Today I went to the Provo library with Eve and Sophie for Story Time: it's become a weekly event we look forward to. Well, today we arrived right when it was starting so we were not able to make our way to the front (especially with our bulky stroller) so while Sophie and I were happy to stay in the back, Eve made her way through the crowd and found a place to sit close to the story tellers.
I spotted a friend nearby and we started to visit when she brought to my attention a man in front of us carrying a gun at his belt. The gun was out in the open for all to see...meaning kids...now, I know that the law in Utah allows anyone to carry a concealed weapon, but I could not understand why a parent bringing his toddler to Story Time would feel the need to bring his weapon, so I assumed it was a toy to play with his son...even if it was, I thought it would still be inappropriate to wear it ostentatiously...my second thought was that he might be a police officer or a security guard.
After a few minutes went by, I just could not stop thinking about that gun in such an innocent setting so I gathered up my courage and approached the man. [I had noticed that his wife and son were with him, so he Here's how our conversation went:
Me: "Hi. Excuse me to bother you, but I couldn't help noticing...is this a real weapon."
Gunholder: "Yeah."
Me: "Hm...Are you a security guard or police officer?"
Gunholder: "No...Under Utah State Law I am allowed to carry a gun."
Then he gave me a "what-you-going-to-do-about-it" look, and I just walked off...had Eve been with us, we would have left immediately, but I couldn't get to her while carrying Eve and I really did not want to make a scene.
On my way out, I had to stop at the library security desk to ask the guard on duty if that was normal that anyone could walk in a public library with a gun for all to see...and she told me that the man should have checked with her upon entering the building to let her know, AND that he is supposed to keep it covered at all times.
Good to know... next time I go to the library I'll check at the entrance to see if anyone has declared his/her carrying a weapon...and still they would not be able to account for the guns carried by over-protective parents escorting their kids to Story Time.
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8 comments:
YIKES!!! That was a crazy strange encounter. I think you handled it quite well. I'd like to think that I'd have the courage to ask the guy about his gun...but, I don't know. But, I think asking is best. Even though you didn't say you disapproved, he knows! And it's good for people like that to know that what they are doing is inappropriate and disapproving. Hopefully, you never see that guy at story time again! And hopefully someone puts him in his place about the rules! Crazy!
Wow... that is beyond strange. That is downright creepy and disturbing. People like that scare me.
Actually that man was correct. Utah is an "open carry" state and it is his right to carry his firearm openly. And he does not have to inform anyone at the library about what he is doing. It is 100% certain that he had a permit and knows the laws and abides by them. It is very difficult to get a concealed carry permit and easy to get one taken away. The people that have permits are passionate about it and feel threatened by people who are obviously disapproving. I will bet you a million dollars that the reason that man carries a firearm is not just because he is worried about his family, but his fellow citizens. The fact of the matter is, sometimes crazy deranged gunmen like to find places places where people (a lot of the time specifically children) are gathered in large groups to annihilate as many as possible. Many lives could be saved (and have been) by just one person with a concealed carry permit being at the right place at the right time.
I think we too often expect other people to save us from the bad guys. I applaud him for bravely and openly wearing his firearm at his side.
That being said, I do not like guns myself and I can understand your reaction.
Love ya!
too bad you didnt know the rule about declaring it or having it concealed before then you could have told him whats what. Still such a sort of scary situation.
Thanks for your input, Jen...I did know about the right to carry a gun, what was disturbing to me was NOT that he was carrying it with him, rather that it was up in the open for all the kids to see...absolutely unnecessary, in my opinion. I respect the right to bear arms as part of our bill of rights, but I would appreciate it more if he had kept it under his jacket...or maybe I am being oversensitive about exposing our kids to the sight of weapons? Hm...I don't know...I'm still trying to reconcile those two issues.
I remember when there was a nutter who opened fire on people (killing 5 and wounding 4 others) at the Trolley Square Mall in Salt Lake and it was thanks to a brave civilian who carried a gun with him that he was taken down...he did a heroic act and lives were spared thanks to his courage. Just to get the record straight, I am grateful for those anonymous heroes. But as long as they do not parade their guns around kids! :)
I read this post yesterday and couldn't respond because I couldn't decide if I agreed with you or with the guy with the gun. I'm a very strong believer in the 2nd Amendment, but I would've been upset to see a gun so easily accessible with my son there, too. It seems like when it's that open, couldn't one of the kids just grab it or something??
I agree with Jen, and I think if he's carrying so openly then he's probably not the one who's going to go ballistic but would be more likely to save you. But again, I prefer it to be at least a little hidden.
It's a tough thing because almost all of the crazies go to "gun free zones" for the rampages, and then there's no one to stop them. At the same time, while we have a Constitutional right to carry guns, I feel strongly that we need to be smart about it (unlike the wacko who carried a big gun to an Obama rally back in '08 - that's just plain stupid and we shouldn't use our rights to intentionally upset people).
As you can probably tell, I still have mixed thoughts about it. I totally understand why you were upset, and I don't think having an open weapon in a library is a good idea, but I'm also glad that there are responsible people who know how to use guns who can protect us from the wackos who are just out to kill as many people as they can.
I'm sorry it was an upsetting experience, hopefully you won't have to deal with something like that again!
Well, I'm so glad that you had the courage to approach him and try to put assumptions aside. I think it is a sad reflection on how we view guns and violence today that a man like that didn't have a second thought about taking an unconcealed gun into a childrens area at a public library. It is especially sad that as parents it seems that we are expected to accept this 'need' for guns in our society and should feel comfortable exposing our children to it. I am not ok with the idea of guns being common place objects, especially to children. It is a tough issue with passionate arguments on either side.
Annabelle, that was quite the encounter. I think all of us should be more informed with the alternatives of using violence to defend ourselves, especially if we apply the label of Christian to how we conduct our lives.
Regarding Trolley Square, I believe the hero there was an off-duty officer and even his presence did not prevent other fatalities.
Regardless of what Utah law states and what the Bill of Rights includes under the 2nd amendment (regarding raising militias which has now been applied wholesale any members of society 'bearing arms'), there is something very dangerous about the gun culture in the US and the reliance many people have on weapons.
There are three questions with which each gun holder should concern himself with-
1. By owning a gun for self-protection have I taken my trust out of God and placed it in the gun?
2. By owning and carrying have I already made the choice to kill someone?
3. How much protection does owning and carrying really offer myself, my family, and society at large?
As a Christian I feel that surely our faithfulness should be stronger than the cords of death. Not that we should be more willing to tighten those cords around someone else's life to the point of extinguishing it.
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