“I’ve been around guns for longer than I can remember. With my dad as a police officer, our house had lots. Never treated them as toys, never needed to show off. Guess it is an age thing, but at 55 I carry or do not for its sake, nothing more, nothing less.”
The longterm attack on the second amendment has made the act of carrying a gun political, like it or not.
You write as if our second amendment rights are not under attack. A major component of that attack has been to denigrate people who exercise their rights.
I do not think that is what you intend; but it is what is accomplished when you belittle those who have the courage of their convictions. Those who risk hassle by the police show more courage than most. Many second amendment supporters lost much money, time, and sometimes their life, in pursuit of the constitutional right to do what you so casually dismiss as “attention seeking”.
Is it that you “never needed to show off” or is it that you feel social pressure not to exercise your rights publicly?
It is hard to tell the difference from the outside.
I agree. It is just that when these people dress up in tactical gear and make somewhat stupid remarks, it is not helpful. Think about it: (1) a person simply open carrying or (2) a person dressed up in tactical vest and toys also doing open carry. The latter looks a bit crazy and is making an unnecessary and counterproductive spectacle.