Posted on 12/16/2004 10:55:17 AM PST by neverdem
bumpity bump
"Posting signs designating an area as "gun free"
This will assure criminals that no lawful CCW carrier will be armed, although I've heard, without naming names, that some lawful CCW carriers ignore those signs as well, on the theory that they (the good guys) would rather face the consequences of violating the gun law that to have to stand by helplessly and watch children being murdered. Go figure.
Yes - it's time to put the 2nd Amendment FIRST!!!
My two cents worth? Everyone should carry, openly.
How about we designate some "liberal-free zones?"
Start at the far top-right corner of Maine, and go south to the bottom of the Keys, then west? Among other places?
sounds good to me...
Now I'll act like John Kerry and put myself in for a Nobel Peace Prize.
I'm with you on the "everyone should carry", but "openly" is not a good idea for most people most of the time. Open carry is appropriate for security and law enforcement personnel, who are presumably focused on their duties, and thus maintaining constant awareness of their firearms. However, for example, a parent going back-to-school shopping with 2 or more children in tow, is going to be focused primarily on other things, and that gives too much opportunity to the criminals to see where the gun is and then look for an opportunity to grab it when the carrier is distracted. Same for people attending a social gathering or a spectator event. I really wouldn't be impressed by seeing an open-carrying mom in a shopping center parking lot, as she fiddles with the toddler's carseat, while imploring the older kids to quit hitting each other. That's just an invitation to a criminal, and the mom would be just as well protected by carrying concealed in an easy-to-access way.
Answer: All of them.
the last thing she said was, it was a stupid law because "I" wasn't going to shoot anybody and nobody would know if i dropped her off.
i told her I would know and SHE would know, and "yes it IS a stooopid law" but as long as it is the law, i'll abide by it
i can only hope it was a learning experience
I agree 100%. Further the purpose of concealed carry is to keep the bad guys in the dark as to just who is armed. This fear of the unknown thereby allows one armed citizen to "protect" hundreds of others by proxy so to speak.
I used to be a State Probation and Parole Officer, here on the mean streets of Miami FL. I used to ask my guys what the effect of armed citizens had on their "trade." Their reply was almost universal: Heck, a cop's job is to arrest you and that is just a cost of doin' business. But a citizen, afraid for his life? Or the lives of his family? That guy will kill you dead and ain't NONE of us in this business to get killed! If I even think my target is packing, I'll go somewhere else.
Once I was with my wife at a downtown social event (fund raiser for charity she helped to organize) and it was held in a building with a huge dark parking garage and it was near midnight when dinner was finally served. I was wearing a tux with a yaqui slide holster and an Colt Officer's model .45. I was sitting into my chair when the arm of the chair pushed against the barrel and the whole gun hit the wood floor with a thunk! I have NEVER again used that holster! So the gun hit the floor and everybody turned and just stared. The chief of police was there and the mayor and lots of other folks. I calmly retrieved the weapon and reholstered without so much as a word. The whole room was dead silent and then everybody dug into the food. But when we got ready to leave about a third of the folks at the party wanted me to "escort" them to their cars. I spent almost 90 min doing this. Still I handed out a ton of my business cards and got a ton of CCW classes out of it, so I guess it was worth the wear on my feet.
GUN-FREE HOME - PLEASE ROB AND PILLAGE AT YOUR CONVENIENCE
They already know, but it is an irrelevant datum to them. Individual deaths are of no significance-mass deaths mean nothing. Power and who will decide your life is everything.
That is not realistic. It should be to allow a situation where the criminals know there is an excellent chance he will meet armed opposition.
I had a discussion over this topic with a friend a long time ago, and I feel that open carry is a bad idea. It can make you a target, and it also lets the "bad guy" know who the "good guys" are. I'd much rather keep them guessing.
Mark
One thing that criminals, both professional and amateur, always do is risk assessment. Knowing that an area will be devoid of firearms is, for certain types of crime, a big, fat sign saying "victims here!" It was for Kliebold and Harris. You don't have to arm everyone, or even many, for this to be no longer true; you just have to create an environment of uncertainty that drives that risk up to unacceptable levels. Let those who are willing to put the effort into doing so properly, carry. Don't tell anyone who they are. It really is an optimal strategy.
All of the research by Lott, Fleck, etc. is regarding concealed carry. There is no research on the deterrent effect of open carry. We DO know that concealed carry deters crime.
I believe open carry is problematic unless you're on your own property, hunting or at a range. The wearer would have to be hypervigilant, always worried that someone might try to steal the weapon. Concealed carry makes more sense.
Are cops like this, then? Small wonder most are less than eager to do foot patrols.
I do think concealed carry is better for purposes of deterrence, but I think either would be a step in the right direction.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.