Earlier this week, I climbed a mountain. It is a locally popular way for people to get some exercise and a nice view. As usual, I was openly carrying a Glock 17. I carry primarily for political purposes, so I wore a "Gun Guy" hat given to me by Dan Baum at the Shot Show a couple of years ago. Another reason is that it can get windy on the mountain, and I have had broader brimmed hats blown off.
As I arrived at the top, a pair of young ladies asked me to take their picture, to commemorate their climb, and likely spread the event about on facebook, twitter, and other social media. I had just received a phone call, so I excused myself to my brother on the other end, and attended to the ladies needs.
I took their picture with their phone, and told them that I was a blogger who wrote about guns. The immediate response was noteworthy: Awesome! and Cool! Then one said that the first time she had shot a gun was in Arizona, but that she was from Pennsylvania. It is a little known fact that Yuma's population triples in the wintertime with winter visitors and tourists.
I mentioned that Pennsylvania had fairly decent gun laws as well; open carry without any license and an easy to obtain concealed carry permit, for example. She said well, yes, but it just does not compare to Arizona.
I gave the beaming young women copies of my card, with which they seemed well pleased; bid them goodbye, and started down the mountain. Now, of course, I wish that I had taken their picture with *my* camera!
It says a great deal about the growth of the gun culture, when pretty young ladies, out to obtain some exercise, fresh air, and nice views, see an older gun blogger as a positive and noteworthy figure.
Perhaps the ladies were merely being polite, but their enthusiasm was contagious. They did not appear to be competitive shooters, but they were enthusiastic about the idea of shooting, and of having the right to do so.
I suspect that we will attract more of them to Arizona, and grow more in Pennsylvania. It seems to be happening. Women are the fastest growing group of competitive shooters and concealed carry permit holders.
©2014 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice is included.
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