Reader Burt P. writes:

With the Independence Day 2015 Holiday approaching, much has been written of potential terror threats. State and local authorities have been notified by Homeland Security about reports of threats called for by various organizations.  National news has reported this also. Well, it’s Independence Day. Do we stay indoors, away from malls and celebrations? Or exercise our independence by going about our enjoyment of the day with our family? . . .

We who have our CCL, we should always use situational awareness. During these times, perhaps a bit more is called for. However, there are many CCL holders who may not usually carry. For whatever reasons, on a daily or general basis, they keep their weapon at home.

I have spoken to several of them at the range and they have their reasons. But at this time, I would urge all CCL holders to carry for this weekend. On the beach in Tunisia…no one had any defense. In Charleston…no one had any defense. It only takes one good guy with a gun to stand up to a bad guy with a gun.

At 72, I’m not the fastest, but I’m smooth and accurate. I’ll be carrying. I’m asking everyone to do the same. There are thousands of us – all over country – and nobody knows who we are. That’s why it’s concealed. Let the bad guys start thinking about that.

Let them look around and wonder. Give them some concern and doubt. Hell, we have the license. Let’s use it and be independent. Put the word out, let it go viral.

We got our licenses for a reason. I believe this is the reason.

Heaven forbid something happens and some CCL holders or/and their families get hurt while they weren’t carrying their gun. Can you imagine several million CCL holders throughout the USA, all carrying at the same time? Stand up, everyone. We have the right…let us use it!

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54 COMMENTS

  1. I’m all for it . . . so long as you carry concealed!

    I accidentally added real tags to my /sarc line. whoops?

      • So apparently you didn’t get it. I’ll accept the blame for not being explicit enough that I was being sarcastic…

        I have a lot of love for the open carry crowd. I, in fact, only conceal in the winter when I am wearing a coat or a hoodie (yea, a hoodie, what of it?) and am thus not required change wardrobe or be uncomfortable in order to conceal.

      • In California, unless you are a cop, unloaded open carrying in a parade, or out in the woods, open carry will get you busted. Pass.

      • Tons of love for open carry… just no tactical respect, sorry. I feel bad for cops, too, they are always at the top of a bad guy’s threat matrix. I’ll stay gray and concealed, thank you very much.

      • When it does that, give it a full minute and refresh the page or reload a new one. I believe that the timer gets screwed up and it believes that the edit time has expired because it is reading as beyond 5 minutes edit time. I’ve had it glitch and give me a timer reading that it thinks is correct and sometimes that’s over 6 minutes! When the timer function thinks it is something like below 4 minutes, it will let you edit.

        ETA: For example, on this reply the timer started at something like 2 minutes, 36 seconds. I’ve never seen it start that low. The timer is inconsistent and buggy.

    • ^this^ Carry Every Single Day. Most times a firearm, sometimes because of one constraint or another a knife or any other weapon practical for the particular situation. Carry Every Single Day. One knows not when the proverbial slaps up against the rotary ventilator.

    • Truth. I don’t secure my fire extinguisher just because I’m not expecting a fire either…

    • Better than Russian Express – ‘Don’t leave home’.

      (h/t Yakov Smirnoff)

      Also by Smirnoff –

      “In America, everyone looking for party. ‘Where is party?’

      In Russia, Party look for you.”

  5. Agreed and the emphasis should be on open carry (where applicable by law). Celebrating independence is good, being a walking, talking embodiment of independence is better.

  6. I normally so, but headed to St. John – a gun free zone – it’s a beach – what could go wrong? My evil G26 stays in the safe.

    • The 38 people killed in the Tunisian beach attack are unavailable for comment…

  8. I’ll be carrying. Then again, I always carry, so in honor of Independence Day I’ll carry two guns.

    Now, if I owned a bomb-sniffing dog, I’d really be in clover.

  9. I’m all with you Burt about everyone carrying all the time, but you lost me at only concealed. Lets focus more on encouraging people to carry (who already have their license) and worry less about how they’re going to do it. Carry always!

    Solidarity among the POTG (insert your preferred term here) needs to be a bigger focus imho, it is just as important as helping people become first time gun owners. I think this is particularly relevant going coming up to 2016.

  10. I have a psycho dog who is terrified of fireworks and an injured spouse who can’t walk. As dry as it is, the risk of some idiot starting a massive grass fire (with illegal fireworks or his lawnmower) is very high. And it will be over 100 all weekend (Although truth be told, it is cooling off and Sunday at only 101 should be pretty nice.) I think I’ll stay home.

    • Well I hope you don’t need a gun after you drink. If I had to lock up my gun after drinking then I might as well not have a gun. Are you prone to doing stupid things after drinking? Maybe give up the alcohol and keep carrying. Responsible folks can have their beer and carry too.

  13. Unfortunately I have joined the crowd that carries less often because my new employer can and does search vehicles coming into and out of the secured areas of the campus, so I can’t store it in my car durin work hours. But yes, I will definitely carry at whatever venues we attend tomorrow. Maybe even OC, because ‘Murica.

  15. Rabbit hunting the morning of the 4th. So I’ll have my boomstick in hand.

    Kill the wabbit….

  17. Col. Cooper, why do you always carry a gun?
    “Evil exists in the world, be grateful there is a means to stop it.”
    It is my right, it is my responsibility.

  18. every day is a July 4 carry day. I’ll carry two spare mags instead of the usual one. maybe throw an ar in the backseat. got a bunch of flying noisemakers for tomorrow. Living in florida they are legal for agriculture purposes. I have this one noisy ass woodpecker…….

  19. “However, there are many CCL holders who may not usually carry. For whatever reasons, on a daily or general basis, they keep their weapon at home.”

    For some of us it’s real simple: we don’t want to be caught and convicted of a Federal felony. One of the disadvantages of working at a Federal facility, unfortunately.

  20. Yes, carry! Concealed or openly. The more the merrier. Just don’t be a douche about it to make a point, please. Pretty please, even.

    Conservative dress, a friendly demeanor and a holstered pistol will make a more positive impression than walking around with a tactical vest, an AK-47, and an indignant “AM I BEING DETAINED?” attitude. Just sayin.

    Happy Fourth to everyone, and remember, it’s Light fuse and get away. Not just ‘Light fuse’.

  22. State and local authorities have been notified by Homeland Security about reports of threats called for by various organizations
    Yawn. Who really cares? Let’s all draw pictures of the pedophile prophet instead.

  23. Nope !

    Don’t want my neighbors or the thugs trolling the neighborhood to know i have weapons; spoils the surprise. I have, however, considered putting signs in all their yards noting “Gun Free Zone Here”. I’m just too cheap to spring for the signage.

    And, given the state of the union the last 10yrs, as a combat veteran I do not fly the US flag anymore, either. Not because my neighbors would be offended, but because I am not longer a flag-waving patriot of whatever convoluted mess this place has become.

    So, there…..

  24. If I leave the house, I’m carrying concealed. Heck, I’m carrying most of the time when I’m inside the house. I don’t see why July 4, 2015 should be any different..

  25. We are free to show our independence or not in the manner we deem fit. This is the very definition of freedom.

    Burt, let’s not make this an “us against them” and “let’s show them” or put the antis on “notice” moment. How about we positively convince another “fence sitter”, voter and future voter that all of our rights are about having choice?

    How about inviting or tempting someone with some free training, ammo, range time and fun to create another Second Amendment addict?

    You don’t even have to stand up. You can be responsible for positively reinforcing the Constitution. I’m choosing to do that with 2 people this weekend. That’s the kind of experience that I hope goes viral.

    If you know that you wouldn’t want to be trained or taught by you, then you can help by not helping.

  27. I’m sick of all of the mention of privileged concealed carry and not the exercise of the RIGHT to carry (in many places, that means OPEN carry). And, on Independence Day FFS!

    If you live in an open carry state, bear arms openly. If you live in a state which you must conceal then by all means conceal but let’s not pretend that begging government permission is somehow exercising a right… because it ain’t!

    As for me, I will be doing as I always do, everydyay. I will be bearing arms openly. I may or may not be bearing a long gun.

  28. Way ahead of you, Bruce. I just picked up a Safariland ALS holster for my 1911. Can’t think of a better way to celebrate Independence Day than by wearing JMB’s classic design.

  29. Psalm 1911:
    “And yea, though I walk through the Valley of the Shadow of Death I will fear no evil for my sidearm is with me. My Glasers and my Hydra-shocks they comfort me and I will dwell in the house of JMB forever.”

    I will be carrying today. Why should today be any different? Not being armed because you’re just going to the store, library, etc. is like not taking your spare tire because you’re not going off-road.

  32. OC’d for the first time on July 4! Another fellow in the upscale restaurant was OC’ing a VP9.

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