So the last several days has gone from “OK, this could be cool” to “I cant believe that low down MFer tried to pull this stunt! Names have been changed to protect the [STRIKE]innocent[/STRIKE] Idiots. All parties are old enough to know better. (45+)
So there is an old friend of mine who moved out of state probably 10-15 years ago. We will call him “Butters”. But we have kept in touch on facebook. In that time we have had repeated arguments there re: liberty, and especially gun laws. I’d classify him as a butter. Constantly debating on the facebooks about politics, and especially about guns and our right to carry. Pretty sure he’s the “nobody needs a high powered assault rifle” type too. He is definitely a "we need more common sense gun laws" type. (though he cant answer JIm Lucas' famous question)
So fast forward to a couple days ago. I get an IM from him out of the blue. This is a copy paste. (this is important to understand the exact statement and context):
“Interested in getting together this weekend? Maybe Cartman, you and I hitting the pistol range?”
[my reply about having the kids Saturday so I may or may not go because of Mrs Monkey busy at a graduation ceremony, it depends on them and their interest in going to the range so we would have to play it by ear]
“Coming in for two graduations myself”
That’s it. No other comms or clarification. So back to the story…
So I think to myself Whaaaaa?!?!?! I think I have an opportunity to educate him on some stuff because he appears to be open to shooting and learning a bit. OK, cool. I’m looking forward to this. Ooh… what to take to let him play with to enlighten him?
Cartman was already planning on going whether I went or not, and wanted help sighting in his AR if I could go. So knowing this I assumed Butters had already talked to Cartman and was just interested in tagging along for something different to do since two of his friends already had plans that he could join in the fun.
So I realize that Sunday works better so I text Cartman and ask if he can do Sunday instead and we would have more time since the kids didn’t need to go. In the message I mentioned it would be just the three of us. Cartman responded “I didn’t know Butters was going. Or even that he was in town this weekend. But OK.” That was odd. Butters apparently had no idea Cartman and I were already going. This is getting weirder by the minute.
So I IM Butters and ask if he was OK moving it to Sunday (even though he didn’t specify which day was the range day, which I assumed was because he already knew we were going (maybe) Saturday). He responded that he needed to be back by 2 for an event if we went Sunday. Then he hits me with a blindside… And this is a doozy:
“Well, I might need you on Saturday, though. I need to meet my sister to return something. She wants me to stop by her house, but I want the exchange to happen somewhere very public with security cameras, maybe even at a police station. LOOOOONG story.” (paraphrased) Cartman and I have since talked and he filled me in on the trainwreck that is his sister’s life and their VERY strained relationship.
OK, so now I’m shocked, and the more I think about it, royally pissed off. This is a man that has come back to town repeatedly, probably once or twice a year and this is the first time he has asked to meet w me specifically. (outside the normal casting call of “hey Indy friends who wants to get together for dinner when we are in town?”) And asking to hit a range was TOTALLY out in left field given our spirited debates. But in hindsight, makes perfect sense.
It now appears that going to the range was just an excuse to get together and guarantee I would be armed. (I dont think he actually realizes that if I'm wearing pants, I'm usually carrying ) On the way to or from the range we would probably have been asked to make a detour to drop off that package. And it just so happens he would just happen to have two armed buddies with him. Wow, what an awesome coincidence. His own private security detail. Not only no, but HELLS NAW! AND ESPECIALLY WITH MY TWO KIDS IN THE DAMNED CAR!!!!
I politely said that given his time constraints this weekend wouldn’t be good, (I cant go Sunday AM due to church commitments.) And I’m tied up on Saturday but we should hit the range the next time he’s in town.
And I’m not about to take my kids into potential danger, ESPECIALLY for this guy whom I have fought over gun rights (and general liberty) for years. (I support Libertarians and some conservatives, he supports the likes of Obama and Sanders)
So apparently after all the debates on the subject of guns and liberty and his obvious disdain for my carry habits, now he expects me to be his own private security force to protect his ass, doing what he doesn’t think anybody really needs to do (EDC). Because that’s what cops are for donchaknow! And to not even man up and say “hey dude, I know we haven't always seen eye to eye on things, but I need your help. Are you available to help me take care of a problem Saturday when I come to town? I don’t feel safe doing it alone.“ I probably wouldn’t help given his well stated opinion about EDC, but I would at least have some respect for him if he had been upfront and honest. (I would have offered suggestions for how to utilize his beloved LEOs to do the exchange safely)
I so want to say “dude. If you are concerned carry your gun. Indiana honors FL permits. Oh wait, you don’t have one because you don’t think they are necessary!”
Now I’m debating on whether to say anything to him about his little ruse. I’ll probably light him up after I’ve had a day or two to think about it and calm down. I should probably wait and cool down, because if I were to send the letter now, It would be a profanity laced tirade that would make a sailor blush. Instead I’m venting by typing this out and sharing with a group that will appreciate it.
Man, I hate people. ESPECIALLY progressives. I don’t hate the guy, but damn. This is low, even for him.
/rant
So there is an old friend of mine who moved out of state probably 10-15 years ago. We will call him “Butters”. But we have kept in touch on facebook. In that time we have had repeated arguments there re: liberty, and especially gun laws. I’d classify him as a butter. Constantly debating on the facebooks about politics, and especially about guns and our right to carry. Pretty sure he’s the “nobody needs a high powered assault rifle” type too. He is definitely a "we need more common sense gun laws" type. (though he cant answer JIm Lucas' famous question)
So fast forward to a couple days ago. I get an IM from him out of the blue. This is a copy paste. (this is important to understand the exact statement and context):
“Interested in getting together this weekend? Maybe Cartman, you and I hitting the pistol range?”
[my reply about having the kids Saturday so I may or may not go because of Mrs Monkey busy at a graduation ceremony, it depends on them and their interest in going to the range so we would have to play it by ear]
“Coming in for two graduations myself”
That’s it. No other comms or clarification. So back to the story…
So I think to myself Whaaaaa?!?!?! I think I have an opportunity to educate him on some stuff because he appears to be open to shooting and learning a bit. OK, cool. I’m looking forward to this. Ooh… what to take to let him play with to enlighten him?
Cartman was already planning on going whether I went or not, and wanted help sighting in his AR if I could go. So knowing this I assumed Butters had already talked to Cartman and was just interested in tagging along for something different to do since two of his friends already had plans that he could join in the fun.
So I realize that Sunday works better so I text Cartman and ask if he can do Sunday instead and we would have more time since the kids didn’t need to go. In the message I mentioned it would be just the three of us. Cartman responded “I didn’t know Butters was going. Or even that he was in town this weekend. But OK.” That was odd. Butters apparently had no idea Cartman and I were already going. This is getting weirder by the minute.
So I IM Butters and ask if he was OK moving it to Sunday (even though he didn’t specify which day was the range day, which I assumed was because he already knew we were going (maybe) Saturday). He responded that he needed to be back by 2 for an event if we went Sunday. Then he hits me with a blindside… And this is a doozy:
“Well, I might need you on Saturday, though. I need to meet my sister to return something. She wants me to stop by her house, but I want the exchange to happen somewhere very public with security cameras, maybe even at a police station. LOOOOONG story.” (paraphrased) Cartman and I have since talked and he filled me in on the trainwreck that is his sister’s life and their VERY strained relationship.
OK, so now I’m shocked, and the more I think about it, royally pissed off. This is a man that has come back to town repeatedly, probably once or twice a year and this is the first time he has asked to meet w me specifically. (outside the normal casting call of “hey Indy friends who wants to get together for dinner when we are in town?”) And asking to hit a range was TOTALLY out in left field given our spirited debates. But in hindsight, makes perfect sense.
It now appears that going to the range was just an excuse to get together and guarantee I would be armed. (I dont think he actually realizes that if I'm wearing pants, I'm usually carrying ) On the way to or from the range we would probably have been asked to make a detour to drop off that package. And it just so happens he would just happen to have two armed buddies with him. Wow, what an awesome coincidence. His own private security detail. Not only no, but HELLS NAW! AND ESPECIALLY WITH MY TWO KIDS IN THE DAMNED CAR!!!!
I politely said that given his time constraints this weekend wouldn’t be good, (I cant go Sunday AM due to church commitments.) And I’m tied up on Saturday but we should hit the range the next time he’s in town.
And I’m not about to take my kids into potential danger, ESPECIALLY for this guy whom I have fought over gun rights (and general liberty) for years. (I support Libertarians and some conservatives, he supports the likes of Obama and Sanders)
So apparently after all the debates on the subject of guns and liberty and his obvious disdain for my carry habits, now he expects me to be his own private security force to protect his ass, doing what he doesn’t think anybody really needs to do (EDC). Because that’s what cops are for donchaknow! And to not even man up and say “hey dude, I know we haven't always seen eye to eye on things, but I need your help. Are you available to help me take care of a problem Saturday when I come to town? I don’t feel safe doing it alone.“ I probably wouldn’t help given his well stated opinion about EDC, but I would at least have some respect for him if he had been upfront and honest. (I would have offered suggestions for how to utilize his beloved LEOs to do the exchange safely)
I so want to say “dude. If you are concerned carry your gun. Indiana honors FL permits. Oh wait, you don’t have one because you don’t think they are necessary!”
Now I’m debating on whether to say anything to him about his little ruse. I’ll probably light him up after I’ve had a day or two to think about it and calm down. I should probably wait and cool down, because if I were to send the letter now, It would be a profanity laced tirade that would make a sailor blush. Instead I’m venting by typing this out and sharing with a group that will appreciate it.
Man, I hate people. ESPECIALLY progressives. I don’t hate the guy, but damn. This is low, even for him.
/rant
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