# Found on Twitter



## Warrigal (Sep 18, 2016)

This tweet attracted my attention this morning



So of course I had to follow it up









> *In Jim Cooley’s open-carry America, even a trip to Walmart can require an AR-15
> *
> WINDER, Ga. —All Jim Cooley wants to do is buy some soda. “You want to come to Walmart?” he asks his wife.
> “No,” Maria says.
> ...



Please tell me that this is satire or is this really possible in 45 states out of 50?


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## Butterfly (Sep 18, 2016)

Unlicensed open carry is legal in this state, but I've never seen anything like this.  I never even see open carry, except out in the boondocks, like a campsite or walking trails in the desert or mountains, and it makes sense in those places.  But around town, no.  Stores wouldn't let you in.


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## Don M. (Sep 18, 2016)

Warrigal said:


> This tweet attracted my attention this morning
> 
> View attachment 32165
> 
> ...



If a person believes the nonsense that appears on Twitter and Facebook, they are obviously living in a parallel universe.


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## Warrigal (Sep 18, 2016)

So it is satire?

The article quoted is from The Washington Post.


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## Warrigal (Sep 18, 2016)

It appears that Jim Cooley is a real person and he carries his firearm everywhere he can, including airports.

This time from the Washington Post  http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/jun/4/jim-cooley-open-carry-activist-carries-loaded-ar-1/



> *Open-carry activist carries loaded AR-15 through Atlanta airport
> *
> 
> 
> ...



Do those things have a safety catch?


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## Warrigal (Sep 18, 2016)

Double post


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## Don M. (Sep 18, 2016)

Most states allow "open carry" of firearms.  However, if a building, or store, etc., has signs posted prohibiting firearms, any individual violating that policy is soon asked to leave, and possibly arrested.  The examples you seem to be concerned about are probably individuals who are "testing the system".  

There are virtually NO reports of anyone who is a open advocate for the 2nd Amendment, or a Concealed Carry permit holder, or even a member of the NRA, ever having committed a firearms crime.


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## Warrigal (Sep 18, 2016)

Is it about crimes or about consideration of other people?

From the Christian Science Monitor http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Societ...How-important-is-civility-to-open-carry-video



> *Man with rifle scares at airport: How important is civility to open-carry? (+video)
> *
> Now that some states have decided that residents can carry weapons even at the airport, Americans have watched a steady stream of primarily white males testing the boundaries of what is acceptable when it comes to guns in public places.
> 
> ...


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## Butterfly (Sep 19, 2016)

Regardless of what this man is doing, you don't see people walking around open carrying weapons, and least I never have, anywhere I've been, except out in the aforesaid boondocks.  I know people with CC permits, but their weapons are concealed, of course, and you don't see them.  And I'm pretty sure open carry of weapons would not be permitted in our airport here.  I think that would be regulated by state law.


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## Warrigal (Sep 19, 2016)

I am reassured by your post Butterfly but apparently the aim of activists like Jim Cooley is to desensitise the public until they accept  as normal that everyone will walk around fully armed as they once did.

Again from the Christian Science Monitor



> In interviews, gun owners who draw attention to themselves with their weaponry often acknowledge they’re making both a personal and political statement. One motivation is protecting family and others in case of an attack. The other motivation is to provide “a little bit of a political push” to make people more comfortable around guns, says a Kalamazoo, Mich., man who last year brought a gun to a grade-school reading hour at a library.
> 
> Even inside the gun rights movement, the issue of open-carry decorum is looming larger, given high-profile incidents that paint at least some gun owners as unstable, paranoid, and just plain rude for introducing potential weapons of mass mayhem to Little League games and airport check-in counters.
> 
> “The people who open-carry and want it to be viewed as normal, which it obviously was for most of American history



Since my father's enlistment in the AIF during WW II no-one in my family has ever owned a firearm except for a couple of cousins who were farmers. My only experience with one was the day I went to a clay pigeon shoot and had a couple of shots at a tin can with a .22 rifle. I was hopeless.

You will perhaps understand why I am extremely leery of seeing anyone armed with something as lethal looking as an automatic or semiautomatic rifle, especially in any public place that I happen to be in.

When I was in Rome in 1985 I saw lots of police standing around armed with such weapons and it sent a shiver down my spine. They were everywhere we went, in the tourist areas and the airport. It made me nervous because it suggested that there was some danger that they were there to prevent or deal with. I was right. Two weeks after we left Rome a planeload of Israelis were mown down while lined up at checkin by terrorists armed with automatics. Most of them died in the hail of bullets.

My natural instinct if I see police armed with such weapons is to finish my business quickly and leave the area as soon as possible for somewhere safer. I can cope with our police having a pistol strapped to their belts but if they are carrying the heavy stuff I take this as a sign that all is not well.

I could never be comfortable at the supermarket or the public library if a civilian walked in armed with an AR-15 or similar. If I had a child with me I would be backing out of the room with the child behind me for protection. Surely I can't be the only woman who feels like this? Am I?


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## debbie in seattle (Sep 19, 2016)

I was sitting in our local Comcast store waiting to return our cable box (lines are like the drivers lisense building) and in walks this dude with a holster that is bright fluorescent orange and a gun!!!    I about crapped my pants!   Everyone shifted to the other side of the room.    Hope that's my first and last experience like that.


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## Robusta (Sep 19, 2016)

debbie in seattle said:


> I was sitting in our local Comcast store waiting to return our cable box (lines are like the drivers lisense building) and in walks this dude with a holster that is bright fluorescent orange and a gun!!!    I about crapped my pants!   Everyone shifted to the other side of the room.    Hope that's my first and last experience like that.



The folks quivering in fear at the sight of a firearm are the ones with the problem.
Do you seriously think that a guy prominently displaying his weapon in an orange holster is any kind of danger???
As to the guy that carries his AR15 to Wal Mart, Well he is a fool,  well within his rights,but most of all not a danger to anyone.
If your are paralyzed with terror at the sight of a firearm, I suggest that it is you that has a problem.

I can pretty much guarantee that those folks in Minnesota were overjoyed that a man with a gun showed up!

Why is it so hard for you folks that want to take away my God given right to self defense to understand that unless you are engaged in gang activity or other criminal activity your odds of be shot, killed ,or even seeing a firearm is so extremely low as to be an anomaly.

I find it extremely entertaining that Austrailia,who thirty years ago had a knee jerk reaction to a madman, confiscating guns,promising the populace that they were now secure an safe from the big scary monster, now has to have another rround of confiscation.

Where did these new arms come from? Did they just materialize? Were some folks cheating when the man came banging on their door?  I mean a law was passed!


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## Butterfly (Sep 19, 2016)

I actually find it comforting to see heavily armed police.  

As to the guy with the holster --meh -- I agree with Robusta.  I also agree that the guy toting an AR 15 around Wal-Mart is an idiot.


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## Warrigal (Sep 19, 2016)

God given right?

Where is it written in the scriptures that you can carry a gun? Or even a sword? I seem to remember Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane rebuking Peter and saying that those who live by the sword shall die by the sword. That doesn't sound like an endorsement of being armed to the teeth when you leave your house. At least not to me.

Also, if this is true - "unless you are engaged in gang activity or other criminal activity your odds of be shot, killed ,or even seeing a firearm is so extremely low as to be an anomaly" then why do you need to carry a gun in the first place?


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## Dudewho (Sep 19, 2016)

During the recent terror attack in Minnesota, the attack was foiled by a off-duty police officer carrying a side arm.  The off-duty police officer who engaged Adair Adan was a member of the NRA. He also was an instructor of concealed carry classes. It just goes to show what a  person who is properly trained and has a concealed carry can do to save those in need. Thank God for Jason Falconer, a credit to policemen everywhere and a true hero.


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## Warrigal (Sep 19, 2016)

I haven't been talking about concealed carry of a sidearm, or even open carry of a properly holstered hand gun although I prefer that the person displaying the gun is wearing a uniform. I have no problem with police carrying their firearm when off duty either, provided that they are deemed fit to do so.

This morning on the radio I heard that each year several hundred members of the Australian Defence Force have their access to firearms suspended. The reasons can be failure to pass a firearms handling test, domestic violence or pending criminal prosecution. I suspect that a goodly proportion of civilians would  be under a similar cloud but who monitors them? Probably nobody which is why I would be very wary about a man entering a public space carrying an  AR-15 or similar. How does one know that he is not about to blow his stack?


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## Dudewho (Sep 19, 2016)

People hate the AR15 because the way it looks. It's the most popular rifle in America because of its versatility. People are terrified of the man walking down the street with a AR15 but this 13 kid shoots twice as fast with a lever action rifle.


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## Warrigal (Sep 19, 2016)

I wouldn't be able to tell an AR - 15 from a shotgun or a Kalashnikov. To me they are all ominous in the hands of a civilian. 

I hated it when the cadets at my son's high school carried their rifles into the  school chapel, even though I knew they weren't loaded. The idea of guns in church offends me. Even if you taped a white rose to every muzzle I would still have a negative reaction.

Yes, I know that this is my issue but these firearms are weapons of war and in a war situation they are a necessary evil but not at the supermarket, the airport, the library or the sports stadium. Here they have no place except in the hands of law enforcement.

Again, my personal opinion and I understand that others think differently. May we each hear the other with respect. Peace.


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## Grumpy Ol' Man (Sep 20, 2016)

The off-duty police officer... POLICE OFFICER... in Minnesota was also a gun safety... GUN SAFETY... instructor.  Anyone who is properly trained in the use of a firearm and carrying is okay with me.  Where I get concerned is what our State has evolved to.  Today, in our State, ANYONE 21 years old or older... with no criminal background... can carry concealed.  No longer do they require any training in the safe handling of the firearm.  No longer do they require a license to carry concealed.  And, anyone can open carry.

We now have passed legislation that will allow any college student 21 years old or older to carry concealed on campus... without any training or permit.  Jilted lovers... student upset over grades... too much beer... arming the college student population is, IMHO, a mistake which will result in innocents getting hurt and/or killed.  Arming the untrained and allowing them to carry in restaurants, WalMart, etc. will end up with people getting hurt and/or killed.  

Require extensive training in the handling of your firearm.  Then, issue a permit to those who have successfully completed said training.  In the miniscule possibility of a situation that requires a citizen to defend himself/herself with a firearm in a crowded establishment, I would much rather a few with at least some training begin firing... not a bunch of politically active idiots who may not have ever fired the weapon they carry before begin firing at anything which moves.


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## Warrigal (Sep 20, 2016)

That makes sense to me Grumpy. I would add to that the right of police to see evidence of this training from an accredited body. People without the correct authorisation should not be allowed to be in charge of their firearms in the same way that people who are drunk or drug affected are not permitted to continue to drive a vehicle if the police stop them and they fail a sobriety/breath test or are found not to have a valid licence.


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## mitchezz (Sep 20, 2016)

Robusta said:


> The folks quivering in fear at the sight of a firearm are the ones with the problem.
> Do you seriously think that a guy prominently displaying his weapon in an orange holster is any kind of danger???
> As to the guy that carries his AR15 to Wal Mart, Well he is a fool,  well within his rights,but most of all not a danger to anyone.
> If your are paralyzed with terror at the sight of a firearm, I suggest that it is you that has a problem.
> ...



'GOD GIVEN RIGHT"?????????? Please direct me to a specific passage in the Bible where God asserts that we should all carry a firearm.


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## Dudewho (Sep 20, 2016)

mitchezz said:


> 'GOD GIVEN RIGHT"?????????? Please direct me to a specific passage in the Bible where God asserts that we should all carry a firearm.




_"God given right to self defense".   
Is what was stated._


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## Robusta (Sep 20, 2016)

mitchezz said:


> 'GOD GIVEN RIGHT"?????????? Please direct me to a specific passage in the Bible where God asserts that we should all carry a firearm.



No God does not specify what means I am allowed to use to preserve his creation(me), however I do believe it defendants choice ! 
If you truly think that your creator does not want you to preserve the life he has created for you, by all means curl up into the fetal position and die.
I for one have a duty to maintain my life, and I will carry out that duty with the most aggressive means available.


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## Butterfly (Sep 20, 2016)

mitchezz said:


> 'GOD GIVEN RIGHT"?????????? Please direct me to a specific passage in the Bible where God asserts that we should all carry a firearm.



God didn't list the things that were allowed, just the things that were not.  I don't think God talked about cars, airplanes or computers, either.

I don't think anybody said God directed us to all carry a firearm.


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## Shalimar (Sep 20, 2016)

Robusta said:


> No God does not specify what means I am allowed to use to preserve his creation(me), however I do believe it defendants choice !
> If you truly think that your creator does not want you to preserve the life he has created for you, by all means curl up into the fetal position and die.
> I for one have a duty to maintain my life, and I will carry out that duty with the most aggressive means available.


Hmmm. Some of us feel a duty to preserve other lives also. More than once I have put my body where my mouth is. Faced down agitated peeps a foot taller and a hundred lbs heavier in order to deescalate a potentially hazardous situation. Goes with the job. Still don't carry a gun. Your choice to do differently, but I don't curl up for anybody. Insulting. Courage, like morality,  wears many faces. One size does not fit all. Your so-called American model is one choice, not the only choice.


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## Cookie (Sep 20, 2016)

Once upon a time I loved to visit the US but now because of so many people marching around with loaded firearms and all the shoot-outs , I prefer to stay on our side of the border. Neither cheap shopping expeditions nor visiting relatives can lure me over not to mention dealing with very hostile American customs officials.


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## Warrigal (Sep 20, 2016)

Shalimar said:


> Hmmm. Some of us feel a duty to preserve other lives also. More than once I have put my body where my mouth is. Faced down agitated peeps a foot taller and a hundred lbs heavier in order to deescalate a potentially hazardous situation. Goes with the job. Still don't carry a gun. Your choice to do differently, but I don't curl up for anybody. Insulting. Courage, like morality,  wears many faces. One size does not fit all. Your so-called American model is one choice, not the only choice.



This Jesus did commend - "Greater love hath no man than that he lay down his life for his friends".


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## Warrigal (Sep 20, 2016)

Cookie said:


> Once upon a time I loved to visit the US but now because of so many people marching around with loaded firearms and all the shoot-outs , I prefer to stay on our side of the border. Neither cheap shopping expeditions nor visiting relatives can lure me over not to mention dealing with very hostile American customs officials.



Our once affable customs people have now been rebadged as Border Force with nasty looking black uniforms that have a totalitarian look.


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## Cookie (Sep 20, 2016)

Yes, customs guys and security guards to my mind are just wannabe cops who like to look authoritative and have mastered the art of intimidation, but not our Canadian customs of course, ha ha.


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## oldman (Sep 20, 2016)

This has nothing to do about protecting anyone. Jim is a self-serving narcissist that has a need for attention. Perhaps he was taken off of Mommy's teat too soon. I don't know how the pilot's union (ALPA) feels about this, but if he was on-board my plane with his rifle showing, United would need to find another pilot. 

What's old Jim going to do, if two guys come up from behind him, grab his rifle and shoots him along with 20, 30 or more other people?


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