends and family is a great idea as well! So are the the previously mentioned “liter patrol” and similar events where the central activity easily overshadows the presence of guns. But, if you truly want to consistently create positive images of citizens who openly carry firearms, I suggest holding Open Carry Friendly events that are “about” something *other* than guns.

        How do you work this?

        You might start by setting the Open Carry participation at about 40% of the adults present. If you have a core group where *everybody* demands to carry *their* gun on every outing, fine — invite twice that many “outside” people and make them your friends, too.

        However you do it, this ratio leverages Human Nature. Anybody who looks at a group immediately tries to divine what “all those people” have in common. If everybody in the group has a gun, then “guns” become the group “binder” in the mind of a Third Party Observer. If half of the adults in the group are not Open Carrying, the default assumption becomes “something else” must be the group focus. Just make that focus something obvious and something obviously wholesome and the guns will become unobvious. In short order, they will “fade into the background” — which is where we want them.

        Several years ago, I went Christmas Caroling with a church. Several participants were Open Carrying; but, to any Third Party Observer, the “event” was obviously about the joyous singing of Christmas Songs by people who were obviously not professional vocalists, yet obviously trying to cheer up their neighbors. Everybody noticed my sour notes; nobody objected to my J. P. Sauer…

        • “holding Open Carry Friendly events that are “about” something *other* than guns.” It is about guns.

    • There have been plenty in Ohio that have had positive results. Usually the only way to get mainstream press is when there is a negative attached; real or imagined. 😉

  11. I think “wielding” isn’t the right word here, seeing how no one in the picture has a firearm in hand. Would “toting” be more appropriate?

    • How about good old fashioned “bearing”? “Wielding” implies using or employing an object, often a weapon, but you can also “bear” the weapon, as in carrying, toting, wearing on your person in holster or sheath, or slung on the shoulder by a sling or strap. So, Rounder uses “wielding” incorrectly, or maybe deliberately, given the implications of the word. Your suggestion of “toting” is, however, valid. “Tote” and its variants seem to originate in our American Southern States.

      • Rounder uses ‘wielding’ to imply malicious intent, criminality, and demonize the open carriers to anyone who is listening to his anti gun sermon.

        Antis commonly misuse descriptive angst creating adjectives to color the pro-gun crowd, no matter who they may be, as evil intentioned demons.

        Par for the course for a dedicated anti.

        • Yep. He wrote the whole thing with an emotional slant, and, truthfully, I doubt the daughter ever actually said anything…except in his imagination. Such is the state of what purports to be journalism in the U.S. today.

  12. I wonder why the kid doesn’t scream “no, too many cars, someone is going to do something stupid and kill a bunch of people” whenever they get on the expressway?
    The parent’s answers were pretty lame as well. I know of more than a couple recovering alcoholics that carry every day. I guess when guns are scary, it is easier to make excuses than to face facts.
    I guess people who cherish their rights and wish to exercise them make parenting much more difficult.

    • You don’t really believe that the article contains an accurate transcript of the child’s speech do you?

      It sounds like the projection of the liberal author’s fears and infirmities to me.

        • Unless of course the parent got tense and freaked, which in turn set off the kid. Also, though it’s been said before on these forums, I would presume neither the father nor the kid freak when they see armed cops. Even ones in full SWAT gear. Though, I have to admit, I get a wee bit uneasy when I walk through the train station and see a bunch of armored DHS goons, as occasionally happens. I guess we all have our own particular concerns, do we not?

        • I never have a problem with the presence of VIPRE clods, because I KNOW from experience:
          – They are watching good looking women, not me; and
          – If SHTF happens they will wet their pants and cower in a donut shop until the local PD shows up to handle it, because “the locals have jurisdiction” (and they don’t want to do the paperwork that will make them late going home).

        • @Old Ben turning in grave: I often feel that way around large groups of uniformed agents of government. It’s not because they are armed but because they are part of the brute force branch of a tyrannical government. They represent the tyranny of today and in such a situation they are too close to me for my own comfort.

      • I wouldn’t be at all surprised if the child wasn’t even present. The character of a 5-year-old daughter is just a convenient foil for his own craven behavior.

  13. Maybe instead of standing around holding signs and shouting, open carriers could pick up trash or do yard work for seniors or some kind of good deed to show that they arent turds?

    • This numbskull would then have called the police because of dozens (perhaps hundreds) of armed men invading his elderly neighbor’s home. I think I would stay away from residences, stick to public places.

    • Every fit man could be a rapist: should all fit men go around picking up trash or doing yard work for seniors in an effort to convince frightened people that they are not rapists?

      Or maybe people who carry openly visible firearms could simply go about their business with a friendly and polite demeanor … just like anyone else exercising their rights while engaged in a legal activity.

  14. So, I’ve looked at that picture several times and I still don’t see a “high powered” rifle there…

    And he’s definitely instilled his irrational fear into his daughter. Hopefully she’ll grow up, marry a gun owner, and learn that a gun is an inert thing that has no will or ill intention of its own, and is perfectly safe if it is not misused or abused.

  15. Try as they might to hide it, this is exactly what these people think about gun owners. From the mouths of babes and all that:

    “No it’s not!” she yelled. “They’re going to do something stupid and die! They’re going to kill people. Look at that boy! Even their children are going to kill people! Who does that? Come on!”

    • As a side note, per Nick’s post a day or two ago, if this is the reaction due to the number of gun-related deaths in this country, lord help his kid if he ever gets around to talking about the relative prevalence of deaths from heart disease and medical malpractice. She’ll have a complete breakdown.

      • Medical malpractice will never be discussed in his household. Mommy is a nurse who takes care of sick people at work and a real child and an overgrown child at home.

        She will probably dump him due to his infantile demands and incessant whining, and take up with a rich urologist who she met at work. Who hunts. With Uncle Ted.

  16. Sounds like someones been indoctrinating their kid; reminds me of the 7 year old who wrote Obama a letter after sand-hook saying only army men and police should have guns.

    • Which, of course, to continue a theme broached above, the kid probably didn’t write. Anyone else recall Obama’s response, BTW?–something along the lines of, “I intend to do my best to see that that comes about”. Just for the one or two Obama apologists out there.

      • I think that was about 10 seconds before he started the chant “Nobody’s trying to take your guns!”

  18. Somebody clearly does not beat their children enough. If my daughter opened her mouth that way at adults she’d be getting a backhand across the mouth.

      • Corporal punishment is a grossly underrated tool in child rearing. It worked just fine for generations. Note the absence of school shootings in the 40s and 50s. When you beat your kids, they don’t grow up to be entitled twats.

      • How dare you insult proud Morons. Besides, Ace of Spades HQ links TTAG often. Miss pwrserge is a troll.

    • (Or abandoned for a decade before getting shoved in a mind destroying giant robot to go fight aliens hand to hand, though that might be my avatar talking. Not sure where i stand on the Gendo Ikari school of parenting.)

  19. Out of the mouths of babes? Lol only after being indoctrinated at home and in school. I’ll tell you out of the mouths of babes. My 7 year old cousin was visiting shortly after the sandy hook tragedy. She is raised by a strongly anti-gun mom and goes to a public school in nyc. She knew I had guns from my facebook. Asked to see, after looking and learning for a while she said, “if someone had one they could have stopped that guy who killed all those kids” note that I mentioned nothing about the 2nd or politics. I was merely teaching the safety rules and mechanics of the firearms.

    • Another small glimmer of common sense. Soon to be ruthlessly exposed and snuffed out by the NYC Teacher’s Union membership.

      • It’s basic logic, to stop people with a weapon you need to be as armed or better than that person. Kids understand this, unless their dad sits there tightly gripping his steering wheel and freaking out because he is picturing gun shot wounds when he sees people exercising their freedoms. Does he picture mutilated bodies when he drives? Destroyed internal organs when he sees bleach or maybe he sees blue bloated bodies when he goes swimming? He is raising a panicky, hoplophobic and likely control freak (as in telling other people how to live their lives) daughter.

        As for my cousin, yeah, hopefully NYC school of indoctrination doesn’t do too much damage, but it likely will. Fuck public schools.

  20. …where you are suddenly trying to distill decades of complicated gun nuttery to a child that is still convinced Doctor Who is real.

    Well, that might be a symptom of the underlying problem: your insufficient upbringing of your child, so that she cannot properly differentiate fantasy from reality, and has an unhealthy fear of law-abiding citizens lawfully exercising their rights.

    My five-year-old doesn’t particularly want to handle firearms, but she certainly doesn’t fear them. She understands that mommy and daddy have them in case we ever need to use them to protect her. She also knows that Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, and Disney Princesses are make-believe, and are not real. She would not freak out over seeing four people standing on a street corner, minding their own business, carrying firearms in a completely non-threatening manner.

    …my hands gripping the steering wheel hard while vision of accidental gun shot wounds from my wife’s nursing textbooks played out in my head.

    Well, I can certainly see where your daughter’s irrational, unhealthy fear of firearms originates.

    I have never discussed firearms with her. There are none in my house.

    And why haven’t you? Seriously? Not even age-appropriate handling rules (i.e. “don’t touch”, “leave the room”, and “tell an adult”)?

    I have a rich tradition of alcoholism and suicide on both sides of my family and I suck at hiding things. There is simply no scenario where my home is safer with a gun in it.

    So that excuses you from teaching your children proper respect and handling of firearms? Do you take the same approach with alcohol? Sex?

    “Because they think it will make them safer,” I replied. From behind me I heard her take a deep breath.

    “No it’s not!” she yelled. “They’re going to do something stupid and die! They’re going to kill people. Look at that boy! Even their children are going to kill people! Who does that? Come on!”

    Does your daughter similarly hyperventilate over seeing a swimming pool? Or other automobiles? Or when driving by a hospital?

    …while I freely admit they did nothing at all to me or anyone else I saw the sheer reckless bravado that comes from the movement never ceases to amaze me.

    Filed under: typical progressive projection.

    The disregard for any kind of misinterpretation of their acts that could lead to something truly horrible happening is very real and apparently of minor importance to these people.

    That is because fear of people openly carrying firearms of any kind is irrational – and fear of people openly carrying long guns is even more irrational, since criminals don’t use long guns to commit crimes, and over 90% of criminals prefer to use concealed handguns. The only risk of danger due to misinterpretation of their actions comes from people who act on irrational fear toward law-abiding citizens conducting themselves lawfully.

    ’m glad that a kindergartener (who by the way has already gone through school lockdown drills in case of an active shooter) can see that walking around armed is asking for trouble.

    So you condone the school’s contribution to hoplophobic indoctrination of your daughter, as well as your own efforts in that regard.

    And how, sir, are law-abiding citizens conducting themselves lawfully asking for trouble? How, exactly? What other rights, exercised lawfully, represent asking for trouble?

    And I do not now, nor will I ever, understand why the Second Amendment should mean that I have to drive my family through essentially a militia on a Sunday afternoon in a safe neighborhood…

    Well, I suppose if the Army can be an army of one, then four people standing on a street corner can constitute a militia.

    …simply so a few Texans can live-action roleplay with live ammo.

    Also filed under: typical liberal projection.

    (Or, perhaps you don’t know the definition of terms such as “live-action” and “roleplay”?)

    • Someone please remind this hoplophobe (nicest thing I could call him) that the pen is mightier than the sword. Billions have died as a result of printed material. Most of it as reckless bravado.

    • A most excellent fisking, Chip. I would only add: Does she have no concept of bad guys? No superhero comics or movies? Or even cartoons?

      The whole concept is apparently foreign to her father. Saying: They want to be allowed to be self-sufficient, allowed to defend themselves from bad guys, etc., should come immediately to mind for him. My small children would immediately “get it”.

      I guess being a liberal means an inability to call evil, evil. I think we all see that in them.

      • “I guess being a liberal means an inability to call evil, evil. I think we all see that in them.”

        Unless you are a white, Christian, financially-sound, heterosexual male or in ISIS/ISIL. Everyone else is incapable of being evil (sarcasm).

        • Since when did liberals consider ISIS/ISIL to be evil? As I understand it, they are just reacting to US imperialism, rampant Zionism, and out-of-control Islamophobia. And we just need to be more culturally sensitive, celebrate religious diversity (altho they really have nothing to do with Islam), and let them eliminate every Jew and Christian in sight, and they’ll behave just fine…

    • Chip, reading your post somehow gave me another thought. He asserts that he has never discussed firearms with this 5-year-old, do you suppose he then asked her just who HAD been discussing firearms with her? Sounds like she had been hanging out with someone besides her parents, which would sure get my attention more than a group of citizens standing on a streetcorner!

      Of course, it also could be that he’s just full of sh omething.

  21. Yes his daughter is much safer at home with her father, who basically said he is predisposed to become a Suicidal Alcoholic…..

    • Glad somebody else noticed that point, because I think it’s the crux of the whole article. As others have noted in the past, anti-gunners often seem to assume that everyone else is as ill-equipped as they are mentally and emotionally to safely handle a firearm.

    • Send him a case of Jack and a length of rope. Will they, like guns, leap to life and cause him to use them? Or will his weak will?

    • I wish there were some mechanism whereby such people could voluntarily and permanently surrender their rights, just to show us how unnecessary they are. I betcha jerks like this one would stop and think before so volunteering. I would encourage this “blogger” with a predilection toward alcoholism and suicide to start by surrendering his right to free speech, so that his drivel doesn’t cause me to become depressed and drunk.

  23. I would advise this father carry on his indoctrination:
    – every policeman on the street;
    – the Legionnaires in the 4th of July parade
    – the military at the gravesite of a veteran giving a final 3 volley salute
    – every news program where the police confront an armed criminal
    – every news program depicting our soldiers in battle.
    That should give her a good puzzle of cognitive dissidence to mull-over. She is likely to take notice that her father doesn’t seem to be the least-bit freaked-out by gun-toting men or women provided they are dressed in blue.

  24. So because his family has a history of substance abuse and suicide, that means he’s going to have the same issues? Nature / Nurture…

  25. Wow. Anyone else think the conversation with the daughter never happened?

    “No it’s not!” she yelled. “They’re going to do something stupid and die! They’re going to kill people. Look at that boy! Even their children are going to kill people! Who does that? Come on!”

    Yeah…from a 5 year old. Seems the five year old speaks at the same intellectual level as her parent. BS Meter at high levels…

    • Absolutely thought that.

      It’s part of their current “marketing,” if I may use the term that’s been thrown around here so much lately.

      (1) Assume my position is correct.
      (2) Assume anyone else is ‘too stupid to know better.’
      (3) Frame the debate in a way that says “even a child knows my position is correct and the others are too stupid to know better.”

      Alinsky’s rules in action.

      More likely, a 5 year old would show genuine curiosity, rather than disdain, regarding objects she’s been kept from.

      Further…if real, she’s left with the conclusion that she did NOT get shot and nothing else bad happened while she was in the presence of those firearms. The reality, not lost on children, differs from the narrative. She may just figure out how much daddy has been lying to her.

  26. “It’s not a parade, Heart,” I told my daughter, my hands gripping the steering wheel hard while vision of accidental gun shot wounds from my wife’s nursing textbooks played out in my head. “It’s a demonstration. A protest. A gathering of people to express a political opinion.” . . .

    I got no further than the first paragraph before my Hypocradar siren started going off.
    The gunshot wounds illustrated in the textbook were “accidental”. What? We have no pictures of wounds that were caused on purpose?

    “It’s a demonstration. A protest. A gathering of people to express a political opinion.” . . .

    Yeah, it’s called a nursing textbook.

  28. “What for?” she asked.

    Ok, that sounds like a normal comment that a kindergartener would ask. She probably doesn’t even know what those people had.

    “Why?” she asked.

    Oh hey! Another typical kindergatener question. Yup, I think a normal curious child would ask that after such an overarching answer from the parent.

    “No it’s not!” she yelled. “They’re going to do something stupid and die! They’re going to kill people. Look at that boy! Even their children are going to kill people! Who does that? Come on!”

    Nope, that doesn’t sound like a kindergartener at all. I think this is absolute fantasy by the writer.

  30. Jef educates us all very well:
    “They think that we need guns everywhere,” I said. “Lots and lots of guns.” I have never discussed firearms with her. There are none in my house. I have a rich tradition of alcoholism and suicide on both sides of my family and I suck at hiding things. There is simply no scenario where my home is safer with a gun in it.
    Here he shows us how well the anti gun message is working and why anti gun people feel the way they do. He admits that HE is not safe with guns and therefor projects that fear on everyone else to feel normal. He rationalizes that because HE isn’t safe with guns that MUST be true of EVERYONE else. And this is a form of mental illness.
    Wikipedia – Psychological projection is a theory in psychology in which humans defend themselves against unpleasant impulses by denying their existence in themselves, while attributing them to others.[1] For example, a person who is rude may constantly accuse other people of being rude.

    • ““They think that we need guns everywhere,” I said. “Lots and lots of guns.””

      He’s even wrong about that.

      Hey, Jef…what “we” think is this: It’s NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS. See…we are not trying to force YOU to own or carry a gun. We just want to be left alone if that’s OUR choice.

      I’m guessing a progressive statist like Jef will never understand that distinction, but I can hope.

  31. Somebody smells like fear. Reeks of it. Though my computer.

    I can only imagine how his daughter would react to protesting minority group. Unless of course, he hadn’t preprogrammed her with his own fear like he did with firearms.

  32. I live two hours from Houston and I’ve never heard of the Houston Press. Is that another one of those weekly “alternative” news rags?

  34. He drives his car through vast crowds of the Militia every day. That he doesn’t know it only points up how essentially ignorant he is.

    I still say that anyone has a right to refuse to own or carry a gun, for whatever reason. Illness, inebriation, cowardice, all of these are perfectly valid reasons. Such persons should be reassured that those who DO carry will protect them until they can remedy their situation — but for now, while you are in this regrettable state of disarmament, wear this Peace Brassard so we will know we need to protect you.

    Another case where Heinlein was right.

  35. “No it’s not!” she yelled. “They’re going to do something stupid and die! They’re going to kill people. Look at that boy! Even their children are going to kill people! Who does that? Come on!”

    Really? From his 5YO daughter? Does anyone know a 5YO that talks with that sentence structure? Particularly the ‘who does that’ ‘come on’. Those are phrases that a 5YO is unlikely to use, unless they have been exposed to it over and over and over from their parent. Methinks the author is ascribing word to his daughter that did happen.

    Gosh, but that wouldn’t happen, would it?

  36. ““They think that we need guns everywhere,” I said. “Lots and lots of guns.” I have never discussed firearms with her. There are none in my house. I have a rich tradition of alcoholism and suicide on both sides of my family and I suck at hiding things. There is simply no scenario where my home is safer with a gun in it.

    “Why?” she asked.

    “[I disagree] Because [I] think it will make [me] safer,” I replied. From behind me I heard her take a deep breath.”

    Fixed that last part, but anyway.

    A.) Why does guns everywhere make it more scary? Cars are everywhere, we all aren’t dying on the way to work. Some do true.

    B.) It’s a good thing you haven’t discussed guns with her. You haven’t educated yourself on them nor trust yourself with one. Take a lesson from an instructor and educate yourself then revisit the conversation.

    C.) Your alcoholism and suicide problems are not everybody else’s problem, just because you don’t trust yourself doesn’t mean you can’t trust your neighbors or me.

    D.) Why hide it? Gun safes are great and work better than any cigar box.

    E.) There are absolutely scenarios where your house would be safer you just burry your head in the sand and refuse to contemplate them. Ask any ostrich how that strategy works for them?

    The simple fact that his logic is applauded by his five year old explains why this can’t be won with pure reason.

  37. “There is simply no scenario where my home is safer with a gun in it.”

    This seems like a dangerous and potentially life-altering lack of imagination. But maybe they don’t have criminals where he lives, having already made crime illegal.

    • Yep. I’m sure the Petit’s would disagree with Jef’s assessment. At least having a weapon would have given them a fighting chance to be safer than they ended up being.

  38. ” I have a rich tradition of alcoholism and suicide on both sides of my family…”

    No, dude. You have a strong family history of psychiatric disorders and drinking and suicide is how those people dealt with their illnesses. Said illnesses are inherited genetically – as evidenced by your blog post.

    • Since when is alcoholism and suicide a “rich tradition?”

      When I hear the phrase rich tradition, I think of things like honor, fighting to help others, celebrating my children positively moving through stages of life and a whole host of other things. Alcoholism and suicide are not on the list.

      Even that statement itself smacks strongly of some serious psychopathy.

  39. “…I have a rich tradition of alcoholism and suicide on both sides of my family…”

    Someone please call Houston child services…this man is clearly an unfit parent and his children should be confiscated.

  40. Yeah, he missed a teachable moment. So did the demonstrators. Look at that picture. That doesn’t look like a demonstration – that looks like a small band of folks standing on a street corner with the exact weapons that anti’s are most fearful of. You know what an anti thinks when they see people demonstrating for open carry with AR-style weapons slung around? They think “if we pass open carry, every gun owner in TX is gonna have an AR on them”.

    We say we’re responsible gun owners. How about we show that by taking the care to take 20 minutes to put together a well thought out sign that explains some positive counter points from our point of view.

    We have to acknowledge that we’re fighting a battle on two fronts. The first is to ensure and reinforce our 2nd amendment right – and that’s a battle of facts with legislators/gov’t. The second is to reduce the resistance of antis in the general populace, and that’s a battle of perception.

    In other words, less Shock and Awe, and more Hearts and Minds. I look at pictures like this and shake my head. If this were a real war, it’d be like leaving the enemy a box of ammo to be sure they didn’t run out.

    • “The second is to reduce the resistance of antis in the general populace, and that’s a battle of perception.”

      Being seen in public with an OC’d firearm, long gun or handgun, without shooting up the place is it’s own statement.

      The perception the anti’s try to portray is completely false and all it takes for normal folks of reasonable intelligence to see that is to look around.

      “that looks like a small band of folks standing on a street corner with the exact weapons that anti’s are most fearful of.”

      Since they have a completely irrational fear, who cares what they are most fearful of. We have to stop letting them set the narrative and the rules of the debate.

      “You know what an anti thinks when they see people demonstrating for open carry with AR-style weapons slung around? “

      I don’t CARE what an anti thinks when they see people lawfully and peacefully exercising their natural right to Bear Arms.

      Stop letting the anti’s dictate how we should act. If we are law abiding, free men and women, we have nothing to be ashamed of and need to stop acting like we are on the defensive.

      • Stop letting the anti’s dictate how we should act. If we are law abiding, free men and women, we have nothing to be ashamed of and need to stop acting like we are on the defensive.

        You misunderstand me. I’m talking about being on the offensive in the information game. There’s a multi-billion dollar media industry feeding misinformation about us, convincing millions of people that the RKBA is an outdated concept. Several of the largest states (population wise) in the union are severely anti-gun already.

        They keep spending $MM spreading lies and FUD (Fear Uncertainty and Doubt) – and somehow you think standing on a street corner is enough? My friend, you’re bringing a knife to a gun fight.

        We’ve got to be on the offensive. But the offensive means beating the exact FUD spewed by the antis.

        • “You misunderstand me. I’m talking about being on the offensive in the information game. “

          I don’t think I misunderstand you so much as disagree with your definition of “going on the offensive.” Your definition of ‘offense’ included the word “perception.”

          The part I disagree with is the part where you criticize these guys for carrying “Scary Black Rifles” because it feeds the fears of the anti’s…and that somehow changing what we do/say to be “okay” with them is right.

          Their fear is irrational. And, it does not matter what we say or how we package it…they will still claim their irrational fears are important enough to mean something to the rest of us.

          They will never understand that we are not responsible for their irrational fears. I refuse to start the conversation with the premise that their irrationality is the proper starting point.

      • JR_in_NC For some reason I can’t respond to your last response… But anyways, nowhere did I say “don’t carry the rifle”. Specifically what I said they should change is make a sign. In other words, inform – counterbalance the media. Take the opportunity to show how rational WE are.

        “Their fear is irrational. And, it does not matter what we say or how we package it…they will still claim their irrational fears are important enough to mean something to the rest of us.”
        You couldn’t be more wrong. I’ve personally changed the minds of dozens of anti’s. Their fear is misinformed by a media that hypes every opportunity they get. You should see the look of an anti the first time you take them to a range – all the rules and safety precautions and, wow, this is fun! Many if not most anti’s have never held, let alone shot, a gun. Their perception of is amazingly skewed based on media reports. We can change that with some simple messaging. And that’s why this demonstration is a lost opportunity – if every demonstrator had a sign with one pro-gun fact, it would speak volumes more than the photo as it currently exists.

        And hey, if you still wanna disagree about anti gunners, that’s fine. At least hold up a damn sign so you can bring over a few people who are ambiguous or on the fence to our side. We’re gonna need everyone we can get!

        • “Their fear is misinformed by a media that hypes every opportunity they get. “

          So, in other words…irrational fear. Got it.

        • “We can change that with some simple messaging. And that’s why this demonstration is a lost opportunity – if every demonstrator had a sign with one pro-gun fact,”

          This rally is not directed at anti’s; it is a protest to draw attention to get a specific law in Texas changed.

          “Pro-gun facts” are not what they are there for.

          Sometimes it helps to keep focused on a specific goal, and in THIS case, the display of the OC’d rifle is the “sign.”

        • the display of the OC’d rifle is the “sign.”

          Exactly. We’ve pointed that out to other pro-gun people who didn’t understand at first. After observing a walk or gathering for a while, I believe that most get that subtlety.

          I think some think that these OC gatherings are well planned and regimented. In Ohio at least, most are not and many get the word in the week before an event. It’s pretty much free form. When the group is large enough we usually have all kinds. There are even dyed in the wool, honest to goodness progressive liberals OCing with us at times. 🙂

    • You are in Ohio, right, Found in Ohio? If you have been involved over the past decade here or at least in the know then you would plainly see that what some called “shock and awe” a few years ago is considered normal OC today. In the earlier days of this century, there were people who wanted us to walk even more softly than we did. Thank goodness that we didn’t! If we had, exercising the right to bear arms in Ohio would be no where near as easy as it is today.

      When we OCed handguns, some complained that we should stick to the privilege of concealing them. When we OCed handguns and long guns, some complained that we should stick to OCing handguns only. Perhaps if people could legally OC RPGs then some would finally praise those who only OCed handguns and long guns.

      • Not sure why folks keep thinking I’m saying not to OC, cause that’s not what Im saying. What I AM saying is to do something MORE than just stand there with your gun. It’s a lost opportunity to spread the gospel.

        • “What I AM saying is to do something MORE than just stand there with your gun. It’s a lost opportunity to spread the gospel.”

          How is simply exercising your rights a “lost opportunity?” Why do they have to do something MORE? They are not even protesting to be heard by the anti’s, they are protesting a specific law in Texas.

          If they DID do something “more,” have the folks here would lambaste them for their “activism.” Half the folks around here constantly say, “OC by just doing your thing, we don’t need the protests,” and now you are saying their SIMPLE assembly is not enough.

          They damned if they do and damned if they don’t…I guess.

          In the case of this particular blogger’s attempted message, what they are doing is perfect. They are quietly exercising their rights..both to Carry and to PEACEFULLY assemble…and even though armed, are not killing people left and right.

          They are giving direct lie to every word he wrote, both as himself and as his “daughter.” Everything he said, that he claimed about gun owners in general and THESE gun owners in particular is shown, through direct observation, to be the lie it is. No one can miss it.

          That’s a huge win in my book. Don’t see how a sign would have changed that. But,I sure don’t think it would have hurt, either.

        • @Found in Ohio: That wasn’t really clear to me from your previous comment but I still didn’t take it that you were saying not to OC. What I took from it was that you felt that we should be doing trash detail and things while OCing (I think that I mixed your post with another I had read previously). I also mistakenly took it that you were leaning away from the “shock and awe” of long guns.

          Anyway, we have done trash pick up and a variety of things. It seems like people don’t want to approach us when we are working. I think the dual purpose stuff is great but I also think that the “just hanging out” or the “marching to a place and back” walks give the most chances for positively educating the public. At the walks I’ve attended, people are carrying informative signs and handing out pages of information. I generally don’t carry a sign for three reasons:
          1) I’m lazy.
          2) I like to be able to tell officers who try to harass us (very, very rare nowadays and most cops thank us) that I’m just hanging out so I don’t have to disperse.
          3) Usually, I fill in holding signs for other people because they get tired, get cold/hot, or they need to leave early. If I want to hold a sign, there is always one there for me. (That’s also how I ended up holding a certain flag in front of the WH during a protest. The guy needed to light his smoke or something… so I ended up on FOX/CNN/etc holding a somewhat unpopular flag! lol) Also, someone always seems to hand me a stack of papers to hand out.

          BTW: I OC everyday so I seem to get approached by at least a couple of people on any given day. There’s a lot of one-on-one educating going on with each of us who OC all of the time. Actually, in total I end up talking to more people in a year outside of organized walks than I do during walks in a year.

  41. “No it’s not!” she yelled. “They’re going to do something stupid and die! They’re going to kill people. Look at that boy! Even their children are going to kill people! Who does that? Come on!”

    This confirms the pro-gun-control people act like children.

  42. Just yesterday at the dinner table my 11 year old noticed I was carrying and asked when we were going to go to the range and shoot “her” gun. (Ruger 10/22 takedown and a ruger .22 target pistol) My 8yr old replied, snottily I might add, “You don’t have a gun!”

    11 yr. old: “I do too, 2!”
    8 yr. old: “They’re dads and they’re locked up!”
    11 yr. old: “They’re mine, dad gave them to me and yes they are in the safe.”
    8 yr old to me: “Dad, can I have the big black rifle?”

    • Ratted out by an 11-year-old girl. Boy, are you in trouble. Bet it gets expensive, but at least you have an excuse for buying more guns!

    • Dude, Doctor Who was originally a kid’s show, it just gained popularity with an audience of all ages over the years.

      • I too watched Doctor Who circa 1980 with Tom Baker. I loved it but I got high every day then. Pot makes a lot of garbage interesting…

  45. “I have a rich tradition of alcoholism and suicide on both sides of my family” And that right there is why he should not operate a motor vehicle, especially one with a child in it, he admits he is not competent to make such decisions. And he reproduced. Want to bet his wife is just as damaged as he is?

  47. I used to sit in terror as a 5 year old when Doctor Who came on in the 1980s. Dales scared the crap out of me But i knew even at 5 that the show was not real. I also started shooting at 5 years old And I knew that guns were dangerous if improperly used. This guy needs to do a better job of teaching their children what fantasy and reality are.

  48. Bullshit! I don’t buy for a minute that those were a normal five year old child’s words. If she really said that, he’s done a great job of traumatizing his child with his fearful beliefs.

  49. The child’s reaction might be an indication that much more open carry is needed and I hope that the parent continues to expose her to these safe and important gatherings. For every child indoctrinated into that dysfunctional pattern of thinking, there are many more who can observe peaceful people bearing arms in public and have positive memories to shape their thinking in the future. She’s had an irrational fear driven into her psyche by her environment. It’s the right of the parents to raise the child with their own values. That, however, does not negate the individual’s right to keep and bear arms.

  52. He’s sure taking some poetic license here. I don’t believe the alleged dialogue he had with his daughter, either. Sounds embellished, if not outright fabricated. I’m only surprised he didn’t claim to have been forced from the road after taking a direct RPG hit from one of those OCers.

  54. From the article, describing how open carry protestors are courting a violent response with their display: “The disregard for any kind of misinterpretation of their acts that could lead to something truly horrible happening is very real and apparently of minor importance to these people. ”

    Isn’t this the same argument that’s discredited as sexist when applied to the issue of women who wear revealing clothing somehow inviting sexual assault?

  56. someone publish a picture of this anti-2A nut (i have no interest in his home or work address). we need to ensure no one defends this guy, or his family, in a life-threatening situation (and we need to know what he looks like). a person who will happily deprive you of your right to protect yourself and your family deserves no protection for himself, or his own. maybe if we make it clear we will allow these types of people to suffer the consequences they they beg for (the inability to help themselves during an assault)….they will change their minds, or be unable to any longer spread their dangerous ignorance. actually, i should have written “stupidity”; ignorance is lack of information, stupidity is having information and refusing to act on it. doesn’t evolution cull those who depend on the herd to save the weak?

    but, hey

    ya’ll be careful our there, ya heah?

  57. Sorry, but what he claims his 5 year old shouted does NOT sound like anything a 5 year old would actually say. Not any 5 year old I’ve ever known. That was either a very creative paraphrase, or he’s lying his ass (keyboard?) off.

  59. sounds like some whinny liberal is blaming all this on his kids as to make himself not look like a dumb shit just another candy ass liberal moron!!

  60. What was it that Sigmund Freud said about people who were scared or fearfull of weapons?

    “A fear of weapons is a sign of retarded sexual and emotional maturity.”

  61. So, is the original article author’s position that a five year old is the voice of reason compared to people that likely actively study the second amendment, history, and shooting sports? If so, I can only say “lolz.”

  62. No different than the type of parent who taught their child that blacks and whites should not associate as equals and then objected because witnessing blacks being allowed to eat at the lunch counter traumatized the kid.

  63. dr kola kolawole, male psychiatrist from Hamilton Ontario had been convicted of second degree felony, forcible sexual abuse, and third degree felony forcible sodomy molestation of three juvenile patients at the ontario facility where he worked and sexual assault of a highschool girl in a park. He destroyed my daughters life, Merry Christmas

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