Have you ever been so committed to a point of view, you failed to see anything else. Did you ever stop to think people around you are evolving and you are laying there stagnant as a result?
Victim mentality
If you pay attention to the world around you might be surprised by what you see. In this case, is anybody really surprised by the amount of “open carrying” victims we have seen since open carry got so much attention. It really struck me when how ignorant some folks really are regarding their personal safety. Yes, it is your right and I fully support the idea of open carry because I find any restriction on my Second Amendment repulsing nor do I feel it necessary to ask the government for permission to carry a firearm. With all that being said, what I see in the current crop of “gun folks” is fear and complacency.
Fear is no exception
This past weekend I became exposed to the fear issue and I had to acknowledge there are probably a lot of people of fall into this category. They are not so much expressing their right to carry openly, they are carrying openly in attempt to ward off evil. The problem with his thinking is how it doesn’t really work. Case in point, look at the rash of personal robberies of open carried firearms recently. Why are criminals targeting this group of people? It’s simple, they see the same thing as I do and that is fear. The victim is carrying the firearm without fully grasping it’s utility in a fight. They have failed to acknowledge both the realities and challenges this world presents.
But does it really work
If you feel it necessary to carry a firearm for personal defense then great. Congratulations on a big first step. If you feel the mere presence of a firearm will deter crime I’m thinking you either naive or stupid. Let’s go with naive for now, but leave stupid on deck in case. It is my privilege to work with law enforcement from around the country and regrettably a high number of officer involved shootings take place with the officer’s firearm. For whatever the reason, the officer was injured or worse by their firearm. Let me put this in context, the vast majority of these incidents occurred where the officer was wearing a uniform with a duty belt. In other words, they were as open as you can get, yet this still wasn’t enough of a deterrent. So, if you continue to carry openly after letting this information soak in you move from naive to stupid.
Extend the buffer zone
Complacency kills, there is no doubt. You cannot expect to survive in this world with a lackadaisical attitude. Openly carrying without a higher than normal situational awareness will steer you down the wrong path for sure. Openly carry means your game has to be at a whole new level. You have to take in your surrounding constantly and make split decisions regarding “threat” or “no threat”. While everyone who carries concealed does the same, the difference is the buffer created by the cover garment reduces the players. Those who would be interested in the low lying fruit to obtain a firearm illegally don’t know to target you because you are concealed. The SA you must have to reduce the chances of being a victim are going to be higher no matter what you do if you carry openly.
How’s your combatives game
Even if you do have above average SA, if you do not have an above average set of combative skills you might see the gun grab threat, but have no skills to which deter or defend. When you take your personal safety seriously you will eventually get into the combatives field and you will be glad you did. Skills at weapon retention, weapon take aways and weapon restraint are but a few subjects you will need to invest time an energy. Part of the return on your investment is a greater appreciation for how easy it is for you to be a victim rather than be safer. It radically changes your perspective. I’ve been doing this longer than most and sizing people up comes with experience. When you are accustomed to fighting, you look for things. I saw nothing in these people I would consider a benefit.
They were complacent and fearful. Is that the message you want to send to the world and especially the predators?
Excellent points, Jeff! I sweat already carrying concealed. Carrying open must be like being in combat, SA is on red all the time, it is mentally and physically exhausting. Besides, a firearm isn’t a lucky charm–it is only a tool, that if not used correctly, it is just as likely to destroy your life or worse, the life of a loved one..
Confidence comes with a level of comfort only obtain through experience. Good luck and thank you for your comments.
Seems like allot of people think just having a gun makes you “safe”. A firearm isn’t much help if you’re not proficient in it’s use and theirs definitely no short cuts to getting there. True hardened criminals won’t scare easy. Good thing elite warriors like your self are willing to share you’re knowledge with folks in and outside of LEO/MIL communities. It could really mean the difference for someone living or dying if their ever unlucky enough to be in a criminal attack of some sort.
Very good points, stay alert.