Not sure if this is a silly question... (firearm related)

[kathrynne]

However, the ex-officer did not kill the man.  He killed himself.

http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/story?id=3982722

I do believe, however, that the woman's actions did save lives there.

Yes, I said that earlier in the post you quoted:

Quoting from a story about that parishioner with the gun who injured the shooter to the point where he took his own life (covered in later stories):

She absolutely saved lives. Lots of lives. That guy was equipped to take out a good portion of the congregation and what they found when they searched his house included explosives and enough stuff to skeeve out an ATF agent.

Many people heaved sighs of relief upon learning that the gunman took his OWN life so she wouldn't have that on her conscience. No matter how many lives she saved that day, it had to be easier for her to know that she stopped him but he killed himself.

My point was that she wasn't just Jane Schmoe off the street who happened to be carrying that day. She was an ex-cop who volunteered as one of many security guards for that church, and among the few security guards there who are armed.

[agentsmith]

I grew up around guns, and plan to take my DH to the shooting range soon, so I'm certainly not anti-gun.  However, anyone aside from *trusted* family and friends would be asked to leave my property if they are carrying-concealed or open.  And, honestly, open carry outside of a range would make me really nervous.  Concealed carry, to me, makes me think that they are concerned with personal protection.  Open carry has a  "you want a piece of me?" mentality.  I would assume that an open carrying 'civilian' is aggressive, has an itchy trigger finger, and will escalate a situation.  Also, the gun out in the open would be tempting for others to grab at or act though and otherwise escalate with the gun owner. 

[Kendo_Bunny]

I guess I should clarify why concealed really isn't an option for me:
1) Keeping it in my purse. My purse space is normally taken up with books, plus it has a lot of straps and buckles and things. Getting it out my purse quickly would be really difficult, and waste many valuable seconds if someone did attack.
2) Using a shoulder strap. I'm a very.... endowed person, and there's really not room between my lady parts and my armpit to put a gun. I know, because I've tried.

I definitely don't have an itchy trigger finger, though. My sweetheart also says the gun on his hip is a moderating influence on him- he goes out of his way to be nice and polite, and it really reminds him of the danger of letting little things annoy you.

Again, I don't think open carrying is good for every gun owner, any more than gun ownership is good for every person. But just because someone has a gun out in the open, it doesn't mean that they're liable to go on a killing spree.

[waterwren]

Personal safety and personal statement. It is my right to carry- especially since according to my state's law, as an able-bodied citizen over the age of 17, I am a member of the State Militia. I believe a right unexercised is a right lost, and that's something I am 100% unwilling to lose.
Plus, I determined long ago that my days of being a passive victim were over, and I was never going to let myself be caught in a position of weakness again. I know better than to carry in Condition White.

I don't care about your personal statement. You would NOT be allowed in my home or on my property with a gun and if you brought the gun in above my objections because you had to make your "statement" you'd loose a friend. In fact you'd loose all the friends we held in common.
 Concealed or not concealed, guns are not welcome in most of our homes. And those that would allow the gun would be taken a back by you disregarding the wishes of the home owners.
 People have a right to feel safe in their own home, They have a right to set up rules to make that feeling a reality, a guest does not have the right to over ride the wishes of their hosts.  Since you've said that if a person has an issue with it, I'll answer your other question. yes it would be rude ( very rude, in fact) to walk into a home with a gun with out know how the home owner feels about it.  Ask first, if you don't know them well enough to know that they'd welcome the gun, they don't know you well enough to know why you are carrying it.

[Shores]

Nobody who opencarries would be allowed in my home. Although to be honest, I don't think anyone who openly carries a gun would be invited. I would join in with the others in suggesting that you ask if it's ok when entering someone's house for the first time. Right though it may be, most Virginians don't carry and at least everyone in my personal circle would be very uncomfortable with the idea. I can't even think of a single time I've seen a non-uniformed person walking around with an obvious gun in all my 15 years in VA. It would make me extremely uncomfortable.

[Kendo_Bunny]

Personal safety and personal statement. It is my right to carry- especially since according to my state's law, as an able-bodied citizen over the age of 17, I am a member of the State Militia. I believe a right unexercised is a right lost, and that's something I am 100% unwilling to lose.
Plus, I determined long ago that my days of being a passive victim were over, and I was never going to let myself be caught in a position of weakness again. I know better than to carry in Condition White.

I don't care about your personal statement. You would NOT be allowed in my home or on my property with a gun and if you brought the gun in above my objections because you had to make your "statement" you'd loose a friend. In fact you'd loose all the friends we held in common.
 Concealed or not concealed, guns are not welcome in most of our homes. And those that would allow the gun would be taken a back by you disregarding the wishes of the home owners.
 People have a right to feel safe in their own home, They have a right to set up rules to make that feeling a reality, a guest does not have the right to over ride the wishes of their hosts.  Since you've said that if a person has an issue with it, I'll answer your other question. yes it would be rude ( very rude, in fact) to walk into a home with a gun with out know how the home owner feels about it.  Ask first, if you don't know them well enough to know that they'd welcome the gun, they don't know you well enough to know why you are carrying it.

If someone says 'By the way, can you leave your gun outside', then I have absolutely no problem with it, and will respect the wishes of the home owner, of course. If someone approached me randomly in a public place and demanded I remove my gun, I would be less polite.
I believe your home, your rules. In the public sphere, I follow the law, which says open carry is my right. If asked to remove my gun from an establishment by the management, I would remove myself as well.

My question was not to get into my personal reasons for carrying a gun. It was how to bring up the subject, how to find out whether it was welcome or not... and maybe how to avoid a horrified diatribe of just why I should not carry when I mention that I do. Again, I don't want to insinuate to my acquaintances that I believe they have never noticed my gun (to me, that would be the same as going 'By the way, I don't know if you noticed, but I'm a woman.') and I don't really want to get too deep into my reasons with people I don't know very well ('So, I've been the victim of sexual intimidation and have a correlating deep-seated fear of being violently raped that flares up to enormous proportions every time I'm in a city. Plus, I based my decision of a careful reading of the United States Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and a long study of the writings of Thomas Jefferson.').
Thinking about it, if OCing into a gun-friendly home, I'd probably do what my boyfriend does. He comes in, asks where it would be safe to put his gun, and puts it there for the duration of his visit. I tried sitting down with my gun strapped on today, and it's really uncomfortable (I haven't open carried yet, since I just got my holster yesterday).

[jimithing]

Personal safety and personal statement. It is my right to carry- especially since according to my state's law, as an able-bodied citizen over the age of 17, I am a member of the State Militia. I believe a right unexercised is a right lost, and that's something I am 100% unwilling to lose.
Plus, I determined long ago that my days of being a passive victim were over, and I was never going to let myself be caught in a position of weakness again. I know better than to carry in Condition White.

I don't care about your personal statement. You would NOT be allowed in my home or on my property with a gun and if you brought the gun in above my objections because you had to make your "statement" you'd loose a friend. In fact you'd loose all the friends we held in common.
 Concealed or not concealed, guns are not welcome in most of our homes. And those that would allow the gun would be taken a back by you disregarding the wishes of the home owners.
 People have a right to feel safe in their own home, They have a right to set up rules to make that feeling a reality, a guest does not have the right to over ride the wishes of their hosts.  Since you've said that if a person has an issue with it, I'll answer your other question. yes it would be rude ( very rude, in fact) to walk into a home with a gun with out know how the home owner feels about it.  Ask first, if you don't know them well enough to know that they'd welcome the gun, they don't know you well enough to know why you are carrying it.

If someone says 'By the way, can you leave your gun outside', then I have absolutely no problem with it, and will respect the wishes of the home owner, of course. If someone approached me randomly in a public place and demanded I remove my gun, I would be less polite.
I believe your home, your rules. In the public sphere, I follow the law, which says open carry is my right. If asked to remove my gun from an establishment by the management, I would remove myself as well.

My question was not to get into my personal reasons for carrying a gun. It was how to bring up the subject, how to find out whether it was welcome or not... and maybe how to avoid a horrified diatribe of just why I should not carry when I mention that I do. Again, I don't want to insinuate to my acquaintances that I believe they have never noticed my gun (to me, that would be the same as going 'By the way, I don't know if you noticed, but I'm a woman.') and I don't really want to get too deep into my reasons with people I don't know very well ('So, I've been the victim of sexual intimidation and have a correlating deep-seated fear of being violently raped that flares up to enormous proportions every time I'm in a city. Plus, I based my decision of a careful reading of the United States Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and a long study of the writings of Thomas Jefferson.').
Thinking about it, if OCing into a gun-friendly home, I'd probably do what my boyfriend does. He comes in, asks where it would be safe to put his gun, and puts it there for the duration of his visit. I tried sitting down with my gun strapped on today, and it's really uncomfortable (I haven't open carried yet, since I just got my holster yesterday).

So, he doesn't have it on his person at all times?

[TamJamB]

Thinking about it, if OCing into a gun-friendly home, I'd probably do what my boyfriend does. He comes in, asks where it would be safe to put his gun, and puts it there for the duration of his visit. I tried sitting down with my gun strapped on today, and it's really uncomfortable (I haven't open carried yet, since I just got my holster yesterday).

Your boyfriend's solution would be better for me, to tell the truth.  I don't have a problem with people carrying openly in public places, but it does seem a bit... out of place, I guess, in a social setting.  And, as you say, a blet holster isn't the most comfy for sitting in.

Anyway, since you've mentioned it again, I'll repeat that "You may not have noticed, but..." really is the best way to bring this up.  Whether or not they actually did notice, you are giving them a second chance to tell you that they are bothered by it, without losing face.  It's nothing at all like saying, "You may not have noticed that I am a woman..."  Your sex is obvious to anyone you meet (via your name, your appearance, your clothes, so on...), but whether or not you are carrying a holstered pistol is something someone actually could fail to notice.

[Monkey'sMom]

If someone says 'By the way, can you leave your gun outside', then I have absolutely no problem with it, and will respect the wishes of the home owner, of course. If someone approached me randomly in a public place and demanded I remove my gun, I would be less polite.
I believe your home, your rules. In the public sphere, I follow the law, which says open carry is my right. If asked to remove my gun from an establishment by the management, I would remove myself as well.

My question was not to get into my personal reasons for carrying a gun. It was how to bring up the subject, how to find out whether it was welcome or not... and maybe how to avoid a horrified diatribe of just why I should not carry when I mention that I do. Again, I don't want to insinuate to my acquaintances that I believe they have never noticed my gun (to me, that would be the same as going 'By the way, I don't know if you noticed, but I'm a woman.') and I don't really want to get too deep into my reasons with people I don't know very well ('So, I've been the victim of sexual intimidation and have a correlating deep-seated fear of being violently raped that flares up to enormous proportions every time I'm in a city. Plus, I based my decision of a careful reading of the United States Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and a long study of the writings of Thomas Jefferson.').
Thinking about it, if OCing into a gun-friendly home, I'd probably do what my boyfriend does. He comes in, asks where it would be safe to put his gun, and puts it there for the duration of his visit. I tried sitting down with my gun strapped on today, and it's really uncomfortable (I haven't open carried yet, since I just got my holster yesterday).

How about, before you walk in the door.
"Just to let you know, I open carry. If that is a problem, then I can secure it in my car."

I can be extremely oblivious to things sometimes, especialy if I'm distracted. I would be furious if someone walked into my house with a gun and didn't mention it. I would tell them to get that d*mn thing out of my home and take themselves with it. The excuse that you don't want to insult them is pretty lame. If you're going to carry, then you need to make sure the owners of the homes you enter know that. It is your responsibility to inform, not theirs to notice.

[jimithing]

It is your responsibility to inform, not theirs to notice.

Excellent point.

[NOVA Lady]

Personal safety and personal statement. It is my right to carry- especially since according to my state's law, as an able-bodied citizen over the age of 17, I am a member of the State Militia. I believe a right unexercised is a right lost, and that's something I am 100% unwilling to lose.
Plus, I determined long ago that my days of being a passive victim were over, and I was never going to let myself be caught in a position of weakness again. I know better than to carry in Condition White.

I don't care about your personal statement. You would NOT be allowed in my home or on my property with a gun and if you brought the gun in above my objections because you had to make your "statement" you'd loose a friend. In fact you'd loose all the friends we held in common.
 Concealed or not concealed, guns are not welcome in most of our homes. And those that would allow the gun would be taken a back by you disregarding the wishes of the home owners.
 People have a right to feel safe in their own home, They have a right to set up rules to make that feeling a reality, a guest does not have the right to over ride the wishes of their hosts.  Since you've said that if a person has an issue with it, I'll answer your other question. yes it would be rude ( very rude, in fact) to walk into a home with a gun with out know how the home owner feels about it.  Ask first, if you don't know them well enough to know that they'd welcome the gun, they don't know you well enough to know why you are carrying it.

If someone says 'By the way, can you leave your gun outside', then I have absolutely no problem with it, and will respect the wishes of the home owner, of course. If someone approached me randomly in a public place and demanded I remove my gun, I would be less polite.
I believe your home, your rules. In the public sphere, I follow the law, which says open carry is my right. If asked to remove my gun from an establishment by the management, I would remove myself as well.

My question was not to get into my personal reasons for carrying a gun. It was how to bring up the subject, how to find out whether it was welcome or not... and maybe how to avoid a horrified diatribe of just why I should not carry when I mention that I do. Again, I don't want to insinuate to my acquaintances that I believe they have never noticed my gun (to me, that would be the same as going 'By the way, I don't know if you noticed, but I'm a woman.') and I don't really want to get too deep into my reasons with people I don't know very well ('So, I've been the victim of sexual intimidation and have a correlating deep-seated fear of being violently raped that flares up to enormous proportions every time I'm in a city. Plus, I based my decision of a careful reading of the United States Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and a long study of the writings of Thomas Jefferson.').
Thinking about it, if OCing into a gun-friendly home, I'd probably do what my boyfriend does. He comes in, asks where it would be safe to put his gun, and puts it there for the duration of his visit. I tried sitting down with my gun strapped on today, and it's really uncomfortable (I haven't open carried yet, since I just got my holster yesterday).

This made me think of something from back in my days of working in a bar

We had a few people who were open carrying and they were asked to place their guns in their car because guns + alcohol do not mix.

[JoyinVirginia]

To answer the original question: If invited somewhere and you are not familiar with hosts feelings about firearms, I would recommend telling them that you do carry, and would that be a concern for them? That gives the hosts opening to tell you their preference. I would recommend NOT having a loaded weapon in a home with younger children, because of their curiosity and potential for accidents. Kinda like anything else - does the potential benefit (of carrying) outweight the potential risk?

I live in Virginia like another poster, and have friends/ relatives who hunt and have rifles, hunting bows and arrows, and also have some acquaintances who are gun collectors. Got my BB gun at age 12 (you'll shoot your eye out! - no I didn't!)  When DDs were younger, if they were going to someone's house for a playdate, I always asked if there were weapons in the home, and how were the weapons secured. I did not let them go over anywhere where weapons were kept loaded.

Nothing like firearms to bring out cultural differences. I just thought about the movie "Midnight in the garden of good and evil". John Cusack's character is from NYC and is HORRIFIED that not only are most of the genteel southerners he meets are armed, they also drink heavily while being armed! I can't remember the line, but it was very funny. BTW that is a great movie, directed by Clint Eastwood, worth picking up at the video store.
Joy in Virginia

[Ferrets]

To answer the original question: If invited somewhere and you are not familiar with hosts feelings about firearms, I would recommend telling them that you do carry, and would that be a concern for them? That gives the hosts opening to tell you their preference. I would recommend NOT having a loaded weapon in a home with younger children, because of their curiosity and potential for accidents. Kinda like anything else - does the potential benefit (of carrying) outweight the potential risk?

If someone says 'By the way, can you leave your gun outside', then I have absolutely no problem with it, and will respect the wishes of the home owner, of course.

How about, before you walk in the door.
"Just to let you know, I open carry. If that is a problem, then I can secure it in my car."

I can be extremely oblivious to things sometimes, especialy if I'm distracted. I would be furious if someone walked into my house with a gun and didn't mention it. I would tell them to get that d*mn thing out of my home and take themselves with it. The excuse that you don't want to insult them is pretty lame. If you're going to carry, then you need to make sure the owners of the homes you enter know that. It is your responsibility to inform, not theirs to notice.

I agree entirely with both Monkey'sMom and JoyinVirginia, who both put it very well indeed. (Though I may not be entirely qualified to comment, as I'm in the UK and there is obviously a shed-load of cultural difference here regarding carrying guns.)

Whilst this may make me sound potentially hypocritical, given that I'm a gun owner myself, my (licensed) gun* stays locked in the loft at all times, except when being brought out for battle events. Frankly, if somebody wishes to bring a weapon into my house which cannot be stored elsewhere, that's where I will insist theirs goes too for the duration of the visit (the few British police officials who do carry guns excepted).

*Matchlock musket for re-enactment purposes; I don't store ammunition or powder. (Concealed carrying is obviously not an issue I personally have; given that the thing is about 5 feet long, in the words of Terry Pratchett, I'm "practically a concealed owner". )

[hollasa]

BTW, would everyone know what "Just to let you know, I open carry. If that is a problem, then I can secure it in my car." means?

I don't think I would have clued in should someone have said that to me, but as another non-American noted, there's a whole shed-load of cultural differences here!

[Ferrets]

BTW, would everyone know what "Just to let you know, I open carry. If that is a problem, then I can secure it in my car." means?

I don't think I would have clued in should someone have said that to me, but as another non-American noted, there's a whole shed-load of cultural differences here!

Ah, yes; it would make sense to specify "I openly carry a gun/a <insert make of gun>". Even in the USA, where (I assume) the term "open carry" is in fairly common usage, there are bound to be people who wouldn't immediately twig that a gun was being referenced.

I know that before reading this thread I wouldn't...but then, as I said, I'm in the country where we have approximately 1 gun to every 50,268 people [heavy flippancy, of course, not an acknowledged statistic ], so the response round here, even to the specific heads-up, would probably be "*Wstfgl*, you're carrying a WHAT?!"