In a
previous article,
I mentioned that I was doing a favor by moving a lady and her
possessions across the country. The trip became a bit more memorable
near the end. In the last hundred miles before the drop off point, I
was informed that a prominent outlaw motorcycle gang had found out that
she had been in Arizona, and now knew that she was moving back to the
Midwest. I was told that she had been instrumental in putting one of
the officers of the group in prison for a few years. I was assured
that they were not interested in me.
I asked her about it, and
she said that if they were going to do anything to her, it would have
happened a long time ago. Part of the goods being moved was a Harley.
I dropped off (guided in the last few miles), loaded up, and headed
back. Crossing northern Texas, I stopped at a Love's Truck Stop to
refuel vehicle and body. While doing so a Texan came in with a rifle
in a truck rifle rack. I count that as open carry.
I asked to take some pictures. Mr.
Kenneth Ware agreed, but he did not want his face plastered on the
Internet. He farms three sections of wheat that he and his wife own
without debt. That is 1,960 acres for people who do not have a
background in surveying. Another way to describe the size of the farm
is land that is one mile deep by three miles wide. He does most of the
work himself. He said he farmed it with antique equipment, because a
new tractor would cost as much as one of the sections of land.
The rifle was a
Winchester model 67 with most of the finish gone. He said it was still accurate enough to pot a rabbit at 100 yards. I said he had good eyes.
He remarked that I was the first person to ask about the rifle. It
had belonged to his wife's grandfather. Her uncle had it until he died
at the age of 100. Now he has it. The grandfather probably bought it
new as an adult, as the model 67 was introduced in 1934.
If you pay attention in the original movie "
The Parent Trap",
you will notice a rifle in a truck rack on the California ranch. It
appeared to be a Remington .22 to me, but It has been a long time since I
saw the picture. "The Parent Trap" came out in 1961. At that time,
you could order anti-tank guns and anti-aircraft cannon and ammunition
through the mail and have them delivered to your door. I do not recall
a single crime being committed with them.
Kenneth appeared to
be about 70, because he had a grandson that had graduated from West
Point and was now in Baghdad. I asked Kenneth to thank him for his
service, and mentioned that I had also been in the Army. I wonder if
the grandson had shot his great, great, grandfather's rifle. I bet
that the West Point officer can shoot.
There are rough
estimates that gun owners are about one third of the U.S. population.
My experience is that the percentage approaches three quarters when you
are talking about the military and combat arms. It is well known that
the best places to recruit soldiers and Marines are the rural South,
Midwest, and West. Those places have high concentrations of combat
veterans. Nearly all are members of the gun culture.
©2014 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice is included.
Link to Gun Watch
Posts
