I stopped to fuel up at a local gas station. The price was $1.93 a gallon. I was open carrying my old Glock 17. As I came out the door, the biker was standing beside this beautiful Indian motorcycle. I said "Nice bike", and he replied, "What are you carrying?"
Glock 17, I said, and he pulled open his vest to show me his S&W M&P. He was an armed biker. His vest proudly proclaimed that he was a Vietnam Vet. I said that while I had been in service during Vietnam, my tour was in California, at Hunter-Liggett Military Reservation (now Ft. Hunter Liggett), mostly shut down in one of the several rounds of base closures in the 90's . But, hey, somebody has to be a REMF (Rear Echelon type). He said he didn't meet many Army Vets in Yuma, they were nearly all Marines... and he was right.
Then he offered me a Bible, as he was handing them out at the gas station. So we had quite a few things in common: Armed, veteran, Christian, motorcycle riders. We hit it off.
Jimmy hands out bibles quite regularly. He had been wanting to carry for quite a while, but had been putting off getting a permit. It just stuck in his craw a to ask the government for permission. Then Arizona passed Constitutional, or "permitless" carry, and he started carrying regularly. He says it is a major reason why he loves Arizona.
He was half-way apologetic about not carrying openly. It's just, well, on a motorcycle... he said, and I understood. Your options on a bike are more limited. The shoulder holstered S&W worked for him. He said that when the gun shop owner saw that he was a Vietnam Vet, he immediately dropped $100 off the price. Jimmy said "Sold", and walked out the door a happy biker.
This S&W M&P is the Shield with the 8 round magazine. It disappeared under the vest, and the vest absolutely fits with Jimmy's overall style. I did not detect an iota of a print.
In the common vernacular, Jimmy is a "Bitter Clinger". I will take Jimmy at my back any fair, or foul, day of the week. Bibles and guns have been around a lot longer than the current resident of the White House, and his disparaging remarks. They will be around long after he is gone.
Maybe the whole "State loyalty" thing, that took such a hit back in 1865, is starting to make a comeback... I feel positively proud of Arizona. States are starting to flex their muscles to push back against federal power. The movement is building, and begins with simply not using state resources to enforce federal laws that the state does not believe to be Constitutional. The movement is firmly grounded in Supreme Court decisions. Maybe federalism will start to mean something again.
©2015 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice is included. Link to Gun Watch
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2 comments:
I love Arizona, was stationed at MCAS Yuma in the 60's. The only vehicle I owned was a motorcycle. Should be some Army guys around the area if the Yuma Proving Ground still exists. It had quite a few soldiers stationed there.
Yuma Proving Ground still exists. I worked there for over 20 years. Unfortunately, there are few active duty Army slots there anymore.
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