TMF

Fingers crossed on this one. What exactly do you think they mean with this quote? I guess that's coming from the Korean side of the house, but I'm wondering if that is part of the deal. I would be nice to get dibs on one of these... I'll have to give Grandpa a call when this happens.

I look forward to reading your article. Thank you for coming here and letting us play a contributing role in the development of the story. I hope you choose to continue to use this site as a source of information and opinion.

I still think he's doing his best to get all the facts. He is still bound by his bosses as to what stories to cover. Coming here to get information and actively seeking comments/advice from the folks here show that he's trying to be as unbaised as possible. Plenty of the journalists that we consider to be "anti-gun" wouldn't do that. I would hope in the future we give him the benefit of the doubt so he continues to seek information from those passionate about 2nd Amendment issues, instead of looking for reasons to label him (or his paper) as biased. Picking apart his wording and finding reason to be offended by it doesn't create an conducive environment for information exchange.

I miss a lot of fads nowadays; that's how I can tell I'm getting old. That and people call me "sir" now, which I cringe every time I hear that.

^^

You're not missing anything. It is the new toughguy fad. I can't count how many tactical vehicles I've seen this logo stenciled on to between Iraq and Afghanistan. I see punisher skulls on people's kit just about every time I see someone wearing kit anymore. To me it's entered the same category as Tapout gear, Affliction shirts and Axe body spray.

What actually defines a socialist? I don't think it's a card you carry in your pocket or an institution you secretly or overtly subscribe to. His efforts on health care alone and his views on how it is an "entitlement" is well into socialist territory. Once "socialist" is no longer a dirty word (like it isn't in Europe) people like Obama will label themselves as such, but for now, just because he says he isn't doesn't mean he isn't. The proof is in his actions, not his words.

I wouldn't look too much into that statement or play the word game on his comments; you know what he means. There is a reason he comes to TGO for opinions versus going to an internet site that discusses interior decorating. I appreciate any journalist that ensures to get as many relevant facts for their story as possible from as many different angles as possible. Unfortunately that is not the norm anymore and the reason I decided long ago (despite childhood aspirations) not to become a journalist... and the pay sucks.

I'd say the courts draw the line. I don't think this is a Constitutional issue at all. I don't think his right to bear arms is what is being questioned here, it's how he's doing it and his intentions behind it. Kinda like you have the right to free speech, but you can't go into a movie theater and yell "Fire"! There are a lot of reasons you can't do that, but I would say inciting panic is one of the most basic reasons. His posture (full kit and assault weapon) could most certainly be something that incites panic. Trying to equate that to someone having a holstered weapon is rediculous. I know you're trying to play the devil's advocate here, and I agree that some people do get freaked out by seeing non-uniformed civilians with a holstered weapon, but Leonard is taking it to an extreme that even reasonable people would suspect him of being a threat based on his posture.

I don't think it's because anyone is afraid of guns here, it's because they're afraid of Leonard. His behavior is that of an unstable person; maybe he's not technically breaking a law, but plenty of people lose their right to bear arms without actually breaking the law. People with a history of mental problems is one of them. Maybe he hasn't crossed that threshhold yet, but I think it's a matter of time before he does. When he does I would expect that he will lose that 2nd Amendment right... without breaking any weapons laws. Beyond that I think he intends to incite panic with his antics. Sure, he wants attention from the "pigs" so he can throw the law in their face, but he is also inciting panic. If he goes through with his latest plan of going kitted up into a public place whilst having an AR slung to him at the ready he will cause a panic for those who aren't prepared for that. This goes beyond being kooky and enters the realm of putting people at risk (including himself).

I like to simplify things in the sake of being decisive. Fat man/thin man, or intentions mean nothing to me. If it comes down to me or someone else, I'm gonna do my best to be the fittest. My primary motive is survival, so that means any external motives are irrelevant if they interfere with my primary motive. To me that's simple, and it doesn't require a bunch of moral soul-searching to come to a logical solution.

Hmmm, I dunno but I'm pretty sure I saw this in one of the Mad Max movies.

He was promoted from the zombie list to the "If I'm ever terminally ill" list years ago for me.

That blows. Luckily I work at a job where it's not uncommon for someone to whip out their latest gun purchase to show off without it inciting panic. I wouldn't want to be in a situation where my profession puts me at an increased risk, but my employer won't allow me to take steps to mitigate that risk. A sticky situation indeed. I guess I'd have to weigh the pros and cons of it all. I'd probably carry, but keep it hidden from everyone at all times. In the event a SD situation occurred, yeah I'd lose my job, but I'd still be alive. The only reason I'd pull a weapon is if I was pretty certain I would die if I didn't, so the action itself would negate the worry of losing my job... 'cause I'd be losing a lot more otherwise. The best answer would be not to work there at all, but times is tough. You gotta do what you gotta do to keep the family fed.

Baaaaahhhhh... who cares about ballistics? I just want it for the tacticool pics I'm gonna post of Facebook, then tell all the chicks that I'm a super secret spy guy!

Okay, I get what you're saying. Well hell, if you go through the money to buy the KX3 you might as well leave it on there, right?

Ha, well I'd say that the standard memo on the previous page pretty much sums it up. Now on to more important topics like Kandahar being sucky no matter what time of year.

I'm no lawyer, but I'm sure there are aggravating factors that could contribute to such a charge from the DA. For example, if the guy tries to flee, you chase him down, it turns into a SD shoot. The DA could argue that you shouldn't have chased him. I can live with that. I know that my only job as a husband and a father is to protect my family and our assets. Once I have done that I should leave it alone. I don't think pulling a weapon is escalating anything because if the individual presents himself as a threat after pulling said weapon, it is clear that his intent is to do great bodily harm or worse.

I'm not arguing the law here. I'm saying that this is a potential scenario to play out because of likely human behavior. Normal people don't go kitted up with an assault weapon to go get groceries. You can't convince any reasonable person that there is a reason for that or that it is normal. If he keeps this up someone is going to get hurt. Hopefully it's just him and no one else, but he is putting others at risk. I'm a pretty good predictor of human behavior, but I don't have to be in order to predict that people are going to interpret his appearance as a very, very real threat and they are not wrong for doing so.

There is a HUUUUUUUGE difference between OCing and what he intends on doing. Number one, someone who is OCing has their weapon in a holster. From what I understand from his posts on the silencer website he intends to have his weapon slung to him with body armor on. That is someone I would suspect of being an active shooter since there is no reasonable explanation for doing that. And yeah, I don't think I'd have a hard time explaining to LE why the guy with a shorty AR, full combat load and body armor has a bunch of rounds in his face. It'll be pretty obvious. I'm also not one to freak out about stuff that doesn't need freaking out over. I can assess a situation pretty well and put things in context. Someone dressed the way he intends to represents someone dressed for a shootout. Unless I'm in an environment where that is normal then I will react accordingly. Not everyone has the ability to be as relaxed as me, so I say again, he is putting people in harms way and inciting panic/fear. The fact he isn't breaking any weapons laws is irrelevant here. It also isn't illegal to take a bunch of toilet paper cardboard spools, paint them red and bundle some pos/neg wires coming out of the top, then attaching said apparatus to yourself and walking into an airport. It might not be illegal to do that, but you will certainly end up in jail for it.

I'm still not seeing how this makes him smarter than me or the majority of the people here.

Just because he's not technically breaking any weapons laws, that doesn't mean that he isn't inciting fear/panic with the intent to do so. There is no law against OCing, wearing full kit and walking around as far as I know. However, if I'm out and about with my family and I see some guy walking around in full kit and an AR I'm gonna think he has bad intentions and I'm going to have fear for the lives of my family members. There is no reason why he should be doing that, and I wouldn't be disappointed if he was arrested for some trumped up charge when he follows through on one of his BS 2A missions. He is intentionally trying to incite fear and panic for the purpose of his own ego/attention whoredom. The only reason he makes such a big deal about the stuff he's about to do is because he is probably scared of getting shot by LE doing one of his stunts. If he publicizes it enough then local LE will be prepared and won't flip out, but what about the rest of us? I can tell you right now that if I'm at an establishment and I see someone walk in with a loaded shorty AR wearing body armor I'm going to pull my gun out, and for good f'ing reason. If he does anything other than put his hands in the air I'm gonna start putting holes in his face... in a crowded room full of people... you see where this becomes potentially dangerous?

To me this isn't grey area territory at all: 1. I have no requirement to flee my own property or stand by while it is stolen. I don't have to be a victim if I don't want to. 2. If someone decides to invade my property with felonious intent, then I will intervene by confronting the criminal and let him know by sight and sound that I am armed and will defend myself if he becomes a threat. 3. If he chooses to run I have no recourse to shoot. I also don't have reason to pursue unless he has my property. It is now the realm of Law Enforcement to enforce the law and arrest him. 4. If he chooses to submit I will maintain control of him until police arrive. Once police arrive he is now a Law Enforcement problem and the law should be enforced upon him. 5. If he chooses to attack me I am within my rights to defend myself. He now becomes the Coroner's problem. At no point is "justice" being doled out by the civilian here. You see? So saying that someone doesn't deserve to die for theft is irrelevant. An intruder isn't killed because their intent is theft, they're killed because of the perceived threat they present themselves as. So while they don't deserve the death penalty for stealing, they do deserve to be shot for being a threat until they are no longer a threat. When that happens I don't see why anyone would feel compassion for the dead POS or remark as to the use of deadly force being unnecessary.

Well, like the title of this thread says..... it depends where you are and the opinions of the DA. I don't consider they hypotheticals because what happens after the shooting won't concern my at the time of the shooting. If my gun starts talking it'll be because I'm in fear for the lives of my family or myself. A trespassing criminal who charges me (after pulling my weapon and telling him I'm armed) is a threat in my book. I don't think I'd have any problems explaining that to police/DA/Jury. But that's a lot different than just walking up to a guy breaking into your car and putting some rounds in his back, or catching someone on your property and just opening fire on them. Or if you tell him to lie down and he takes off running you obviously can't shoot him. Once again, pulling your weapon on an intruder/criminal on your property is not deadly force. It doesn't become deadly force until you start shooting, which again, is up to the criminal; his choice. I can't see any police officer in TN arresting you for aggravated assault for pulling your weapon on a trespasser/theif.

Pulling your weapon is not using deadly force, shooting them is. Once again, IT IS UP TO THE CRIMINAL IF DEADLY FORCE IS USED! There are only 3 options for someone being held at gunpoint: flight, fight, submit. If they flee they get away and they are the cops' problem. If they submit you get to hold them 'til police arrive. If they fight you're left with few options, shoot them or get shot by your own gun.