What is there different about the crowds of tourists that come to a reenactment
battle/encampment that is different than the the tourists who come to see a HMV
display? Why can you have the public at a living history event where just about
every reenactor has a "live firearm" and blanks but you can't have live weapons
and blanks at a HMV show?
Insurance? Maybe...but there are insurance companies that provide for the
reenactments. For about 15.00 a year, I can get liability insurance that covers
damage to tourists from anything I or my weapons can do.
Are HMV owners any less safety concious than reenactors? No, but maybe not as
focused on keeping control of weapons from the public as a reenactor is. But the
differance may be like trying to split hairs.
This is not about 2nd admendment rights. This is about a trend in the historic
MILITARY vehicle hobby to distance itself from the weapons that originally went
with the vehicles and crew.
The section that was clipped to respond to from my original post cited the
situation where I can come to an event as part of a reenactment group and bring
a functioning firearm and the blanks to make noise, but if I came to the event
as a HMV owner, I get the word not to bring a functional firearm that goes with
my vehicle. Why is there that differance?
We can strive to have the right script on a bolt head, but we seem to be forced
to only have a block of aluminium under a canvas cover when it comes to the
guns.
I have organized living history events for the public and the firearms were
accepted as a matter of course. Why do the MV clubs more and more tend to shy
away from the gun aspect? Are there more "Gun Nuts" restoring 50 year old
vehicles than there are "Gun Nuts" dressing up as a soldier and actually
shooting their weapons ?
If the reenacting community can deal with this issue and still prosper, why
can't a HMV club also?
It's not the laws, or insurance, or more 'Gun Nuts".....I think it is attitude.
Just like the anti-military types of the 60s later "tied a yellow ribbon" for
the troops during Desert Storm, but still cry for baning assult guns, there are
a number of influential people in the HMV hobby that will restore a jeep or WC,
wear their civies with a club ball cap, and get upset when another club member
shows up to the event dressed in the correct uniform for the vehicle, and has a
.30 mounted and (empty) ammo cans dressing up their HMV as if it had just passed
through a time portal.
Here's the kicker. I don't care one bit that your jeep doesn't have a gun on it
or that you don't want to dress in Battle Dress. What frys me is that you try to
stop me from coming in uniform and with all my kit, because you still label
someone who 'likes' guns and likes to dress the part as a "gun nut/militia". I
think it offends your sense of "PC".
As someone who is interested in history, I see public displays as a chance to
share history whith the masses and help to educate. I feel that I can do that
better if I am wearing the uniform when I am standing next to my vehicle and
talking about the use of my vehicle by the regiment whose unit markings are on
my truck. It just doesn't have the same impact to the public if I am standing
there in a t-shirt and jeans.
My point isn't about guns per se. This is not a topic to take to the gun lists.
This is about attitude among the HMV hobby and this IS an appropriate topic for
the rest of the list to read and consider. The position concerning firearms and
HMVs taken by clubs and event organizers directly effects my participation in
this hobby.
I am concerned that the history we are trying to preserve is being "dumbed down"
at more and more club events because a number of people are uncomfortable about
guns. I think trying to be too "PC" is sanitizing history and is an insult to
the veterans who originally drove these vehicles.
As a 20 year veteran myself, I am already insulted.
" I would rather be historically accurate than politically correct!"
TTFN
Jim
______________________________ Reply Separator _________________________________
A list member replied to my original post....
>
>In a message dated 99-09-02 23:05:22 EDT, you write:
><< I can go to an Armed Forces day open house as
a reenactor and bring blanks and working weapons (including classIII
machine guns) but if I attend by way of a MV club, I can't bring a
functional weapon, much less blanks. On this point, I mean HMV owners
are discouraged to participate in any kind of firing demo, unless it's
propane. >>
>I am all for 2nd amendment rights, BUT...
>At an MV event that I host, I'm not much interested in maintaining
control >of a bunch of live weapons, some which may belong to folks I
don't know (or >don't trust), and keeping the general public's hands
off of them.
===
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