Loose lips

[walkin jack]

Don't feel too badly, I raised 2 kids, one boy and one girl and they both hate fishing. Fishing is one of my 3 life passions, along with motorcycles and guns/shooting. neither one cared for either of the other two either.

I feel like a failure as a parent. But it wasn't for lack of trying.

 

[CB3]

I am not paranoid nor overly public. Having taught my neighbors’ sons shooting skills when they were Boy Scouts, and now having some as my neighbors also, there are many who know me and my interests. I also hunt with a number of different friends.

I don’t advertise anywhere around my possessions that I have guns. I also don’t shy away from sharing 60 years of experience with those seeking it.

My home and possessions are adequately secured by layers of passive security, and insurance. I am not afraid but rather aware and prepared.

There is a balance to be struck. I am very comfortable with my approach. Deterrence is even more effective than supposed secrets, which rarely are. Trying to hide who I am and what I do compromises me too much.

 

[Rustyt1953]

I have posted before that there is nothing on my apparel, vehicles, house or property that denotes political/military affiliation or gun ownership.

Like my father before me, I am a gray man.

 

[mtgianni]

Working where 80% of the people hunted and many of their spouses did as well firearms get talked about. I would keep it to pet cartridges and occasionally give an opinion on what was a good caliber to start a kid out with. I had no problems telling friends I was going to a shoot this weekend or how I did when I returned.

 

[CB3]

My dad was an OSS officer in World War II. I remember as we were growing up he counseled me not to get tattoos, not to dress or groom myself to stand out. He also said to keep motor vehicles simple without bumper stickers. He was teaching me to be a gray man before that term became popular.

I still follow much of that advice. Yet, I must say, that shooting is is such a big part of my life that I am not overly concerned about sharing what I do and what I’m interested in with others.

The mere fact that I’m posting on this public forum immediately eliminates me as a true gray man.

 

[Ματθιας]

Do you really know your friends? How about family?

No matter who your friends/family are and how well you think you know them, they talk. Gossip. They talk about who you are, what you do, and what you have - with other people you don't know. Remember, as kids we talked about our families and what we did, then we listened as our friends talked about their families?

With my shooting friends, just listening, I knew who had what and I also knew what people I've never formally met had. That point was brought home to me when I met someone, for the first time, say to me "I know who you are, you're the 'gun guy'! I heard about you!"

 

[Autonomous]

Like a lot of folks here, I have been shooting for fifty years. I raised my children with respect for safety and never had a problem.
However, I made the mistake of working 7 days a week to send them to college.
They are liberal and on Facebook, saying who knows. We rarely talk.
The words "Red Tag" are a worry.
That horse has left the gate, but now I remain silent on the subject unless I am among like minded individuals.

Our universities are actively recruiting and brainwashing our children. One of mine fell into the trap.

 

[Truckman]

I'll live my life in neither fear, nor shame...What's mine is mine......Ben

 

[Greyman50]

Nothing firearms related on my vehicle, couple of Vietnam Veteran stickers( small) and couple of Greyhound stickers. All my friends are in our gun club or are gun nuts. Thank God my Kids and Grandkids have turned out well, Son has great business, daughter is Med Surg. RN, oldest Grandson is E-5 in Navy, all are into firearms and have already gotten part of my collection. As my name here implies , its how I feel.

 

[Oracle]

Prior to me retiring I had a coworker from Australia. The coworker routinely slammed life here in the U.S. and claimed we should become just like Australia and then ask people how many firearms they had.

 

[smith17]

Agree. I especially don't ever brag, gloat, or post about any gun that I just obtained by mentioning it on this forum.
But I went to a small show yesterday and found a Browning Pump Rifle chambered in .22 magnum. Man, it is so sweet and .......
Oops. Never mind.

 

[Muss Muggins]

If I were worried about this, my cabin would be up the hill from Ted Kaczynski's. I don't. If I did, I wouldn't live in a nice house, drive nice cars, wear nice clothes, or eat in nice restaurants.

Everybody knows anyway. Even if you keep your mouth shut. I've never talked to some of my neighbors, but I got a pretty good idea which ones would take a shot at a burglar and which ones can't . . .

 

[Rustyt1953]

 

[J. R. WEEMS]

TODAY

Well first it was the theft of catallic converters, today is was the whole vehicle. The Winchester Medical Center mandates 'no weapons on property' Ok that being the case, if we are not allowed to choose NOT to be a victim, by them, then THEY should be held responsible for damages.. I believe TENN., passed such a law last year.

Victims were robbed at gun point--

 

[meaneyedcatz]

After a friend was followed home ,LEO suggested, and later robbed, he had every gun sticker in the world on his truck, I removed every one off my old truck a great number of years ago. Today I doent even display a IWLA sticker. In this day and age, just not the best idea. JMHO.

Agreed, as with the T-shirts there are no stickers on the vehicles either.

 

[lihpster]

Given 40 years of skinning deer, picking ducks etc. in the garage in full view of the street, I'm pretty sure the secret is out.

 

[dasnake]

No need......

I don’t have any friends, I have a great wife and I have two kids one is a shooter with his own stash, he keeps it to himself, as for me talking about myself, I don’t, people ask mom if I don’t like them, she just tells them “he doesn’t like anyone”, that’s it, also with the police having almost no knock entry I don’t say anything anywhere, we just renewed moms license and that would have been within 2 weeks notice rather than the 3 months or so usually, I don’t trust a soul up here when my firearms are involved.

 

[sigp220.45]

I try to underthink stuff. I wear my raggedy Beretta hat all the time. I don’t have stickers on my rig because I don’t like stickers on my rig. I live in a nice neighborhood and my neighbors on both sides are gun guys. I have a gun safe and a big-*** dog and I don’t worry about burglars or home invaders.

I have two gun nut boys and a left-wing daughter and I love them all. I raised them all to think for themselves and they do.

I figure I’ve put 400 people into federal prison. I never kept track, but that’s a conservative guess. I’m not counting fugitives I arrested on somebody else’s warrant. Except for a couple they’ll be getting out or already are. If I worried about them I’d go nuts. I’m sure not gonna worry about some rando in my little town.

I usually carry a gun and I keep my eyes open but I’m gonna enjoy what life I have left.

 

[redlevel]

Everybody where I live has lots of guns and everybody else knows it. I have NRA stickers on my old pickup. I will post a picture or video of me or my family or friends shooting at my backyard range. Whatever. I remember once several years ago, I was moving some guns to another safe in another house. I stopped at the convenience store to get a cold drank. A police officer, one of my former students, saw me and came over to talk. I rolled down the passenger side window. He stuck his head in, we exchanged pleasantries. He never even seemed to notice the dozen or so handguns and shot guns in plain view. Nothing unusual. Everybody has them, and everybody else knows it.

 

[arjay]

I keep it to myself. In my younger days when I hunted and competed everyone knew,so my family and friends from that era know.My son shoots and is pretty right wing. My daughter is far more liberal. She’s far better educated than the rest of us schmos,so I pay attention [emoji16]