Today I missed my chance to educate

[AlanM]

As I was leaving Red Lobster this evening, (Endless Shrimp! Yum!), I was passed just outside the front door by a young mother, her ~10yo son, and her 5 or 6 yo daughter.

I was busy juggling a paperback book, my walker, and the door so I was a little slow to react when the girl said just after they passed me, "Mommy, that man has a gun! Mom! That man has a gun!"
Her head was exactly level with my 1911 OC'ed on my right hip.

It wasn't until I got into my car that I realized that I should have stopped, turned around, smiled, and said, "Yes, Honey, that's right, I have a gun so I can protect you, your brother, and your mother if any bad guys come. Just like a policeman would do if he were around. Because, you see, there aren't enough policemen to be everywhere."

BTW, the staff and management of my Red Lobster are well aware that I open carry and they and the VA natives that have noticed it haven't blinked. The part time university student wait staff from out of state get a little wide eyed but don't treat me any different than anyone else.

[dorminWS]

Might be just as well. If the Momma was an anti-gunner (or maybe even just ignorant and afraid of guns) having you kneel and give her little darling a nose-to-nose dose of truth and light may have been very intimidating and offensive to her. That would probably have been cast as a knuckle-dragging gun nut bothering an innocent mother and child. It's a good idea to be very careful about approaching children as a total stranger in a public place. To tell the truth, that would put me on high alert even if it was some guy in a Santa Clause suit.

[skeeterss0]

especially if it was some guy in a Santa Clause suit.......