In my previous post I mentioned that I often carry a concealed firearm, which led to a comment that said I must go into some "rough neighborhoods" if I feel it necessary to carry a gun.
Unfortunately violence and crime are no longer found only in "rough neighborhoods". Nowadays even genteel suburban cities and towns are affected by violence, too. I'm fortunate to be able to live in one of the most desirable areas of north Texas, yet here is what we've seen in recent years:
*When I lived in The Shoppes at Legacy, a very upscale retail/entertainment/residential district, a woman there was kidnapped from a well lighted public parking garage and later murdered.
*A person was murdered in the parking lot at Northpark mall, the most exclusive in Dallas.
*A serial rapist was finally captured after he terrorized a well-to-do north Dallas neighborhood for many months.
*A woman was recently murdered in the parking lot outside a Walgreens pharmacy in Frisco.
*A friend of mine walked in to a restaurant to meet friends and found himself in the middle of an armed robbery of the manager. My friend was shot, but survived.
*I once went to pick up my wife at Love Field (the close-in Dallas airport), and as I pulled up curbside I heard on the radio to expect substantial police activity in the area. It seems a robber had just killed the manager of a retail store and then ran out into the intersection outside and carjacked an innocent commuter. He shot the driver (who survived) and escaped. I had stopped at that same intersection 5 minutes earlier....that could have been me!
*The daughter of one of my homeowners simply disappeared from near the University of North Texas campus years ago and has never been found.
*Just last week a resident (or a visitor ?) at a very nice apartment complex in Richardson went nuts and killed one man, and then killed a cop when he responded to the call for help. Other residents there were instructed to shelter in place until the situation was under control.
*And let's not forget the growing problem of road rage, which can happen anywhere, to anybody.
These sorts of things don't happen daily or even weekly, but they do happen. Violence doesn't happen to only those in less affluent neighborhoods. In all my years I've never had to present my gun to thwart violence to myself or a loved one, nor have I ever been shot at by anyone. Statistics say it's extremely unlikely I ever will be, either. But I also know that if, heaven forbid, a violent situation ever confronts me and I need to call 911, it will take the police at least 5 minutes, and probably much longer, to arrive. Until help arrives I simply want to be able to protect myself.
There's nothing Wild West about carrying a gun. A properly trained, vetted, licensed, and prepared armed citizen should be no threat to anyone, except maybe bad guys looking to harm them.
I'm not paranoid, running around looking for terrorists behind every rock and tree. I'm not a vigilante. Like everyone else I go to work, the grocery store, Home Depot, and sometimes out for dinner. If you saw me you'd never know I had a gun on me, I'm that discreet. My daily routine is no different than yours. I just happen to have one more bit of insurance than most other people. :)
S
I worked in downtown Detroit for over 12 years and never carried a gun.
ReplyDeleteSounds like you "dodged a bullet" then. Pun intended. Hahaha!
DeleteI remembered I wrote a story about 15 years ago that reminds me of your attitude https://www.wattpad.com/36055218-the-carnival-papers-flight
DeleteEventually the fixation with guns in this country will devolve to the point where everyone will need to carry a gun to protect themselves from everyone else carrying a gun.
ReplyDeleteBut "everyone else" isn't dangerous. Only a select few are dangerous.
DeleteThe point is, I trust MY judgment, not everyone else. I have no clue who the "select few" are, therefore everyone could be one of the select few. Occam's razor.
DeleteI'm sure this isn't the case with you, but police have noticed in their reports that people with concealed permits often escalate issues past what would normally happen, because they know they are 'packing', and when things get bad, they can draw and shoot. whereas others, not 'packing', tend to back away and not escalate, letting the issue just fade away.
ReplyDeleteAgain, not saying this is you. But if I'm in a store or restaurant or any public place, and see a gun on someone, concealed or open, I leave. And I'm probably the only one there (or here, on the blog) that has actually been in war, combat. Excluding my son, the Ranger who did three deployments in Afghanistan and Iraq.
I can't speak for every concealed carry handgun class out there, but ours, which used a state-mandated curriculum, taught us to avoid conflict at all cost. In Texas at least, concealed carry license holders have a MUCH lower incidence of being involved in a violent confrontation than the population as a whole. I remember when my state first began considering allowing concealed carry back in the mid-90's most police chiefs were against it. They predicted "blood in the streets". Today they are not opposed, if not completely in favor. Concealed carry has proven to be pretty much a non-event. The idea of letting yourself get into a position where you can pull your gun and fight your way out is crazy because of the civil, if not criminal, liability. I actually have a special firearms liability insurance policy just in case. But you make a very valid point. Thanks Mike.
DeleteLike you, Mike, when I see someone carrying OPENLY I move on, too. IMO open carry is just inviting trouble. You might as well paint a big bullseye on your back. Not for me.
DeleteI read that the crime rate has actually been dropping in the U.S. (I know, it sounds unbelievable!). Homicides with guns were 11,493 in 2009. Deaths by cancer were 595,690 people in 2016. I know my statistics are limping (I just did quick googling, didn't verify anything, and I know the years compared should be the same).
ReplyDeleteSo I'm a carrot-toting health nut, though you'd never know it by looking at me. I go into Starbucks, candy stores, and fast food places just like everyone else. If you saw me you'd never know I had a carrot on me, I'm that discreet. My daily routine is no different than yours. I just happen to have one more bit of insurance than most other people.
:-p I had to do it, Scott, I just had to.