Sidearms at a meeting???!!?

[Aa_vark]

Hey everyone?

I've recently relocated (again) to a new area.

There are alot of meeting "halls" up here, which I like, because of variety of meetings to choose from, and watching newcommers progress. That's good for my recovery, ya know.

So, I've just applied for an apartment, (which leaves me fealing uneasy as they will drudge up my past before approving my rental application.)

I went to 2 different meeting halls, very close by my new place. Looking for a new home group, ya see.

There was a guy at a meeting, with a holstered gun. What do you all think of that?

Isn't the no weapons, drugs or paraphanelia reading part of the openings for all meetings? I dont remember hearing it read at that meeting, so thats what i wanted to ask.

WTF?

Aaron

[Barto]

Never heard of “no weapons” in the readings, but I’ve never seen a side arm in a meeting either. I’ve heard people have brought in concealed handguns, but I've never actually seen one. I've seen some knives.

Actually, I just remembered that I have heard that there were a couple of shootings over the years, but very few. Not bad considering AA is full of human beings, some of which are pretty sick.

[Peter]

Our meeting format includes "No drugs or paraphernalia" there is no mention of weapons or firearms, however in my ten years of meeting attendance I have never seen a single knife or gun.

Still ,I would feel uncomfortable if I had to sit in a meeting with someone with a visibly displayed firearm. I have nothing against someone carrying a legal weapon but there is something about a drug addict with a gun that makes me just a tad uneasy.

I especially would be more uneasy with the idea of someone "showing off" his firepower at a meeting because to me there seems to me an element of EGO involved with this, and guns and egos are yet another deadly combination.

[daydream]

Aa Vark, I hope you will get some clarification from the group's GSR to find out whether this issue has been addressed previously. If not, please bring it up at group conscience. As long as I've been around the rooms, I would be freaked out seeing a gun in a meetings. I think it would drive off a lot of newcomers who are there looking for help.

[Gmoney]

Like everyone else so far, I've never heard "no guns" in the readings or format, but I'd hope common sense would prevail. I'm with Peter on this one...I don't have a problem with anyone (addict or non-addict) carrying a legally registered firearm, but doing so concealed and discreet is the way to go. I was licensed to carry for many years until my addiction took over, and now it's been 9 years since I "strapped" and I don't miss it one bit. Actually, since many of our meetings are held in churches or other public buildings, there may be a law in your state restricting where one can carry. In New York, it's against the law to carry on school grounds, banks, churches, malls, etc... You might want to look into it and once you join a group bring it up at group conscience. There's a huge difference between carrying for protection and showing off to display power. Either way, our meetings aren't the place for guns.

[daydream]

Yeah, ONE incident with a gun would be enough to give NA a black eye in the community and could have very FAR reaching effects as it hit the air waves.

[SaTiT]

yikes !!!
no firearm in meetings for me..
i don't care if it's in NA's literature or not.
I'm free to come and go as I please...i would chose to go.
beats the hell of me what kind of mind frame anyone is in, but
I'm not going to put myself in harm's way or be at the wrong place
at the wrong time.

i know police officer at gose to recovery becuase they're addicts too.
if they did have a conseal weapon...they kept it consealed.lol

I'm so worry about a gun..i have access to a hand gun.
i can kill someone with a wrinting pin..if i wanted to.

it's the showing off of the gun that would get me wondering what kind
of mind frame a person is in.

[Cathy31]

Yep I hear it at meetings all the time. In fact it's a standard here. Maybe he is a policeman? Can you ask someone from the meeting afterwards? If you're uncomfortable just don't go back. If you can rise above it (I would be nervous myself but I think it's probably irrational) then stay. Great that you are getting anchored in meetings - remember similarities not differences
Cathy31
x

[REZ]

I think a home group has the authority/right to decide whether it wants to ban weapons from the meeting. Our traditions say: "Each group should be autonomous, except in matters affecting other groups or NA as a whole."

[Thundar301]

Hello everyone , yeah when I first came to the meetings in the eastern Inland Empire area in southern California, I heard of people who "packed" at meetings, about the old days and the wild west mentallity,but I never myself witnessed it, as a matter of fact I can only recall a couple of verbal conforntations and niether one got to out of hand , no one came to the point of throwing punches. I would prolly be a little freaked out as a new comer seeing a gun in a meeting, but I can't say for sure how I would react. Dean

[TONYTEXAS]

Haha. This is funny. I have never heard that in the readings either. When I first came around I carry concealed into meetings probably out of fear. Just got open and shared that with people. Now I know god has got my back. Meetings are probably the safest environment I will be at too.

[Todd J]

As the matter of fact, about 3 years ago, a dude went into a meeting in Texas shot some folks, and this was a member with ovr 10 years. I have seen at meetings where they aske if you have weapons please take them out of the meeting place. I have also heard of some shoving matches in Service meetings where members have guns. NOT TOO SPIRITUAL!!

I can say what ever remarks about the individual carrying a weapon, but facts speak for themselves :AR15firin

Peace,
Todd J.

[dgillz]

The only gun I ever saw in a meeting is one of our regular guys is a cop. He comes to the meetings in uniform with sidearm.

I am sure that has scared a newcomer or 2 away!