So what is nice about your State/Province/County?

[Maureen]

Last June my family and I went to a nephew's wedding in Idaho. While purchasing stuff at the near by Walmart my husband noticed a fella carrying a pistol in a holster. It was definitely not concealed and very visible. Quite different for us Canadians to see. Between the sealing and the reception there was a wedding BBQ and while waiting for others to arrive we visited the gun store a block away. We chatted with the store owner and while talking one of his customers (and I'm assuming friends) started loading the gun he was holding. We got a little nervous but it seemed very normal for him. For both incidents we survived. The Walmart fella did not hurt anyone with his gun while we were there and no one in the gun store did anything violent in the store while we were there. The owner in fact was a very friendly guy. It's a very different culture than what we're used to, especially where hand guns are concerned.

M.

[Guest MormonGator]

6 minutes ago, Maureen said:

. It's a very different culture

So true on many, many levels. 

Canada and America seem to share a lot-and we do share some things-but in reality the two countries are vastly different in so many ways. 

[Guest]

10 minutes ago, Maureen said:

Last June my family and I went to a nephew's wedding in Idaho. While purchasing stuff at the near by Walmart my husband noticed a fella carrying a pistol in a holster. It was definitely not concealed and very visible. Quite different for us Canadians to see. Between the sealing and the reception there was a wedding BBQ and while waiting for others to arrive we visited the gun store a block away. We chatted with the store owner and while talking one of his customers (and I'm assuming friends) started loading the gun he was holding. We got a little nervous but it seemed very normal for him. For both incidents we survived. The Walmart fella did not hurt anyone with his gun while we were there and no one in the gun store did anything violent in the store while we were there. The owner in fact was a very friendly guy. It's a very different culture than what we're used to, especially where hand guns are concerned.

M.

Hmm.  I'm considering changing my mind about you.  But, whoa!  Waitaminute.  That... that's just crazy talk.

[Vort]

40 minutes ago, Maureen said:

Banff and Jasper National Parks

Hard to argue with these.

[Vort]

Open carry is a sensitive issue. I understand why people do it, and I suppose I agree with them, in principle at least. But it seems to me that many of the over-the-top open carry advocates are simply being provocative because they're jerks. Such people do great harm to the cause they ostensibly are supporting.

I don't see a lot of open carry around Seattle. When I do see it (usually I'm out of state), I hope that the typically beer-gut-and-beard-wearing guy toting the gun is more capable than he looks to be of keeping a 6'8" musclebound bad guy from simply taking his pistol and blowing his head off.

[zil]

8 minutes ago, Vort said:

Hard to argue with these.

Especially since they won't argue back at you.  Maybe in the right place you could get an echo though...

[Guest]

3 minutes ago, Vort said:

Open carry is a sensitive issue. I understand why people do it, and I suppose I agree with them, in principle at least. But it seems to me that many of the over-the-top open carry advocates are simply being provocative because they're jerks. Such people do great harm to the cause they ostensibly are supporting.

I don't see a lot of open carry around Seattle. When I do see it (usually I'm out of state), I hope that the typically beer-gut-and-beard-wearing guy toting the gun is more capable than he looks to be of keeping a 6'8" musclebound bad guy from simply taking his pistol and blowing his head off.

And that is why I say it's bad OPSEC.  But the reality is that open/concealed carry have to go hand-in-hand.

Colorado has open carry of pistols without a license.  But for concealed carry you have to have a license.  The problem with that is that you carry openly.  Then without thinking about it, you head to the store with your jacket on and BAM, you're a felon.

Before the recent law, Texas required a license to carry concealed. But you couldn't carry pistols openly -- with or without a license (If I remember correctly).  So, you're legally carrying concealed and as you sit back in your chair, the gun or holster becomes visible for a second and BAM, you're a felon.

[Guest]

1 minute ago, zil said:

Especially since they won't argue back at you.  Maybe in the right place you could get an echo though...

[Vort]

3 minutes ago, Carborendum said:

At first, I thought the laughy guy was throwing up. Kind of a harsh response to poor @zil.

[Guest]

1 minute ago, Vort said:

At first, I thought the laughy guy was throwing up. Kind of a harsh response to poor @zil.

<====

Edited May 25, 2017 by Guest

[Guest Godless]

2 hours ago, anatess2 said:

So, just because we're talking about it...

My 13-year-old son has...

a Winchester .270

a Mosin Nagant from 1944 WWII

a VZ-something.  VZ58, I think. From the Korean War.

a Rutger .22 (for target practice and scaring these 2 smart fat squirrels off the bird feeder, yes he is under strict orders not to kill my squirrels).

He also uses his brother's 12-guage shotgun more than his brother does.  He likes clay target shooting.

Yes, it is legal here for teen-agers to have a rifle if their parent gave it to them.  It is illegal for them to get one for themselves.  Yes, he can go shooting with his rifles as long as a responsible adult is with him.

Yes, you are safe in my city and in my house.  Even from my kids' snakes.  We don't have murder guns.  We only have sport and protection guns.

My FIL has a .357 Magnum that I'm hoping will become a family heirloom. It's a special edition made for the PA State Troopers to commemorate their 75th anniversary, and his FIL gave it to him when he married my MIL. That's probably the only handgun my wife would ever allow me to own. 

54 minutes ago, Vort said:

Open carry is a sensitive issue. I understand why people do it, and I suppose I agree with them, in principle at least. But it seems to me that many of the over-the-top open carry advocates are simply being provocative because they're jerks. Such people do great harm to the cause they ostensibly are supporting.

This is my biggest issue with open carry as well. I've seen far too many protesters using very bad handling methods while parading around with their AR15s. 

My other issue with open carry stems from the fact that I've been shot at with AK-47s in a country where open carry of an AK-47 is legal, so I have some trust issues when it comes to strangers visibly carrying firearms. 

47 minutes ago, Carborendum said:

And that is why I say it's bad OPSEC.  But the reality is that open/concealed carry have to go hand-in-hand.

Colorado has open carry of pistols without a license.  But for concealed carry you have to have a license.  The problem with that is that you carry openly.  Then without thinking about it, you head to the store with your jacket on and BAM, you're a felon.

Before the recent law, Texas required a license to carry concealed. But you couldn't carry pistols openly -- with or without a license (If I remember correctly).  So, you're legally carrying concealed and as you sit back in your chair, the gun or holster becomes visible for a second and BAM, you're a felon.

You're probably right, for the reasons you mentioned, when it comes to handguns. 

Interesting note on the law change in Texas: I saw a lot of outrage when it was first announced that companies like Starbucks, Applebees, and Whole Foods were going to be "opting out" of the open carry option. People seemed to quickly change their tune when HEB and Whataburger did the same. 

[Maureen]

2 hours ago, Windseeker said:

I really liked Texas. My wife did undergrad in Fort Worth. In a recent trip to Austin, I couldn't believe how many homeless there were though. I think overall Texas has the best food of any state hands down.

My daughter visited Austin, Texas in January. She stayed at an Airbnb (seems to be the popular thing for those in their 20s and 30s). She asked someone why people didn't walk as much and mostly drive in that neighbourhood and she was told it was because of all the homeless people. She wasn't concerned since for whatever reason she and her husband seem to prefer neighbourhoods with homeless people. They bought a house in one.

M.

[Vort]

9 minutes ago, Maureen said:

She stayed at an Airbnb (seems to be the popular thing for those in their 20s and 30s).

I'm in my mid-50s and my wife is in her late 40s. We have used Airbnb for years now. Great system. Hope it doesn't go down the tubes.

[anatess2]

3 hours ago, Vort said:

Open carry is a sensitive issue. I understand why people do it, and I suppose I agree with them, in principle at least. But it seems to me that many of the over-the-top open carry advocates are simply being provocative because they're jerks. Such people do great harm to the cause they ostensibly are supporting.

I don't see a lot of open carry around Seattle. When I do see it (usually I'm out of state), I hope that the typically beer-gut-and-beard-wearing guy toting the gun is more capable than he looks to be of keeping a 6'8" musclebound bad guy from simply taking his pistol and blowing his head off.

James Comey is a bad guy?

 

[Guest]

15 hours ago, Godless said:

Interesting note on the law change in Texas: I saw a lot of outrage when it was first announced that companies like Starbucks, Applebees, and Whole Foods were going to be "opting out" of the open carry option. People seemed to quickly change their tune when HEB and Whataburger did the same. 

Please get your facts straight.

Most establishments in Texas that have bothered to post anything have the same rule.  No open carry -- Concealed ok.  Most Texans and responsible gun owners understand and accept this exactly because of the reasons I've stated earlier.  This never changed.  

HEB always said no open, concealed ok.  Whatburger, same thing.

Whole Foods had an outright ban on guns in any way shape or form.  That sucks.

Starbucks was a bit nicer when it said no to concealed carry.  "Leave your guns at home."  But they never made it an official policy.  They basically stated that they didn't want people to come here with guns.  But if they did, no one would call the cops on them.  Ok.  That is about the weasliest way to get around this.  But whatever.  People with nothing better to do decided to protest this by going to buy a cup of coffee at Starbucks while carrying concealed.  Uhmm.  ok.  I find that protest to be more off the wall than the policy.  The problem here is that people got all up in arms about the "request".  I looked at the whole policy and realized what it was and just shrugged my shoulders.  Eventually, others took notice as well.  And the protest died because people got a clue.

Applebees said the same thing as Whole Foods, but because of public pressure changed its position and said it would be ok to carry concealed.

There was no change in tune on the part of the Texas public.

Edited May 26, 2017 by Guest

[Backroads]

On 5/25/2017 at 7:42 AM, Carborendum said:

I think you missed the part about Utah being even more open with their gun laws than Texas.  I guess you'll have to avoid Utah as well.

Last start-of-school-year, staff was having a meeting on emergency plans. Vice Principal gave some side advice to anyone who might be concealed carrying.

Freaked out some teachers who were not aware Utah does not ask its teachers/school staff about carrying weapons.

[Backroads]

On the gun talk... we had a very interesting Sunday family dinner conversation this past Sunday. My mother hates guns. Very anti-gun, pro strict gun control. She hates that my husband owns guns. 

Well... SiL #1 announced she just bought a gun. Brand-new BiL said he would go shooting with her and my Husband, because he owns a bunch of guns. Brother and SiL#2 said they have been researching guns to buy.

My mom's face...

[Backroads]

On Utah...

Gorgeous state, 5 national parks, nice blend of cities and rural areas.

[dahlia]

Getting the gun issue out of the way first, my son said his dream is to have a weapon in every room. We're working on it, even tho we live in Iowa. Not a lot of crime, but there is some. It's easy to get concealed carry. The police at the university where I work carry weapons. The rule was changed to allow this after VA Tech. Students aren't supposed to carry, but the legislature is working on changing that. Apparently the univ admin hasn't read the news about shootings on campuses around the country. I'm not going to be a victim because some leftist doesn't understand the Constitution.

So, Iowa is probably the last place on earth where I thought I'd live. A good thing about it is the people - friendly, hard working, literate, just nice to be around. It's also cheap. We've got 3 properties between us and will buy more when I retire. We'd never be able to do that in Seattle (where we lived before coming here and which I love) or the east coast (where I'm from).

I don't eat meat now, but I did when I first moved here; they have some great meat out here. I had to get used to the county beef and pork producers having a big grill outside the grocery store. People like the little stuff - homecoming, first day of school gets in the newspaper, the county fair, etc. My UPS boxes stay on my front until I come home. I'm glad I'm here (don't ask in Jan & Feb, tho, 'cause it gets right cold and snowy then).

[Sunday21]

@dahlia. I have heard the Iowa is a very friendly place! Prairie places are frequently friendly...because they were originally, farming communities? Bill Bryson is a proud son of the state and made many loving references to his hometown in

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Lost_Continent:_Travels_in_Small-Town_America

Edited May 27, 2017 by Sunday21

[bytebear]

My county is still somewhat sane politically, and it does have a professional baseball team (Angels), and hockey (Ducks), and of course the Happiest Place on Earth.  We have great beaches with variety of what kind of beach experience you want, and yes, you can find isolated spots if you know where to look.  I live close to the beach, but thanks to traffic, the drive went from 15 minutes to forget about it on the weekends.  I love the climate, and the lack of bugs.  Close enough to LA and San Diego to make a day trip but far enough away to not feel like I'm in a big city.  Cost of living is high, traffic is getting worse and worse, taxes are getting higher and higher.  I love it for now, but I have no objections to a move.  Utah may be in my future.

[Blueskye2]

On 5/25/2017 at 7:37 AM, Sunday21 said:

@zil. Holy Cow! What really? Oh my! Wow! Okay, Texas is off the list. I am off to Oregon this summer. I wonder if I should check out the gun laws or if I would rather not know? Oh man! I had no idea! So if someone has a bad day...Yikes! I find that really scary! 

It is assumed by most Americans, who don't live in a crime-ridden large city, that people who carry firearms are responsible adults who don't go around shooting people in anger. The same as assuming, that most people who drive aren't going to use their car to purposefully run over dozens of pedestrians.

In other words, your fear is irrational.  

[Sunday21]

2 minutes ago, Blueskye2 said:

It is assumed by most Americans, who don't live in a crime-ridden large city, that people who carry firearms are responsible adults who don't go around shooting people in anger. The same as assuming, that most people who drive aren't going to use their car to purposefully run over dozens of pedestrians.

In other words, your fear is irrational.  

Well, it is your country....still, I feel a little nervous....but yes, your country!

[Blueskye2]

Just now, Sunday21 said:

Well, it is your country....still, I feel a little nervous....but yes, your country!

It's regional, and in large cities, gun carrying is weird to see and most likely illegal. The northwest border against Canada, is gun carrying territory.

When I was a kid, during the deer hunting season everyone had their rifles proudly resting in the visible gun racks inside of their pickup truck cab. In high school, kids would bring their rifles to school in this way, in order to leave straight from school to go into the foothills to hunt for a few hours before dark. That doesn't fly today. School admins and parents would have SWAT called in.

 

[Sunday21]

59 minutes ago, Blueskye2 said:

It's regional, and in large cities, gun carrying is weird to see and most likely illegal. The northwest border against Canada, is gun carrying territory.

When I was a kid, during the deer hunting season everyone had their rifles proudly resting in the visible gun racks inside of their pickup truck cab. In high school, kids would bring their rifles to school in this way, in order to leave straight from school to go into the foothills to hunt for a few hours before dark. That doesn't fly today. School admins and parents would have SWAT called in.

 

Well I guess this is progress! I remember an American professor trying to upset me when I was a student. Telling me happily about how people were starving in the US but the US spent a fortune on NASA. But the fact is that the USA is its own country. The US makes its own laws and they can do whatever they wish. Not my business. 

Now I must check on gun laws in Oregon before I go off to learn coding this summer! Any advice for how to avoid getting shot in high gun areas?