First impressions were quite wrong...

[Charlie Harley, #14153 2,512]

I went to our local club yesterday for some plinking time with 22s.  At the other end of the firing line was a group of 20-somethings who were quite, diverse.  Two lesbians, a dorky hipster, one I wasn’t sure about, and the group leader was a scruffy hippy with more hair than any five of us Saloonatics combined.  

 

My old-fart-caution-sensors were pinging so I kept an eye on them for safety’s sake.  There was something that just felt off.

 

But after an hour or so of me ventilating tin cans and watching them, here’s what I saw.

 

All were wearing hearing and eye protection.

 

The hippy was giving good instructions about how to safely handle guns, and letting his friends try his guns to ventilate their own cans.  

 

His friends were attentive and purposeful in listening.

 

Never did a gun come close to breaking a 170 while trying the hippy’s guns.

 

They communicated clearly about taking the range cold, with chamber indicators and every safety policy followed to a T.

 

In short, my first impression was completely wrong, the hippy was doing it right, and four new young people were being introduced to the shooting sports.

 

After sweeping brass I went down and talked a bit.  It was enjoyable for sure getting to know them.  And my world became a better place that afternoon.

[Matthew Duncan 1,099]

47 minutes ago, Charlie Harley, #14153 said:

... group leader was a scruffy hippy with more hair than any five of us Saloonatics combined...

 

That not saying a lot!

[Snakejaw_Joe 108]

Good on you for giving them a chance. I personally know a lot of liberal people who support the 2nd and enjoy the shooting sports.

 

The current climate here in our country really reminds me of the civil war era. The northern powers told the soldiers that johnny reb were backwoods savages with no moral compass, and the southern powers told their soldiers that the yankees were manipulative tycoons who wanted to destroy their traditions. But in reality, it was underpaid factory worker versus underpaid farm worker. 

 

Many accounts in battle of a Union soldier sitting down to talk with a Confederate or vice versa and having the shocking experience of realizing they were actually very similar people. Sounds like your experience here was similar to that

[Alpo 5,826]

Unless you saw them in a lip lock, how did you know that two of them were lesbians?

[Snakejaw_Joe 108]

2 minutes ago, Alpo said:

Unless you saw them in a lip lock, how did you know that two of them were lesbians?

 

This is also a fair question

[Assassin 1,434]

23 minutes ago, Alpo said:

Unless you saw them in a lip lock, how did you know that two of them were lesbians?

Birkenstocks and flannel shirts?

[Charlie Harley, #14153 2,512]

26 minutes ago, Alpo said:

Unless you saw them in a lip lock, how did you know that two of them were lesbians?

Body language.  It can tell a lot about the connections between any two people in any sort of relationship. Business. Personal. Romantic. Platonic. Gay. Straight. It doesn’t matter. 
 

And let’s please not turn this into a thread of LGBTQ jokes. 

Edited October 19 by Charlie Harley, #14153

[Pat Riot, SASS #13748 18,978]

Charlie, Thanks for posting this. I am quite sure I got some evil eyes when I left the Navy and started shooting at ranges and in competitions. I let my hair grow and some folks just couldn't handle the concept of a bearded long haired gun toting guy on their range or in their competitions. Frankly, I didn't care, but others seemed to. Especially when I used to shoot at Tactical Competitions put on by LAPD SWAT officers.

 

Closed mindedness and bias will be the death of our shooting sports and our rights if we do not learn to  accept people.

[Charlie Harley, #14153 2,512]

1 minute ago, Pat Riot, SASS #13748 said:

Charlie, Thanks for posting this. I am quite sure I got some evil eyes when I left the Navy and started shooting at ranges and in competitions. I let my hair grow and some folks just couldn't handle the concept of a bearded long haired gun toting guy on their range or in their competitions. Frankly, I didn't care, but others seemed to. Especially when I used to shoot at Tactical Competitions put on by LAPD SWAT officers.

 

Closed mindedness and bias will be the death of our shooting sports and our rights if we do not learn to  accept people.

Amen, Pat!

[Snakejaw_Joe 108]

6 minutes ago, Charlie Harley, #14153 said:

Body language.  It can tell a lot about the connections between any two people in any sort of relationship. Business. Personal. Romantic. Platonic. Gay. Straight. It doesn’t matter. 
 

And let’s please not turn this into a thread of LGBTQ jokes. 

 

Body language does tell a lot

 

No jokes here. I just wanted to make sure we weren't putting people in boxes unnecessarily. All are welcome round my camp 

[Forty Rod SASS 3935 6,386]

I worked at The Flintlock with a bearded hippy who wore moccasins, long hair and home made shirts.  He got picked for jury duty.  A guy was being tried for illegal drugs for sale and the defense attorney thought he had a kindred spirit in the box.

 

Didn't know a mountain man when he saw one and ended up with the most conservative, anti-drug, pro-LEO man in the county and a gun salesman who also made his own gear including his guns.        

 

BTW, the guy was convicted and sentenced to five years in jail.  (That's thirty days California time.)

[Waxahachie Kid #17017 L 562]

I think if folks are alienated, that we do not know, or have just met, then we forfeit any influence we may be able to have toward them. They shut everything down, and won't listen to anything, or they will be argumentative.

 

You can pretty much tell a friend, that knows you care, anything at all, without alienating them.

Beside...if you want to influence someone, about something, the best way is to live it, and perhaps they will, at some point, want the same thing.

 

 

 

 

[Linn Keller, SASS 27332, BOLD 103 1,821]

Here be wisdom, I am listening with both eyes!

[Allie Mo, SASS No. 25217 5,932]

Thanks for posting this, Charlie. Sometimes, we need to step back and look at people's actions not their appearance.

[Cyrus Cassidy #45437 1,489]

4 hours ago, Charlie Harley, #14153 said:

Body language.  It can tell a lot about the connections between any two people in any sort of relationship. Business. Personal. Romantic. Platonic. Gay. Straight. It doesn’t matter. 
 

And let’s please not turn this into a thread of LGBTQ jokes. 

 

Yep.  Don't forget, I'm a former interrogator, trained to read all of this.  Just because I don't do it professionally anymore doesn't mean I forgot it all!

[Sixgun Sheridan 3,834]

4 hours ago, Pat Riot, SASS #13748 said:

Closed mindedness and bias will be the death of our shooting sports and our rights if we do not learn to  accept people.

 

I have mentioned on several other gun forums that we need to start adding diverse people to our ranks if we expect to be able to preserve the Second Amendment. It will not survive if it becomes something only conservative white males believe in or exercise. Unfortunately there are a lot of far-right individuals among us and they're the ones trying to drive off everyone who doesn't look, think or act like them.

[Charlie Harley, #14153 2,512]

5 minutes ago, Sixgun Sheridan said:

 

I have mentioned on several other gun forums that we need to start adding diverse people to our ranks if we expect to be able to preserve the Second Amendment. It will not survive if it becomes something only conservative white males believe in or exercise. Unfortunately there are a lot of far-right individuals among us and they're the ones trying to drive off everyone who doesn't look, think or act like them.

Preach it, Sixgun!

[Widder, SASS #59054 7,049]

I've overcome my prejudices and judgement on people by just not liking anyone and everyone..... 

 

Actually and honestly, I figure many of the folks I meet and get to know probably don't like me and I've accepted that.

It helps me to get along better with everyone knowing they have a keen sense of perception..... 

 

..........Widder

 

[Forty Rod SASS 3935 6,386]

My son married a black woman, one of the finest people I have ever known.  I lost a friend over that, and man I've know for about six years, because of his racism.  He just wouldn't leave it alone and we ended up agreeing to disagree and now hate each other.

 

 

[Four-Eyed Buck,SASS #14795 651]

We have a few living here in the park. Some are pretty discreet, others are are more overt. I just go on about my business and let live

[Smuteye John SASS#24774 2,464]

12 hours ago, Matthew Duncan said:

 

That not saying a lot!

It is if you include mustaches and beards.

[DocWard 4,933]

15 hours ago, Charlie Harley, #14153 said:

the group leader was a scruffy hippy with more hair than any five of us Saloonatics combined.  

 

 

14 hours ago, Matthew Duncan said:

 

That not saying a lot!

 

Head or facial?

[watab kid 799]

im still a curmudgeon but ive found a common ground with many young and diverse shooters at the range - tried to convert many to SASS and think a few will migrate , i still encounter the tin foil hat folks as well as the macho and gangster types , but i always find it interesting to see what the other shooters are like ........most recently there are a lot of 'new gun owners' many of whom are having difficulty with their anti 2ND thinking , when you are helpful they actually look at you in a new way as well , i find it funny to see a bit of civil unrest unhinge those that support it when it gets close to home ,