the wild west

THE WILD WEST
when i was growing up we played cowboys and indians
we all had guns we wore on a holster
even had once that had popcaps that came in a roll
when you pulled a trigger it popped the cap
scared the bejeevies out of folks sometimes
when you snuck up on them
pulled the trigger
bam bam it went

now ive matured some i think

while in school it was not unusual to drive into the parking
lot of the high school and see trucks with rifles
in the back window
usually not loaded
no one really thought much about those guns
didnt feel threatened at all

it seemed everyone had a gun
usually a rifle or shotgun that was used to hunt
squirrels rabbits deer or hogs
if it was found in the car no big deal

when someone was going hunting it was not
unusual to see someone with a gun in a holster
on their hip
no one really thought much about that

so i grew up in an environment where guns were
no big deal
i have no problem with people having guns for
shooting and hunting and home protection

if i had one i would have a shotgun
since your aim doesnt have to be too good

so im not some antigun fanatic

that said
while growing up
you didnt see anyone with one strapped on their hip
in church
at a wedding
in school
at a hospital
in a restaurant

if that happened people would have got upset

now in my medical practice i would have folks come in
with guns on their hips
or
hidden behind their jackets under their arms
or behind their backs
but
they were all undercover cops or federal agents

none of that bothered me
as they took them off for their medical exams
laying the guns and holsters and bullets and cuffs
on my counter tops
i didnt feel threatened or nervous

they were doing their jobs
they were well trained on how to use their guns
properly

my younger brother was a deputy sheriff
i felt comfortable being around him all fully loaded

now fast forward today
texas has passed some pretty liberal open carry
and
closed carry laws

now i get kinda of  nervous about all this
knowing that folks not trained cops are carrying
these things
in schools
in churches
in restaurants
in hospitals and doctors offices
at weddings

all i can think of is
what some cops do with their guns sometimes
even though they are properly trained
what
would some private person do
shoot themselves and some innocent bystander

i think about a big gathering of folks
many of whom are carrying guns
add a little booze and hostility
its not going to end well is it

oh yeah thats already happened in waco
didnt it

most major police departments are opposed to the new
law
they know what it means to them and their livelihood

heck in the wild west many towns wouldnt even let folks
carrying around guns
they had to check them when they entered town

now i cant ever think of a situation that i have been in
in my 65 years where i wish i had a gun on my hip
to protect myself or my family

now there was a time once with a cable guy
that if i had a gun on my hip
i would have point blank pulled the gun
and shot him
then
i would have still been in prison
forever

thats why im opposed to closed carry and open carry
nothing good will ever come of this

the organicgreen doctor