Intent & Open Carry & Other Things That Tweak Me.

I very much support carrying, as anyone who reads this knows but I had never considered intent, I just always assumed that people would carry for protection only but I was proven wrong the other day and what my friend did I completely disagree with.

A small background on my friend, he has a lot of back issues and takes what I and a lot of his friends consider too many narcotic pain killers, this in of itself I don't think he should have guns around him, especially after hearing about some things and that he is falling into a deep depression but anyway, I'm sorry I deviate.  So this friend of mine has been trying to set up a Rhizotomy before the end of the month since his insurance runs out.  Now I can understand feeling a bit stressed about that but I do not understand going into the office directly openly carrying gun with the only intent to intimidate them into giving him an appointment.  I almost want to call that brandishing a firearm even though he wasn't waving it about.

The whole thing got me to thinking about intent, obviously concealing isn't and couldn't be intimidation but it makes me wonder if those who do openly carry do it because they want to intimidate people.  I'm sure not all people do but I wonder if there are a few out there.  I usually think the better of people and this leaves me a bit naive but I chose to because I don't want to become so bitter and hardened that I can't ever trust anyone.

On another note with this same friend, this is me more or less just trying get it off my chest since I can't really discuss guns and gun related things with my family and most of my friends.  So talking about the same friend, which I mentioned above and other instances where I felt it might be better that this person didn't own guns, at least not until he gets himself back in order because normally he's a sane rational person, who is level headed to a T.

He lives with his ex girlfriend because neither one of them can afford a place by themselves, he's doped up on pain killers and alcohol pretty much all the time now. Well she came home late one night from work and I guess bumped into a lot of things on her way through the living room, he came out of his room and pointed a gun right at her.  Now I understand the dark thing, etc. but when you live with someone I would figure you might take that into account and listen a bit more before rushing out of your room and pointing a gun at someone.  I think if he wasn't so doped up all the time, this wouldn't have happened.  I live with someone and sometimes I hear things go bump in the middle of the night but I listen for a bit to try to determine the situation.

On a different note but medical related with guns and depression.  Another friend was telling me how her friend had decided that he was too depressed and asked a friend of his to hold onto his guns until he got past it.  I think that took a lot to do that and to be able to recognize oneself as a risk and to ensure safety of themselves and others.

I wish that my friend who is going through this rough time would recognize that he has some serious issues and shouldn't be around guns right now but mentioning this to him is met with anger and opposition, of course that's how an addict reacts to being called out.  Just so I don't seem to come off as over reacting, just last night he tells me, while he's in Chicago for a few days, staying at a hostel that he was woke up by paramedics.  I inquired for details and basically he passed out, the staff couldn't wake him so they called the paramedics.  He tells me that it's a good thing that they didn't check his blood because they would have found a ton of alcohol, valium, Flexiril, Baclofin, which he lied to the paramedics and said he had only taken Flexiril.  I'm sorry that sort of shit (excuse my French, I'm angry) just screams addict.

I am in debate on keeping this person as a friend but a part of me wants to be a friend that can help but there isn't anything I can do; I don't want to be like all his other friends that have cut the friendship because of these same issues but it's stressing me out watching someone I care about decline further down and being helpless.

Okay enough drama, sorry to deviate from the gun subject.

Family Shooting Center @ Cherry Creek State Park

I went out there this weekend with a friend of mine and her friend, I had fun spending time with them and it's always fun to shoot guns.  My issues with this particular range is it costs just about as much as an indoor range, it's outdoors, there are stationary targets so every half hour, they stop everyone from shooting and you get to walk out on the range and change out your targets, which isn't too different if I go up in the mountains but the difference is I'm not paying $16.50 in the mountains.  I just think because there is less overhead and less to maintain that they shouldn't be charging a couple bucks less than an indoor range but they more expensive than Firing Line, which is an indoor range.

Oh well, like I said, shooting guns is always fun so I can't complain, I am glad we got there early before the long lines and the really hot weather hit.