When newbies or news media are around, I try to act more the 'professional' stereotype because that is less scary to them and gives them a better first impression.
The IRONIC part of it all is how the stereotype of 'gunnies' is that we're a bunch of uneducated, ill-mannered half-drunk hillbillies who are willing to trade off all sorts of societal safety and security just so we can enjoy our eccentric, possibly dangerous, hobbies with less inconvenience. We're supposed to have all sorts of paranoias and irrational fears, and have very narrow cultural experience and make all our decisions based on ignorant stereotypes and prejudice.
In 40 years of hanging around 'gunnies' I find them to be culturally diverse, with an equally broad understanding of other cultures and socioeconomic segments of society, and to be generally self-sacrificing for their fellow citizens, without regard for their race, religion, or ethnicity. Many are among the most intelligent people I've ever met, and often there is formal education to accompany that, but it is not flaunted. It is the 'anti-gun' people who I see consistently tending to be cultural elitists and ethnocentric, their self-absorbed nature often polluting even any charitable causes they work for by its 'better than you' veneer; getting your name on the roster of volunteers or donators seems more important than just getting help to people who need it. When it comes to paranoias and irrational fears, I think the anti-gun yuppie crowd has us beat, fearing any gun that has things sticking out at odd angles, fearing that the presence of an inanimate object will make a rational person become reckless and violent, fearing these things even more than documented things like tyranny and genocide, which are REAL.
That irrationality is why I seldom wear camo if newbies or the media are around.
OTOH - when needed, most of us 'gunnies' do have the knack of showing enough 'redneck' or 'ghetto' in our behavior to get the other side nervous if need be.
This guy probably was just trying to 'fit in' - or maybe like me, the only
warm coat I have is CAMO!
