Philosophy of Carrying a Concealed Weapon

I think my views on the Second Amendment are known to everyone who's read my collection of diatribes, but just to make sure allow me to repeat myself.  The Second Amendment states that:

A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.

That means that if I can bear the armament one way or another, my right to do so is recognized by the United States Constitution.  It also means that I'm allowed by the law of the land to carry my weapon of choice in any manner that amuses me to do so.  So, should I want to carry a Micro Tavor under my coat, complete with sound suppressor, laser sight, folding stock and any other Tennessee go faster I can buy and bolt on to it, that should be perfectly legal and should be protected by the Federal government.  Not everyone sees things this way, but I do.

Having settled the legalities of gun ownership and concealed carry once and for all, the real question becomes should I or shouldn't I carry a concealed weapon - and that's what I'm going to write about here.

Some years back I knew a man whom I'll refer to as Cherokee, and who once worked for a notable entrepreneur in Kansas City named T.J. Pendergast.   Some readers may associate that name with racketeering and corrupt government, and they'd be quite correct.  TJ was a gangster, and Cherokee worked for a while as his bodyguard which necessitated his carrying a gun.  Optionally Cherokee could carry his gun while he was off duty and no one would bother him about it.  He didn't, and what he told me was this:  "If you carry a gun, sooner or later you're going to get yourself into a situation where you'll have to use it."

This was an older, experienced man talking to someone much younger.  I was about 18 at the time, admired Cherokee and valued his advice.  I still do, by the way, admire the man and place a high value on his advice.  He had, after all, lived the life.  Now that being the case what I took away from the conversation was this: If you're going somewhere and you think it would be wise to arm yourself, maybe you'd better ask yourself if you should be going to this place at all.

For instance, in my case Main Lady (a licensed clinical psychologist) once asked me to provide bodyguard duty while she went to check on and perhaps rescue a client from an abusive situation.  The client had become involved with a no good SOB who just got out of jail.  I judged that there was a very good chance that the no good SOB in question would disagree with Main Lady's ideas concerning her client's welfare and affirm his own desires by using some crude form of physical violence.  Also the SOB was known to carry a gun.  I had no choice in the matter; I had to go along and protect Main Lady as best I could, so I armed myself with my revolver and considered that to be a good choice.  As it turned out nothing happened, as the client wasn't at home.  A week later Main Lady summoned me again and explained that the no good SOB was forcing the client to work as a prostitute, and Main Lady wanted to go rescue the client.  I was to come along as bodyguard, driver and support staff.  I packed my revolver and we started off in the car around 10:00 PM.

"Where do you suppose she is?"  Main Lady asked me.

Okay... now, see, why would you think that I know where prostitutes are?  I said as much.

"Because you have a penis, and according to recent scientific studies we now know that people who have these things - penises - will know where prostitutes are."

I didn't argue.  No, we didn't find her that night, and I'm not saying anything about where we looked or who suggested what a likely spot might be.  I had no choice in the matter.

Compare this activity with going to the grocery store, where I have a choice of stores I can patronize and a choice in the time when I shop.  Noon is generally safer than 3:00 AM; Andersons Market at Sylvania Avenue and King Road in Sylvania, Ohio is one whole helluvalot safer than South Mart over on South Avenue and the Anthony Wayne Trail in Toledo.

I'm picky about where I shop.  If I see security screening on the store front windows and a big sign advising the general public that the clerk only has $50 in the register at any given time and the clerk can't open the safe, I'll go elsewhere.  Ditto if I see any prostitutes hanging around the lot.

So I've concluded that the aphorism about carrying a pistol and inevitably getting myself into a bad situation is good, valid advice.  At the same time if I stay away from high crime areas I'll avoid those situations.  I still believe all that, but now I have a few caveats that apply to me and people like me.

White people, that is.


Norfolk police search for group that attacked newspaper reporters

NORFOLK -- Police are looking for a group of teens that allegedly attacked two off-duty newspaper reporters.

Mob beating goes unreported for two weeks, tweet references Trayvon Martin

On Tuesday, Michelle Washington of the Virginia Pilot reported that a white couple was brutally beaten by a mob of black youths [emphasis mine] at an intersection in Norfolk, Virginia.

The victims, Dave Forster and Marjon Rostami, both reporters at the Pilot, were attacked on their way home from a show at the Attucks Theatre.

"They had stopped at a red light, in a crowd of at least 100 young people walking on the sidewalk," she wrote. "Rostami locked her car door. Someone threw a rock at her window. Forster got out to confront the rock-thrower, and that's when the beating began."

She described the attack: "Wave after wave of young men surged forward to take turns punching and kicking their victim."

"The victim's friend, a young woman, tried to pull him back into his car. Attackers came after her, pulling her hair, punching her head and causing a bloody scratch to the surface of her eye. She called 911. A recording told her all lines were busy. She called again. Busy. On her third try, she got through and, hysterical, could scream only their location."

The commercial news media sat on this story for two solid weeks, and this involved two news reporters being beaten.  Two of their own, and because the victims were white and the perpetrators were black, this wasn't news.  Not "alleged" perpetrators; perpetrators.  Scumbags.  Criminals.  Bad guys.

The victims did what any good victim should do.  They called 9-1-1.  Ah, but you see all operators were busy with other things.  On the third try - the third try on the 9-1-1 emergency service call center that is paid for with tax dollars - the call finally went through.  Then they sat back and waited for the police to arrive.

I'm not surprised that commercial media failed to cover this story or that it wasn't picked up by commercial news media.  What I'm surprised about is that the story wasn't given the correct spin - something like this: 

The incident involved two white people driving in a high crime neighborhood at night. Upon seeing a large crowd of unsupervised minority youth congregating on a street corner, the woman locked her car door which angered the youth. Someone said that one of the teenagers, a minor, allegedly threw a bottle at the car. The man got out of the car and engaged in a verbal assault on the African American youth which escalated into a physical assault. Police say no one was badly injured.

That's not what happened, but that's what I expected to read.  There have been a few other incidents as well, generally covered by the Examiner:


Report: Florida man allegedly beaten by black men shouting 'Trayvon'

News4Jax.com reported the man was "walking home from midtown bars in Gainesville Tuesday morning when he said he was jumped by five to eight men who yelled 'Trayvon' before the attack."

White Toledo man, 78, beaten by youths: 'This is for Trayvon Martin'

Dallas Watts, a 78-year-old East Toledo man was brutally beaten by six juveniles ranging in age from 11 - 17, both white and black, who reportedly beat the man in the name of Trayvon Martin.

Man, 78, recounts assault by 6 youths in E. Toledo

Six juveniles -- the youngest 11, and the oldest 17 -- nearly boxed in Dallas Watts, a 78-year-old man from East Toledo.

Mr. Watts was on his way home from the nearby Gas Express Mart at Starr Avenue and White Street about 4:45 p.m. Saturday when the boys approached him.

At one point, the victim recalled being lifted from the ground so one of the boys could "drop-kick" him in the chest.

One boy, he said, put his foot on the back of the victim's neck, with another shouting, "Kill him."

While Mr. Watts was down the boys kicked him, over and over, shouting, "[Get] that white [man]. This is for Trayvon ... Trayvon lives, white [man]. Kill that white [man]," according to a police report.

I'll give Toledo Police credit, though.  They busted two, and the 17 year old was already facing charges from a previous encounter with the police.  According to a quote from prosecutor Lori Olender:

Toledo police charged two children -- the 11-year-old and a 17-year-old -- with robbery, Sgt. Roy Kennedy said.

The 17-year-old also faces a felonious assault charge from an unrelated shooting, Ms. Olender said. The teen allegedly shot Mark Bolling, 24, in the 600 block of Leonard Street in East Toledo on March 18.

My hard spot with The Blade is that these are not "two children"; these are violent criminals who beat a timid, helpless 78 year old man.  The Blade also neglected to mention that one nameless violent criminal already had a felony charge from an unrelated shooting and was out of jail running around looking for more victims.  I guess this is nothing more than an example of the revolving door syndrome.

There's more, also with very sparse coverage by commercial media and hate mongers Sharpton, Jackson and the NBBP.

Black suspect says he beat white man out of anger over Trayvon Martin case

Tandra Simonton, a spokeswoman for the Cook County State’s Attorney’s office, said Hayes told police he was upset by the Trayvon Martin case and beat the man because he was white.

'Justice for Trayvon': Man beaten by mob in critical condition

Late Saturday night, Matthew Owens, of Mobile, AL, was beaten so badly by a mob that he was left in critical condition with severe head wounds.

According to WKRG, police said Owens "fussed at some kids playing basketball in the middle of Delmar Drive about 8:30 Saturday night."

The kids left, and a larger group returned, reportedly armed with a variety of weapons, including bricks, chains, brass knuckles and paint cans.

Hayes victim was beaten on a Chicago street, where it's illegal to carry a concealed weapon.  If the mayor of Chicago actually had his way, it would be illegal for a mere civilian to even own any kind of weapon in the city of Chicago.

Matthew Owens was beaten by a mob in his own front yard.  Think about that for a minute.  This man is in his very own front yard of his home and gets beaten half to death by a mob of black people - ostensibly because of the Zimmerman - Martin shooting, but I think there's a lot more to it than that.

I still think the advice I was given as a young man is good and valid: "If you carry a gun, sooner or later you're going to get yourself into a situation where you'll have to use it."  But that was then and this is now.  Zimmerman's trial is not going to take place until next year, and between then and now I expect to see more events like the few I listed.  I fully expect white people will be attacked by black people for reasons of racism and ignorance.  The attackers will be cowards looking for a victim.  I can only say that if I'm attacked I intend to put some lead in the air.  I hope I don't have to.  I hope that when my attackers see that I'm armed they behave the way I think they will and turn tail and run like hell, but if they don't the time for running will be long gone.

Here I'm reminded of a married couple who attend my church.  He is a church elder, she is a deaconess.  Both are senior citizens, are very, very spiritual and are small, physically unassuming people.  I was a little surprised to learn that both got their Ohio CCW license over a year ago, and both pack their gat.