I was at the grocery store today doing my weekly stockup, wearing my S&W pullover sweatshirt. I was in the vegetable section and there was an elderly woman whose cart was blocking the aisle, I was in no hurry so I was just waiting patiently for her to finish what she was doing and move on. When she looked up and saw me standing there she stated, "I guess I better move, I see by your sweatshirt what you'll do to anyone that gets in your way." To say that it just about floored me would be the understatement of the year. I thought of a number of things that I would like to have responded with but in the end I just held my tongue and moved on. The last thing I wanted to do was get in a debate with someone that clueless. But what a thing to say to someone you don't know. I think that was probably one of the most ignorant statements anyone has ever made to me.

I guess you need to buy more aggressive gun shirts, then the reader will be speechless.

"Celebrate Diversity" is my favorite.

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S&WHF 366

I have always make it a rule never to wear anything out in the public that would ID myself as a LEO or "Gun Person".
Jimmy

Me too. As much as I would like to advertise for my favorite brands, I just don't do it.

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Illegitimus Non Carborundum

+1 jimmyj, why poke a tiger in the eye.

De oppresso Liber

Me three. I love it when I see guys drive around with a "Glock Perfection" sticker on their car.

There will always be people who say inappropriate things. Hopefully they will always say these inappropriate things to people like you who are possessed of sufficient self-control and maturity to not respond in a ugly or unkind way. Doubtless she had to wonder, given her unfounded assumption, that you did not act according to her stereotype. Good for you. Sincerely. brucev.

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<><

that or any other ad touting a gun brand plastered on your vehicle.

that is like advertising there is something nice to steal inside.

I've looked for a sticker that states "Driver carries dirty diapers and applesauce only."

Won't nobody break into my truck.

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Lost it all in a boat accident

I have only worn a firearm related shirt once. It was celebrating the 100 year anniversary of the 1911 & I didn't really think anything about it. I had worn it all day around the house when my wife let me know that she wanted to visit a sick friend at the hospital. I offered to drive since I wasn't doing anything and forgot about the shirt. We were in the elevator when the gentleman that got on with us asks if I get many offers for my shirt? I was like, offers? He says yeah, I would like to buy your shirt! I have to say that was a first. Luckily, a local store sold them, so I told him where he could get one.

Navarre

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Dum Vivimus, Vivamus!

I would have laughed. That is ridiculous.

I wear a Beretta hat once in awhile to the club. When headed home I may need to stop for something and I forget I have it on. I get a nod or two and think, "why is he/she staring at me?" Other shooters have given the approving single nod with eye contact. Some soccer mommies stare and then look away quickly.
I just figure they are checking out my bod.

Until.... I remember I have the hat on!

I occasionally wear caps and shirts with firearm related subject matter. I've never had a negitive comment. I normally wear this stuff when I'm going to a match at my club or to the range or a gunshow. I really don't notice what others are promoting with their clothing and I suspect not many other people do either.

Years ago while in the USAF I put a bumper sticker on my car that said "When they pry my cold, dead hands...", I know you've all seen the one I'm referring to. Anyway, I drove down to the local K-Mart. When I came out I went to open my trunk and low and behold someone had scraped my bumper sticker right off the bumper! There was a neat little pile of paper right under the bumper. My wife and I both got a chuckle out of that. That was the last bumper sticker I ever put on my vehicles and that was 38 years ago!

I have a "Get your cart out of my way or I'll shoot you" shirt but I only wear it in hippie organic markets.

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Thirty characters. Exactly...

For years I never wore any gun related clothing but as I got older and seen how gun owners tended to be portrayed in the media I came out of the closet, pun intended. For years it was almost as if I was ashamed of being a gun owner, after all, I didn't want anyone who didn't know me to know my deep, dark, secret....

If more gun owners would come out of the closet and let "Their freak flags fly" maybe the non-gun people out there would see most of us don't have horns growing out of the top of our heads and we look, and act, a lot like they do.....

I figured that if I'm a proud American Gun Owner there was no need to hide it anymore and if people don't like it, they can lump it!

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Ogy

All you're doing is telling people stuff about yourself that ought to be kept private.

Jimmy I agree 100%. I see people with NRA stickers on their car and I think they are inviting a thief to break in their car. I am like you the less people know the better off I am. Don

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"Don't worry be happy"

I encountered some ignorance in the Lounge today, but I'm over it.


We're all just kiddin' right?

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Sure you did

+1 what Ogy said. If i want to wear my Remington camo hat
or my S&W t-shirt to heck with anyone who does'nt like it.
I'm a proud gun owner and have'nt ever been approached in a negative way or got a disparaging comment. I can hold my own in a firearm debate. Not about to let some uneduacated knuckehead dictate what i wear. Now i would NOT put anything on my truck or car firearm related. That's asking for trouble as you leave these unattended, but as for clothing, if you don't like what i wear tough....


chuck

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They hold no Quarter

I had a similar situation some years ago in a Wally World. I was having my truck's oil changed and was reading a gun rag at the magazine stand...an older guy was staring at me and when I asked if I could help him, he merely replied to the effect that enjoy my guns now because "we're going to take them away from you..." He walked away from me and disappeared. I've gotten used to dealing with weirdos over the years and Wally World tends to attract them.

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The Last Standing Knight

I wear my NRA and HRA (Hawaii) T-shirts all the time.

Each to his own, but I would not leave a firearm in a car or truck unattended anyway, so I see no harm in a bumper sticker.

I think the OP handled it perfectly, by just ignoring the old lady. Still, it would be tempting to look her straight in the eyes with a 1000-yard stare and say, "Bang! You're dead." Just say'n.

Thought I was alone there for a minute Chuck. I agree, I have yet to put one gun related sticker on my van, but then again, I'm not much of a bumper sticker type of person.

Hopefully, some kid that's old enough to read will see some of us out there one day wearing our gun shirts, hats etc. and when their anti-gun parents try to paint us gun owners in a negative light this kid will remember seeing us "gun nuts" as regular folks going about our business, just like everybody else.

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Ogy

Maybe she was the one making a joke and you missed it.

I'd have laughed either way.

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Dum vivo cano

I wore my US Border Patrol hat to DMV. Went right to the head of the line.
Maybe I'll try Home Depot.

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Memory of Randy Freas-Rimfired

+1 on this!

Well, I keep reading across the internet that there "ain't no cure for stupid", I guess this just proves that sometimes Darwin doesn't weed them all out at a younger age.

I work pretty hard to stay low profile, although I do try to wear some my EAG shirts and other shooting stuff at professional conferences since I know there will be some who agree with me and some west siders who won't understand, or will have a hand wringing wimp attack if they do.

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NHI, 10-8.

Why should you being a gun owner be kept private? Am i missing something? Unless you think people are going to follow you home by wearing an article of clothing related to firearms.


chuck

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They hold no Quarter

Don't wear gun caps. My Zeiss cap is ignored. My Smithsonian and Land Rover caps get a few comments.

Very occasionally, I wear a USAF vets cap. I've often been thanked for my service.That feels good!

Do that at the Home Depot here in Forest Park and you'll be one of three customers left in the store.

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μολὼν λαβέ

Yankee!

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War Eagle! '10 BCS & '13 SEC

I was grocery shopping & got behind 2 older women, heavy set that must have been related. Anyway one had to borrow 2 bucks from the other for something the Oregon Trail Card [food stamps] didn't cover. I had my Life NRA cap on & followed them out the door.The automatic door opened & just then the heavier one had a cell phone call & stopped in the doorway, blocking it. I pushed her cart aside & went by. Should have heard the language until they saw my cap.I grinned all the way to my truck.

Yea, NOW we're havin' fun.

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Sure you did

I do wear my "NRA" cap when I am out picking up Girls.
This cap is a "Chick Magnet"
Thank you forever, John!
Jimmy (Macho Man)
p.s PLEASE don't tell Penny-She thinks I am out visiting a local Nursing Home.

Same here in this town.

i get enough **** for driving our suburban... i don't need bumper stickers or caps.
it's hard not to run over those prius' when their owners lips are a flappin'

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is it just me?

I like wearing my Bob Hope and stock ex Change t -shirt, so as not to draw any attention.

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Sure you did

Here's a T-Shirt sure to get them thinking. I have more....But can't post them. I should ad a bullseye.

Attached Images

001.jpg (57.0 KB, 105 views)

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Dum vivo cano

i like to wear my NRA cap and a "i brake for butterflies" t shirt........gets em confused.

My grand kids bought me some of those magnetic stickers that look like bullet holes. They put some on my 4 door Wrangler and in the Food Lion grocery store parking lot, I very nice older lady say to me, "I hope none of those bullets hit you!" I helped her load her groceries!

medxam

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Doc Garrett
Dead Man's Doctor

I guess I won't get that revolver shaped ear ring and T-shirt that says "Body piercing by Smith & Wesson"

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sticks-n-stones&hollowpoints

Indeed, dont advertise.

Even though I live in gun-friendly Florida, in a very rural area where you'd be hard-pressed to find anyone who doesn't own at least one gun, I still prefer not to draw attention to myself.

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Illegitimus Non Carborundum

I always liked the one with two geese flying together and says fly united.

Like wearing an NRA hat and the crowd moves like Charlton Heston parting the Red Sea.

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Memory of Randy Freas-Rimfired

i wear gun related shirts, thats what im into ,if people dont like it thats there problum. i dont do the pc thing, first they take our shirts then our guns? i have a smith & wesson sticker on my truck window, some say this will cause my truck to be broke into? its my truck i refuse to let other people control me and what i wear or do, i understand the ones that dont advertise for what ever reason. and i even have gun related tats!

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WILL WORK FOR AMMO!

Sticker on my truck says "I didn't go to work today, the voices told me to stay home and clean my gun". 14 years and nobody broke into it yet.

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James L. "Jim" Rhiner

No break-in's after 14 years of advertising??

Impossible

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Ogy

Here in Kentucky we have the very high profile Mountain Top Removal issue. Many folks have a Friend of Coal sticker on their car/truck. I have a Friend of Mountains on my Jeep. THAT gets lots of negative comments but not yet a keying or scraping off.

And by the way Ogilvy, should I ever be rude to you, it would not be intentional -- I did several years in NYC doing systems consulting work for Ogilvy & Mather advertising agency and sometimes I get an inadvertent twitch when I see the name. :-)

You asked for it --- wearing conspicuous "gun gear" just indentifies you as a shoot-me-first target, and as a suspicious person to LEOs and worse, non-LEO "security " nerds. Wear your gun-logo gear to the range, competitive shooting events, etc,, if you must, but not at the grocery store...

I'll keep that in mind McBear, sorry for the twitch now & again.

For the record. The Ogilvy Special is my favorite canoe model, developed by the Chestnut Canoe Co. in the early 1930's.

Chestnut was located in Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada, for many years prior to making a short move down the St. John River to Oromocto N.B., hanging on a few more years there before driving their last canoe tack around 1978....

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Ogy