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Posted: 12/20/2005 8:32:10 AM EDT
I'm on a contract for a company in Menasha, WI at the moment that is
being sold, and, the owners are concerned with workplace violence issues, etc. I'm security, btw. I'm walking the plant floor and, a woman stops me and, starts questioning me- Not bad or anything...curiosity. We exchange pleasentries, and, then she asks if I'm armed. I tell her no, WI state law makes it really hard to get a handgun permit without "valid" reasons, so I'm not armed. She asks if I have a gun in my house, and, I say; "Yes. I usually, but not always carry a handgun on my hip, or within reach and, at night, I usually load my AR-15 and, have it at my bedside, then, clear and store it in the morning." She says; "Wow..You must live in a bad area. Are you scared to live there? Is TX that bad?" I say; "No. I have guns that I know how to use. I'm not scared at all. I don't live in a bad area. I live in a pretty secluded area that I liked until people moved there. TX isn't bad at all, depending. I'm more concerned about getting shot in Milauawkee than Dallas." We talk for a little bit, then, I amble by the shift supervisor, and, we get to talking. Turns out he's a "hunter". I have the almost exact same convo with him, complete with his reaction and my reply. Just struck me as odd there were so many sheep in such a small area. 
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Posted: 12/20/2005 8:34:18 AM EDT
[#1]
Wisconsin is pretty liberal.
My mother saw some of my preps in the basement, and said she didn't want me "living in fear" I said "I don't live in fear BECAUSE I have guns & preparations." |
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Posted: 12/20/2005 8:44:14 AM EDT
[#2]
You should have said:
"Hell Sugar, I'm from Texas! I cain't sleep at night without 'ere's a firarm next to ma bed, and ma truck won't start unlessen 'ere's a rifle in da gun rack!" |
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Posted: 12/20/2005 8:44:24 AM EDT
[#3]
For whatever reason, my friends feel the need to bring my gun ownership up every once and while when we are out trolling bars/etc. Suprisingly, I get about an even split of "oh cool!" vs. "I'm afraid of guns/don't like/etc". Bear in mind this is a pretty liberal 20-something area (Arlington, VA or DC). Actually had a lady take me up on my offer let her try some out this past week. I don't see her running out to buy a pistol or anything, but the seeds of doubt have been planted regarding her liberal indoctrination.
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Posted: 12/20/2005 8:53:38 AM EDT
[#4]
The reaction most people have about my gun ownership?
They hope they're not around me when I snap. The rest of the time, they cower in fear. 
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Posted: 12/20/2005 8:59:41 AM EDT
[#5]
There's a hell of a lot of sheep out there. Their minds seem to work along the lines of "If I take any action to make myself safer I am admitting the world is a dangerous place. Therefore, if I do nothing to safegaurd myself there is no danger." |
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Posted: 12/20/2005 9:07:52 AM EDT
[#6]
Only place I talk firearms is at the range. And if I don't know them I don't volunteer my name. No one at work knows anything other than I am a retired duck hunter, and that's cause I brought in some ordervies for a company lunch.
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Posted: 12/20/2005 9:08:22 AM EDT
[#7]
I've been told this before, some were joking, some seemed serious. LOL |
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Posted: 12/20/2005 9:17:08 AM EDT
[#9]
+1 on Wisconsin being liberal. And here, being a hunter doesn't mean jack.
My FIL is a hunter and all he cares about are shotguns, muzzleloaders and bolt actions...and he's also somewhat liberal...go figure. Thank God his daughter is on the same page as I am though  .Anyway, he gave me some crap about having an AR at first, but now he doesn't mind it too much. I'm slowly converting him I think. He sees my C&R stuff and now he' getting interested in that, when before he could care less. Just last weekend he said that he wants me to look into getting a Garand  .However, I'd never tell him that I had a handgun or that I'd get my CCW if we ever get it passed here. Last time I heard him talking about CCW he was ranting about how stupid it was and nobody needed that. Nobody needed a handgun either. It would just cause peope to get hurt more  . He doesn't keep any gun in the house ready for defense. They're all unloaded and locked up in a safe and he thinks that it's dumb to keep them ready to use for a home invasion "because it will never happen." *sigh*
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Posted: 12/20/2005 9:19:31 AM EDT
[#10]
Seriously. Lautenschlager gets arrested for DUI and she's still a politician  . What's the definition of "is" again?
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Posted: 12/20/2005 9:21:46 AM EDT
[#11]
I just dont talk guns with sheeple any more, after thirty years of hearing this crap...I just dont bother with them anymore.
...do you have a permit for that? ...do the police know you have one of those? ...I hope you dont live near me.....(me too) ...why do you need that? ...well, I dont like guns....only cops need those...  |
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Posted: 12/20/2005 9:22:29 AM EDT
[#12]
Half of what I talk about at work is guns and whatnot.
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Posted: 12/20/2005 9:22:47 AM EDT
[#13]
 my wife and I go round and round with her always saying "I live in fear" and me saying its not fear its being prepared. She just dosnt get it.
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Posted: 12/20/2005 9:25:54 AM EDT
[#14]
Just wanted to address this point. My wife lost her job last year because the company sold-out. The day they sold, the owner (who is the son of the company founder who actually gave a damn, but that guy is long dead) was vacationing in the Caribbean when he had his supervisors come in one night and tell everyone not to report to work the next day. What an asshole. Maybe he was concerned about workplace violence, but he is a COWARD for not having the decency to give notice (he obviously KNEW that his company was for sale and could've had the decency to give his workers notice so they could find OTHER JOBS). I guess at least your owners have notified workers that they will be selling. Right? It is the owners' company to sell, but decent people are honest about things and that helps smooth the transition for the displaced workers. Loyalty works both ways and owners/managers who treat employees like barn animals shouldn't be surprized when things don't go smoothly as they flush people's livelihoods down the toilet.
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Posted: 12/20/2005 9:33:25 AM EDT
[#15]
Good luck on the PPA, Wisconsin. As I understand it if everybody shows up and votes as promised you've got veto override margins right now.
I'm constantly suprised that my father, an only recently retired San Diego police officer, disagrees with me keeping a loaded handgun by my bed. He kept mentioning that he thinks I must be paranoid, this man who saw the worst of humankind every night for thirty years. Even mentioned how he doesn't keep a loaded gun in the home. Then I brought the loaded .38 he keeps in his breifcase (it just was his habit he kept while an officer for all those years) and mentioned that it was still there, currently in his house and loaded. That kindof shut him up. 
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Posted: 12/20/2005 9:35:49 AM EDT
[#16]
3/4 of what I talk about at work is firearm related... |
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Posted: 12/20/2005 9:38:02 AM EDT
[#17]
The new owners plan to extend job offers to 95% of the plant, from what I understand. I do alot of closures/downsizes, and, I see it handled well, and, badly. What you described above happened to me when I worked in a factory before I joined the Army, and, happened to the plant I worked at after the Army. I decided that working in a factory: A-Sucked B-was not in my best long term interests. |
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Posted: 12/20/2005 9:45:04 AM EDT
[#18]
I belong to a car club for VWs here in California and am really outspoken about gun ownership and the need for self preservation/protection, I've made a few converts and one of them bought his first pistol the other day and picks it up on the 26th. We are having a club range day to celibrate. Should look funny with a bunch of VW's showing up at the range and piling out with a bunch of guns.
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Posted: 12/20/2005 9:49:54 AM EDT
[#19]
I would have bet money that VW's and handguns were mutually exclusive. |
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Posted: 12/20/2005 9:53:15 AM EDT
[#20]
Heh. I almost bought a fixer upper VW Bus a few years back so I could restore it. Interestingly a Bus would actually have MORE room for guns and gear than my current car. A Miata.  My 18" barrel 870 barely fits in it and my 24" U/O had to ride in the front with me...as discreetly as possible. |
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Posted: 12/20/2005 10:15:40 AM EDT
[#21]
I've talked to a lot of people at work, in bars, friends, etc., about guns, and most of them don't seem to be bothered that I own them, but at the same time don't understand why I do. I generally don't debate the issue, but if they say something I disagree with, I'll let them know. I don't expect many "converts" are made through arguement, but a comment here or there might get them thinking.
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Posted: 12/20/2005 10:18:41 AM EDT
[#22]
You would have bet wrong, we have 12 people going so far and few that are thinking about it but don't own any ( that's OK we have extras to loan out  ) We are having a pre range safety day for the noobs on Saturday.BTW the new guy got a HK USP in 9mm, I tried to talk him into a Sig or a 1911 clone of some sort but he really wanted that HK, I shouldn't complain I have one too and I like it. |
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Posted: 12/20/2005 10:18:58 AM EDT
[#23]
I don't talk about it at all. My best friend knows and that's about it outside the family.
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Posted: 12/20/2005 10:21:40 AM EDT
[#24]
I find it annoying that if you have a lot of guns they automatically think you live in a shit area.
 Thank god most of the guys I BS with at the Cabelas gun counters are plain gun freaks and not Ranger Elite SEAL shuttle door gunners. |
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Posted: 12/20/2005 10:26:29 AM EDT
[#25]
I'll take that bet!
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Posted: 12/20/2005 10:27:47 AM EDT
[#26]
I never get the people who think you "live in fear" if you own guns or stockpile some food for emergencies.
"People call me paranoid for carrying a gun. I have a gun! What is there to be paranoid about?" |
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Posted: 12/20/2005 10:45:19 AM EDT
[#27]
i live in an area where open carry is legal, and i STILL always have people look at me and honestly ask, "is that a real gun?" no dipshit. i like walking around with a plastic gun on my hip just so you'll ask me about it... anyhow, i've had the whole "i hope you don't live near me" thing a million times too when i was living in CT. my response was always along the lines of, "me too, because if something bad happens i don't want you dropping by asking for help." i hope that popped into a few people's heads when katrina hit this fall. |
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Posted: 12/20/2005 10:48:28 AM EDT
[#28]
I work in IT my entire department is armed to the teeth. and we all own motorcycles too. |
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Posted: 12/20/2005 11:13:31 AM EDT
[#29]
NewbHunter is 100% correct. Hunters in WI are only gun lovers when it comes to shotguns and bolt actions. Anything else they think is crazy to own. My dad is the same. "Why did you buy an AK? They are so inaccurate. They are just killing machines. You dont need that." blah blah blah. [he owns 3 shotguns, a SW .357 mag, 2 rifles (bolt action), and 2 muzzleloaders.] My XD, he said "All that is is a police gun. Why would you want that?" I haven't even told him I am building an AR. I probably will never tell him I have an AR. |
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Posted: 12/20/2005 11:18:58 AM EDT
[#30]
Really couldn't give a shit what they think. Their opinion good or bad isn't going to change a lifetime hobby of mine.
Most are actually either too scared to get into guns, or have an over bearing nag of a wife who they hand their balls to when they go home, or are just too damned lazy to go fill out a piece of paper to get a permit. They usually are in denial as to the risks that everyday life brings. Ignorance is bliss. |
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Posted: 12/20/2005 12:09:38 PM EDT
[#31]
ALmost everybody who comes across a gun article in my company forwards it to me.
This includes the CEO, Pres, VP, VP sales, and quite a few others. They also all come to me for gun advice as well. TXL |
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Posted: 12/20/2005 12:16:25 PM EDT
[#32]
What part of Florida? And are you hiring?!?!?!?!
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Posted: 12/20/2005 12:25:04 PM EDT
[#33]
+1 !@#$!!! |
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Posted: 12/20/2005 12:34:02 PM EDT
[#34]
Alot of my coworkers no I am a gun nut but thier is someone else I work with who is far crazier than I am. I am the least of thier worries but they jokingly tell me often if I get fired we are walking out with you. Basicly in conversation with a friend I let slip I own AKs now the whole place thinks I am a tad nutty.
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