I have to ask this question because I am not an American citizen, and I don’t own a handgun and, even if I did, Canadian handgun possession laws would forbid me from either style of carry. But the subject will continue to be a cornerstone of debate on TTAG, and in the hearts and minds of the pro and anti-gun forces in the United States. So I started to wonder about the pros and cons of the open and concealed carry debate . . .
My first road trip to the US was also an eye-opener when I first saw a holster-mounted side arm on a guy in one of your western states. This was new territory for this particular Canucklehead and it had a giant deterrent factor for me as an observer: I observed that this guy would be my last choice for a disagreement because he had already won any potential argument I might have had with him.
I am not by nature a guy who picks fights with strangers but the idea of a squabble with a guy with a “big iron on his hip” (to quote the late great Marty Robbins in song) is even less likely in my world. So my natural conclusion would be that an open carry would be viewed in the same fashion by other people.
On the other hand, a guy with a concealed carry permit is less likely to avoid confrontation simply because you can’t see that he is packing a weapon. I am sure that a concealed carry guy feels more secure with his ability to draw a weapon under threat of harm, but it seems to me that an open carry guy would be less of a target for potential confrontation.
Sure the concealed carry guy is going to pull out a hell of a surprise for any potential threats to his well-being, but the open carry guy may well be ahead of the game before it even starts because he has already warded off a threat with a visible show of potential force.
What am I missing here? I realize that I may have over-simplified the open vs. concealed carry debate but the fact that American states (and even individual municipalities) operate under a very wide range of diverse handgun rules and regulations makes the question almost a lab experiment in your country. Are open carries safer than concealed carries, or am I simply a misguided Canadian?
It seems to me that you need both. One of the problems with concealed carry in Texas is that it is much too strict. You must keep the weapon completely concealed at all times. It would be much nicer if you could carry openly and concealed so that you can keep it concealed but not worry if it gets exposed accidentally.
Let me just apprise/remind you of the right protected by the 4th Amendment of the US Constitution: “The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, … “
Basically, it’s nobody’s goddam bizniz what I carry on my person or keep in my home.
Some States or municipalities allow arms to be carried but require them to be carried openly. That is a clear violation of the 4th Amendment.
Guys who use their firearms to settle arguments tend to end up in jail in very short order. So chances are both of you are looking to avoid a confrontation.
I agree….. I don’t believe that the fact that a citizen carries a firearm means that they’ll use it to settle an argument. How long have people been carrying firearms? Haven’t seen the streets turn into a war zone. I think that for a LARGE portion of people, carrying is deterrent to agression (for all parties).
People should be taught the legal consequences of using firearms. The rest should be up to them to decide. More, much more to cover on this issue… Not enough space to write lol.
Either way, Canadians need not fear…. They are not likely to ever experience carrying of any type.
In the early ’80s, a college friend and I were driving from Florida to California. We stopped at a cafe in Arizona. The owner was behind the counter, and he had this hogleg strapped to his hip. I am from Florida, and although I had not observed open carry in the past, I did not think much of this. After all, it was his business, he could do what he wanted–if I didn’t like it I could leave. My friend, who was from New Jersey, about had a fit. It was obvious that, not only was this his first exposure to open carry, but that his world view was knocked slightly off its foundation by the experience.
Concealed carry is necessary because not everyone who wants to be armed wants to do so openly. But open carry is important because it opens other people’s eyes.
First of all, get rid of that defeatist attitude. Just cause Canada doesn’t allow handguns NOW don’t mean you have to accept it. 40 years ago, America essentially didn’t allow CCW. No one thought that your long gun registry would go away either. Get up off your butt and start causing trouble for the spineless politicians in Ottawa ! Damm, isn’t that young lady enough motivation?
+P always work to change laws that you don’t agree with
It may shock you to know that Canada is not the same as the US, and personal carry of any sort will never happen. Handguns and, more importantly, people who can legally own handguns are few and far between, and the law is structured in a way that a handgun cannot legally be used as a defensive weapon in any way, shape or form. Not even in your home. You can use non-restricted rifles and shotguns to defend your home, but not restricted/prohib weapons. The tradition and mentality around guns is very different up here.
You guys keep fighting the good fight south of the border, but don’t apply your ideas and laws to another country and berate us for being so “left”. Not trying to troll here, as I support your ideals and rights, but keep in mind things are not the same north of the border.
I am a Canada-US dual national who has lived many years on both side of the border (NC is now home). Yes, the political and cultural climate in Canada is very different regarding firearms, but there is absolutely no reason pro-gun pro-self defense Canadians should not work for positive change. It is not impossible. After all, not long ago, abolition of the hated long gun registry seemed like a crazy hopeless idea.
Please remember Rosa Parks. Or how about those in Syria who are being shot over their freedom right now? You have rights from the creator not those on Parliament hill.
Just cause it ain’t been done, don’t mean it can’t be done. Make it a point to call one single politician this week to make your voice heard. Just one person can start a movement.
Please remember Rosa Parks.
I remember Rosa Parks. I revere Rosa Parks. But you need to remember that Rosa Parks did, in fact, sit in the “colored section” of the bus, doing just as she was told. She did not set out to break the law. That’s what made her story so powerful.
Ralph, You lost me on that one. Could you explain.
Actually, Canada does allow handguns (I have 3) but not carry.
And our version of the NRA is fighting to relax the laws more than they already are.
JEC: Whoever told you that you could use NR but not R in defense is an idiot. If you have a gun, you can use it if your life is in danger.
Open carry would be best because I could carry a full sized hand gun. That being said, some people freak out when they see a man with a gun who is not wearing a badge. As long as there are people who will be shocked, scared, or angry with someone exercising their 2A right, concealed carry is the better option. What they don’t know won’t hurt them (unless they try to hurt me). I agree with Skyler in that both should be legal. Open carry would discourage most (95%) of the people who would mess with you. It may make you a target for the rest, and they know where your gun is. As it is in Texas, you have to keep your weapon totally concealed. That is good in that it is “out of sight, out of mind”. If there were any liberal gun-grabbers here, they would be alarmed at how many people are actually packing heat.
actually, when 9/11 occurred, I had a permit but did not have a good IWB holster for the .357 so I wore a police holster out and about liberal Ann Arbor, MI. No one batted an eye at open carry. Maybe I looked like a cop, and since I didn’t have a bunch of “tactical” gear on, they probably thought I was off duty.
It depends on your goal. Police carry openly because they hope to have a deterrent effect on crime, however, they are also the first ones targeted by hardened criminals deadset on committing their crime. That’s why the security guards are the first ones to go down during a bank robbery. Discreet carry allows one to interact more “normally” with those around him on a day to day basis while still serving the function of personal security if required.
I am for constitutional carry. Very simple out in the open, no questions asked no one will be likely to rob a mall school or diner where most patrons are armed.
Less words, more [Not Shown]. That is all.
I think most citizens are really not criminal and try to abide by the laws and not create a problem. I think all these stupid gun laws do is enable criminals.
Carry anyway you want to.
The restriction of open carry is the height of ineffective bullshit. It doesn’t reduce the number of guns (even if that were your goal), and it doesn’t improve anyone’s health or safety. It exists solely so hoplophobes don’t have to look at weapons. And we should be fighting that concept every step of the way, even if we personally think concealed is a better personal option. Personal carry and wargaming violent confrontation has nothing to do with it. Open carry must be legal, or we already find ourselves a foot down the greasy incline of gun control. Do not cede the visual battleground to those sensitive souls given the vapors by the mere sight of your sidearm. They don’t deserve it.
Well said! We shouldn’t have to hide ourselves because it makes people uncomfortable. When people see other people carrying firearms and nothing bad happening, it normalizes firearms.
In some venues, open carry is just not proper. You generally shouldn’t open carry for a night at the opera (if you like that sort of thing) or when calling on customers.
Attackers have the advantage because they have the advantage of calling the time and place of their crime; that’s also called the advantage of surprise.
Law-abiding (aka, good guy) concealed carry is the surest way to give the DEFENDER the potential to turn the tables on the attacker, to surprise the surpriser (if that’s a word).
Open carry not only gives up that advantage, but also makes the carrier a potential target.
Worse, open carry distresses others. Sure, we all know that only good guys open carry…but honestly, none of us can read really minds. It’s hard to tell what the open carrier is all about and if a person, carrying gun, shows up on my doorstep I’m probably going to a) prepare for the worst and b) call the cops.
But it should still be legal.
Everyone says that it makes open carriers targets, but I’ve never seen anyone provide and facts about actual instances where open carriers were targeted. If anyone can provide them I’d be interested in seeing them.
Until then, its been a better deterrent for me.
The pic above is a good example – where would she carry concealed? She’s got an i-phone in one pocket and 78 cents in change in the other. No where to hide a gun there.
“I observed that this guy would be my last choice for a disagreement because he had already won any potential argument I might have had with him.”
What sort of disagreements do you have? Do you fear that this guy is going to pull iron and shoot you over a parking spot? Cutting in line? What? I can see being more polite in his presence, but a “disagreement” is something you solve verbally, no matter who has a gun. Maybe you meant “He’d be the last person you would violently attack”. That would make more sense.
Your not misguided your just Canadian, so am I. Canada has a strong tradition of hunting and other firearm related sports as does our cousins to the south. The public carry of firearms is not a part of Canadian culture. I own several handguns and they all are range queens. I enjoy shooting them but the idea of carrying one in public is a completely foreign idea to me. I don’t know if Canadian culture will ever change enough to allow concealed or open carry. If it does it most likely will not be in my life time.
I think the lovely young lass pictured above is hot enough to get
away with any kind of carry she wants
I can understand the perspectives of both, and I think both should be perfectly legal and supported, but I personally carry concealed sort of for the reason you gave: I like the element of surprise, I like knowing I won’t be the first one popped in a robbery, and I like being left alone by antis wanting to wag their fingers at me.
It is an individual matter.Personally,I consider my firearm like my credit card.Unless its needed,its stays out of sight.There is no denying that an openly carried firearm is an effective deterrent to crime,but the caveat is that it won’t deter all crooks.Another risk is that open carriers suffer the same risks as law enforcement in that someone wanting a gun for an on the spot crime knows where to find one.
In my personal case,I’m a mixed race man who more or less has to conceal carry out of social decorum.I don’t mean to suggest any racial overtones with this post,but a young dark skinned man in designer clothes openly carrying a .45 stainless steel Smith and Wesson into WalMart is a police contact waiting to happen.
Sir I have to disagree with you. I am a 24 year old black male. I live in East Texas but I also spend a majority of my time in Louisiana. 100% of my time in Louisiana is spent openly carrying a Sig Sauer Sp2022 on my hip in full view. My usual attire is a pair of polo boots, some Levis jeans, and a nice button down shirt. I have carried in Walmart, various other stores, restaurants, gas stations, black parts of town, white parts of town, and never encountered a problem. In fact I walked right by a local cop in the Walmart parking lot and he never said a word. He just glanced at me and then continued with his conversation with another citizen. I have never had a negative encounter. Many people have approached me with the usual questions such as “Are you a cop?” “What kind of gun is that?” “What agency do you work for?” Every encounter has given me the opportunity to educate someone on the legality of open carry and concealed carry.
I find that hard to believe, no offense Bob.
Do you not carry in Texas? Why is that.
It was quite a nice feeling two summers ago to cross over from New York State, where I need a permit to own a handgun (and would be a lawbreaker if I shot someone else’s handgun if I didn’t have a permit), to Vermont for a gun class, where the instructor who hadn’t met me before, let me borrow his Kimber and Rock River 1911s, and carry them openly during class and even leave them on my hip when going to a nearby restaurant for lunch. First time I carried at all, and I was comfortable, both physically and psychologically.
If open carry was legal, “flashing,” “printing” and the like would not be subjects for concern — or arrest. As more guns would be worn openly, guns would become more normal, and many hoplophobes would eventually calm down. Without the monopoly on open carry, cops might be viewed as less authoritarian figures and people might actually like them.
Which is why the far left will never legalize open carry if they can prevent it.
I live in a state where I can open carry or conceal with a permit. There is no penalty for an accidental revealing of a concealed firearm. Yes, it’s almost Nirvana. I carry concealed for a couple of reasons.
1. It’s less confrontational. I’m not looking for a fight and I’m really not looking for a fight with someone who wants to pick one with me if I’ve got a gun on my hip.
2. In the event that someone does single me out for a criminal act, it gives me a hole card.
At least a couple of times I’ve had someone threaten me, or try to start a fight with me. In all cases I’ve had a gun on me and really haven’t felt any desire to escalate the situation. Walking away is SO much easier. I can live with being called a pussy, he may not be able to live if I pull a gun.
I think that I’ve actually become a calmer person since I got my carry permit. The consequences are so much higher that I just opt out if possible.
Brice, You sound like a really good example of a responsible gun owner.
Open carry is completely legal here in Washington and we have shall issue concealed carry, which makes it a pretty friendly place for gun owners.
I personally don’t find open carry that appealing, mainly because I don’t like having inane conversations with strangers, which at this point in time seems to be part of the deal with open carry. I don’t have the time or patience to educate every John Q. Citizen I meet about the Second Amendment, self defense, and carry laws. I just want to go about my business in peace.
I have to agree with this. I visited a friend in Virginia a while back, and after seeing people OC in Wal-Mart, I decided to try it, just for the novelty of it. I didn’t have my CWFL yet, so I wasn’t used to carrying, so I carried magazine full, chamber empty. In one hour-long trip to Wallyworld, I had two random people I didn’t know approach me and comment on my choice of an XD(M) and more or less tell me “shoulda gotta Glock.” Not only was it just generally impolite, it was also kinda weird.
I, too, am a Washington state resident. Funny how reasonable our firearms laws are, given the overwhelmingly left wing political environment, right?
As a socially liberal who really, really likes guns, it’s the perfect environment for me. There are really only two firearms related laws I’d like to change in Washington.
First, I’d like it legal to own short barreled rifles and shotguns. This is mainly because some day I’d like to convert a PS90 to a semi-auto P90. Mainly because the P90 looks cooler than the PS90.
Second I’d like to change the law to allow carry in bars. I kind of get the logic: no drinking while carrying. The problem is under the current law you can go into any restaurant and get completely blind drunk and that’s perfectly legal, but it’s illegal to go into a bar while carrying and drink Diet Coke all night. Virginia just made carry in bars legal and there haven’t been any problems. In fact, if I remember correctly, there was a post a while back here on TTAG about how a mass robbery at a sports bar was stopped by someone carrying in a bar in VA.
But yeah, Washington rocks.
It seems to me most guys feel that way, that they wouldn’t want to open carry. But no one seems able to admit that some of you are ashamed of the fact that you carry a gun. You know deep down that it indicates something is wrong with you, and who wants to admit that.
Unreasonable fear, insecurity, the conviction that you’re inadequate, these are the reasons for owning and carrying guns in many cases. Then comes the justifications.
I’m sorry there must be something wrong with your keyboard, all I saw was “hypocrisy” over and over again.
My biggest issue is that OC screams “shoot me first” to the really bad guys. Think Beslin school massacre: the first casualty? Armed guard, back of the head. Never knew what hit him, or what horror eventually ensued.
“On the other hand, a guy with a concealed carry permit is less likely to avoid confrontation simply because you can’t see that he is packing a weapon.”
That is your misconception. Since I started carrying, I’m the first person to back down and apologize if an argument is getting heated. Carrying a firearm is an enormous responsibility. If you feel suddenly tough when you’re carrying a gun, you should probably reconsider carrying entirely.
What a lovely holster that young woman is wearing. I wouldn’t mess with her.
If you’re wearing a gun to discourage a fight, you’re doing it wrong.
People will generally leave you alone if you’re polite, respectful, and don’t start any trouble… Regardless of if you’re armed or not.
If you’re rude, disrespectful, and start shit, you’re going to have problems with people, even if you are obviously armed.
Violent armed confutation is rare. Not so rare that its not worth worrying about and preparing for, but I don’t think there is any way that carrying a handgun viably would deter anyone.
If I were a criminal, and decided to rob some one, them being visabilly armed would only be more tempting. Doesn’t matter if you’re carrying, a brick to the back of the head is a brick to the back of the head, and then not only do I get a wallet, I get a nice new gun that I can use or sell or trade.
What would discourage me, if I were a a criminal, is how alert the subject is.
Remember that most people don’t go into an encounter unless they feel they have a good chance of winning.
You’re much less likely to be a target if you are obviously aware of your surroundings and keep your head on a swivel. People like easy targets, and just being armed does not nessescarially make you a hard target.
Dr Dave NOT TRUE, NOT TRUE, NOT TRUE about being polite, im a local minister, I have drug dealers and user’s/dealers (all are my cousins) whose property lines meet mine, they used my property as a short cut to each others homes, after $1000 worth of my belongings being stolen and my brother-laws house next door was broken into, my house twice, I open carry on my property, it is no longer a short cut. It stoped after 6 people hiding behind my builing smoking crack or whatever, it was not pot, had 2 shot guns held in thier face by my son and myself they dont come here no more. the more I said NOTHING just how you guys today the worse they got.
I think it all comes down to your demeanor. I open carry and have done so for about a year now. As a heavier guy I just couldn’t find a conceal method for my Sprigfield XD that was comfortable or hid the gun worth a damn. And in more than a year I’ve had a small handful of people approach me, most were interested in learning more about Indiana’s excellent gun laws, or looking for gun purchase suggestions. Most seem to assume I’m a cop which I never encourage.
I get the argument that open carry makes you more of a target but I try to keep my head on a swivel and pay attention to my surroundings.
As to the original point of the post, about arguing with an armed individual? I can do no better than to quote Heinlein…
“An armed society is a polite society. Manners are good when one may have to back up his acts with his life.”
Thats only true if both sides are armed equally, and people are being resonable. Which they usually aernt.
People dont start fights they think they’re going to lose…
This has been my experience as well …except I OC a Glock (makes answering the standard question a lot easier …though people still confuse my Honda for a Harley all the time! ;). Aside from an armed society being a polite society, I also do things like avoiding certain parts of town during certain hours (or just altogether) and generally try to stay out of harms way.
Situational awareness, dressing respectably (even just a good t-shirt & nice jeans), and being kind and respectful toward others all go a long way toward people being comfortable seeing a gun …I’ve had zero “OMG! AMWAG!” experiences, though it does catch the attention of some people now and then.
I don’t have a problem interacting with people who aren’t aware of Indiana gun laws. What’s really somewhat surprising (or, perhaps, amusing …or sad) is when I’m questioned by gun owners who believe that OC is not legal in Indiana …until I ask them to read their LTCH (License to Carry a Handgun). Indiana is silent on method of carry.
FWIW, I’ve never been approached, bothered, or received questionable looks from any LEO I’ve encountered while OC’ing. Nor have I taken a brick to the back of my head by any would-be gun thieves.
There are some great discussions on the pros & cons of OC/CC at ingunowners.com, btw. Indiana’s a pretty good state for gun owners!
One more thing: though I’m completely comfortable with OC, I do CC now and then as well, depending on the situation. Further, I have no problems with those who choose to CC. The more important issue is that people do carry whenever and wherever they are able.
I think carrying guns in general is a type of collective action. If one person open carries, and everyone else isn’t carrying, then a criminal may pass by the situation, or as some have suggested, they may just target the person with the gun. On the other hand, if everyone knows that any number of people in an area may be carrying concealed , but (obviously) they can’t pick out whom, then it becomes a deterrent to mayhem.
I also had a problem conceal carring my Springfield Armory XD-45 until I found a underarm shoulder sling at a gun show.
I’m from California. The open carry movement got started here, and mothers would flee in terror screaming MWG!MWG! leading to excessive armed response–usually six officers. And it eventually lead to the passage of a bill that went into effect Jan 1, 2012 banning the open carry of unloaded handguns (the carrying of loaded guns of any type without a CCW was outlawed in 1968 in response to a Black Panther armed protest at the state capitol). Fact is that urbanized (and mostly liberal) Californians are afeered o’ guns.
and that law was signed by republican messiah ronald reagan
Mike B – what you posted is called projection. No one is ashamed to carry a firearm. Openly carrying a firearm can be, however, socially annoying.
Would you, Mike B, really enjoy having everyone walk up to you in public and ask you why you’re afraid of a tool?
-Gene
When I open carry off my property, the only thing im as they say here in WV “skeert of” is uneducated LEO, now that a cicil law suit has been filed on an off duty LEO, we have no proplems, open carrying
OP. You have answered your own questions in the first and second paragraphs.
Open Carry has the same effect on criminals.
There has only been one time that open carry has made someone a “target”, all other claims have been refuted.
I’m from Canada and currently we are pushing for CCW. Mostly through petitions as our clubs have their hands full fighting the CFO’s not obeying recent parliamentary changes regarding recording of information.
As for open versus concealed here are my thoughts.
Open carry is intimidating to many people. I would say ccw is better for urban areas. No open carry within city (as defined by Canadian statutes) limits seems reasonable. Having said that, I like open carry for rural areas.
CCW makes the most sense to me. It’s less intimidating to John Q., It allows for the element of surprise when confronted by criminals (often causing them to run away), It avoids having to engage the curious, stupid, and/or annoying in inane conversation or having to defend your choice of wanting to stick your neck out to save their sorry ass.
In all, how I choose to carry a firearm is MY business. I will have been rubber gloved by every police department in the country before it is issued. I am not a threat to the police or the government of this country.
I feel no shame in wanting to be able to defend my family. When the powers that be can assure me to a 99.9% accuracy that criminals no longer have guns, I will stop asking to carry one. I will however continue to shoot as a hobby and hunt as well.
I shake my head at the number of cops here in Canada who think that they are are the only ones who should be armed. One of them (on another blog) said that he would do “everything in his power” to stop me or any other private citizen from being able to carry a concealed handgun. Such is the elitist attitude of many (but not all) cops here in the Big Empty. Mind you, being a licenced Private Investigator and a former soldier didn’t cut any ice with him. However, lest Canada be lumbered with a nightmare scenario, such as having a federal NDP government that would ban handguns in Canada (leaving them in the hands of only the criminals and the cops), let me share with you all the horrific gun crime that has plagued the UK since their “total ban” on handguns and rifles over .22.
In April 2010, a taxi driver by the name of Derrick Bird, casually drove around the countryside in Cumbria, Northern England, gunning people down with his .22 rifle and 12 gauge shotgun. NOT ONE person could stop Derrick Bird. not the police, not the public. Why? Because they were unarmed. Nobody had a gun or access to one that could be used to stop this slaughter. He went on a killing spree for THIRTY FIVE MILES before he casually walked into a secluded area and shot himself, leaving behind 12 dead and 25 wounded. In one instance, Bird was in plain sight of two police officers who were scooting people out of the way and shouting at others to “take cover.” They could not stop him. Their aluminium ASP batons and cans of pepper spray were usless against Bird’s .22 rifle and 12 gauge shotgun. By the time that armed police units were alerted, gathered for briefings, then went through multiple layers of authorization before being dispatched to hunt down Bird, he was already dead by his own hand.
So, just how many of the tens of thousands of UK citizens who owned handguns went on shooting sprees before they were stripped of their weapons in 1997? Only three. Yes, they were three too many, but enough for Tony Blair’s socialist Labour Government to disarm an entire nation of all handguns and rifles over .22 calibre. Ten years later in 2006, there were an estimated FOUR MILLION illegal guns circulating in the UK. Criminals between the ages of 15-24 can get access to Mac-10 sub-machine guns, Beretta pistols and replica weapons converted to fire live ammo. Also on the rise is the number of victims shot: 440 people were seriously wounded by firearms in 2003/4, up five per cent from 2002. In the first six months of 2009, the number of shootings in London had almost doubled from 123 to 236 compared with the same period in 2008, a rise of 91.8%. Four years later, serious firearms offences have risen by 47% across London alone.
Since 1996, gun crime has increased overall in the UK by 92%. Now we have huge areas of London, Manchester, Glasgow and Liverpool controlled by gangs armed with machine guns, fighting it out over turf and the drugs trade. Teenagers packing illegal handguns battle each other in “respect” shootings. In the meantime, coppers routinely walk the beat unarmed while the rest of the country is left to cower in homes behind locked doors, burglar alarms and barred windows.
The sale of replica weapons is now banned in the UK, and there is now a move to licence airsoft weapons and restrict their sale. (yes, really). The British Olympic shooting team are even banned from practising in their own country, and many have to travel to Norway or Switzerland on the weekends to practise. Even bow hunting has been now banned in Scotland.
For those “ban all guns” groupies who continue to believe that disarming law abiding citizens will somehow keep us all safe, they should listen to the number of 911 recording on YouTube by terrified women who were calling for help when stalkers, rapists and burglars were in the act of breaking into their homes. The police were too far away to get to the scene in time. All the women in question are all alive today because they had access to a gun in the house and were able to put a bullet in their attackers. In Canada, they would have been charged. Dead criminals are a much better solution, or rather criminals who are afraid to break into someone house, knowing that the owner coulder be armed and willing to shoot an intuder.
When a citizenry is unarmed and therefore stripped of its ability to protect itself from violent criminals, then that citizenry is no longer free. Britons today are certainly not free, as the UK is now the most heavily watched country in the world with close circuit cctv cameras in every high street. Apparently its to keep us safe. I say its has a lot more to do with population control.
In closing, here is a newspaper report from the UK (with photos) of an armoured car guard who was attacked and badly wounded by three hooded men armed with machetes. In the UK, armoured car personnel are not allowed to possess ANY KIND of defensive weapon, not even a baton or pepper spray. They get a crash helmet and a stab vest. That’s it.
See here: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-517540/Caught-camera-Dramatic-moment-security-guard-fought-machete-wielding-gang.html
Here is another incident in the UK where ONE man armed with a machete held THIRTY unarmed police officers at bay in London.
Scroll down to watch the video.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1388265/Police-tackle-machete-wielding-man-wheelie-bin.html#ixzz1MngUHci2
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