And your statement suggests you've never been military. You KNOW what displaying a weapon means in the military. I think that using that kind of suggestion in Target or Wal Mart is idiotic. I actually find it offensive when I'm standing next to people open carrying when my kids are around. My kids can field strip a 1911 in a few minutes and they're taught that the presence of a weapon is for a reason and ONLY for a reason and when those reasons aren't present the firearm stays away. Sorry that I'm not insecure enough to need to walk around with something extra visible.
Wasn't calling you idiotic - I was calling the need to open carry in a grocery store idiotic. Concealed carry is for a purpose, open carry is trying to make a point. I don't believe that we need to make that point in a civilized society. My opinion.
And let me follow up - I have open
carried in many situations. I open carry when I'm far away from any back up. When I'm in a city however, I respect the rights of others. Many in towns/cities don't like guns. I'm not going to push my beliefs on them if I can simply keep it under cover and out of sight. It's simple and polite. You and I like guns, I want those rights. Others don't. If you don't put the gun in their face, chances are you can keep your rights.
I'm active duty. I'm around weapons all day. I think nothing of it. But I do realize that when I go out shopping, the woman with her kid behind me might not find my weapons so amusing. It's called living in a society. Everyone compromises and we all get along. I don't want the left taking my guns away, but then I'm required not to push my guns in their faces. If you want to keep your rights, don't make your rights an issue for others if you can help it. It's not hard to put a shirt over my .45.
Food for thought, if you truly are a "gun packing liberal". Substitute "Gays", "Interracial Marriage" or "any religion not predominant in your area" for "guns" in your above statements about your "rights" and the "rights" of others and see how it sounds.