Via saysuncle.com comes this WTF-worthy item (and two other variations) from the Sportsmen’s Guide catalogue. Literally minutes of intense brain racking failed to generate any possible good use for these things. But I did come up with a few bad ones. And tacticaltupperware.com‘s not happy about ’em either. “I have decided and am encouraging the rest of you to join me in saying that we will not order from Sportmans guide until these items are gone or at least become marketed as novelty items.” My guess is that, if asked, the folks at SG would say that’s exactly what they are – novelty items. I’m not a boycotter. Still, just because you can sell these things doesn’t mean you should.

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55 COMMENTS

  1. Just because someone sells something doesn’t mean you should buy it. I don’t have to boycott anyone, I can just not buy that particular product. If no one buys it, they will stop offering it. It’s a bad idea, but so what? There’s lots of stupid products on the market. My local gun store stocks the Taurus Judge and I don’t boycott him.

    • “My local gun store stocks the Taurus Judge and I don’t boycott him.”
      —–
      Ugh! Coke all over keyboard!
      +1

  3. Yes, wearing a security guard’s badge is less likely to get you in as much trouble as “impersonating a law enforcement officer” here in SC. The last time I recall someone doing similar he caught a two year bid, all travel expenses paid and accommodations were free.

    • Impersonating a police officer, where I live, will get your CCW revoked.

      Considering just how elastic the interpretation of “impersonating a police officer” might be, I can see where this badge just might result in the loss of CCW.

      At the very least, having such a badge could result in a protracted legal battle that would cost a lot of money to no avail.

      I tend to think this badge is a bad idea all the way around.

  4. I agree that it’s a bad idea to buy these silly badges, but I wouldn’t boycott the company. The fool who is stupid enough to use one of these badges will most likely get arrested and lose their carry permit forever. I guess if you keep it hidden you won’t have a problem, but if you flash this at the wrong person and they file a complaint you’re going to have some really big problems and lawyer fees.

  5. Reminds me of the NRA HOLSTER that has a window to display your concealed carry permit.
    “Sure, officer, let me just whip this out”
    (apologies to Blazing Saddles)

  6. I already boycott Sportsman’s Guide, but for a totally different reason. Namely: They just pissed me off. They put a product in their catalog that they did not have in stock and, in fact, would never offer. (Blamed it on broken promises from a manufacturer, as if I should care about their business dealings with someone else.) I made a big order by rolling a bunch of additional product into an order that I made only for that one item. They drew me in with an awesome product at an awesome price, and then they didn’t deliver. They solicited business using false advertising. That’s why I boycott them. I don’t mind if other people buy from them, but I avoid them.

    • I ordered an H&K flare pistol from them back in May or so. Its been on backorder ever since. I’m starting to wonder if the same thing has happened. On the other hand, I’ve bought a lot of cool camo uniforms from them.

  7. I have a friend who carries something like this in case he is caught in a situation where he has drawn his gun and the cops arrive. His plan is to put his gun down, get to ground and hold up the badge. The idea is to let the cops ID you as a good guy in a pressure situation. It is not a badge and there is no implication that he is impersonating a cop. It buys you time as the police gain control of the situation.

    I use a different approach. I put my permit on a lanyard around my neck when I carry. If challenged by a LEO I can keep my hands in sight and not appear threatening as I retrieve my permit.

    • I have a friend who carries a little Ruger .380 in a holster on a lanyard around his neck.

      Just sayin.

      • If you are being CHALLENGED by the cops, DONT EFFIN MOVE! Don’t reach for anything!

        Keep your permit in your wallet with the rest of your Ids.

        If you are being pulled over get your wallet out BEFORE you stop. Get out your permit and ID and hold them in your hands that are resting on the steering wheel, permit on top. No words need be exchanged, no movements to make.

        • The reason the permit is hanging from my neck is that I don’t have to move unless he tells me to. The cop can reach for the permit himself while I assume the appropriate position. My hands don’t have to move at all.

          • Oh, I guess I see what you mean, but maybe you are overthinking it a bit? They are easily confused ya know.

        • “If you are being pulled over get your wallet out BEFORE you stop.” ??

          Cops can see you reaching down for something unless you are in a van or truck. Best to wait until the cop asks you for your “papers” (plastics?) before you do anything beyond running your LH side window down a couple of inches (most cars have electric windows now) before you stop and turn the ignition off. At night it has been recommended to turn the interior lights on. I don’t know about that as it is probably unusual behavior and anything unusual tends to alarm cops. If the cop wants your interior lights on he/she will ask you to do so.
          If the cop wants to see your DL, insurance, registration (what for? They can run your tag now), he will ask for them. He may just want to inform you of some defect in your car, issue you a warning for a dirty tag light, etc. and may not even ask you to show anything. Just an excuse to look into your car. If he asks for your “papers” tell him where they are before reaching for them. Best not to carry your DL or insurance card in your wallet. Have it in your shirt pocket or the ash tray. Have your insurance card and registration folded and stuck in the door trim above the LH door. If they are not in your wallet, you will avoid admitting (by displaying it) that you even have a wallet, unless you are arrested and your car is searched “for inventory purposes” BS. What else is in your wallet will not come into play at all. Why should he ask for your wallet if you have already displayed your DL, insurance card and registration tax receipt without showing a wallet? My Dad never carried a wallet. He carried his DL in his suit jacket inside pocket. Registration tax receipt was in the glovebox. We didn’t have to prove insurance then unless we were involved in a crash.

  8. Ah, the ubiquitous “shoot me first” badge. If the BG sees it, he’ll shoot the wearer first. I wouldn’t boycott the company for this. It’s just doing it’s job, trying to drain the shallow end of the gene pool.

  9. I have to agree that this is a bad idea. The police (even in metropolitan multi-jurisdictional areas) are not going to be happy with a meaningless badge. States issue CCW licenses, not badges. Flipping a badge is going to draw extra attention, not less. As a previous commentor noted, the bad guys will also pay extra attention to you.

    However, I am totally in favor of the FBI credential (Female Body Inspector) and think that every male should carry one.

    • “However, I am totally in favor of the FBI credential (Female Body Inspector) and think that every male should carry one.”

      Why only males?

    • The CCW Permittee badge is not for “flipping” at the cops. It is to deter a fellow armed civilian who stumbles on the crime scene from shooting you for having a gun in your hand. Cops may not like these badges but they won’t shoot you for having one. Not interested in pleasing the cops. Interested in not getting shot. Ruins the whole day. Week, Month. Year. Maybe life.

  10. I actually read a newsletter that made me think there might be some limited use for these things (but I haven’t bought one).

    The author described a disorderly (think post-Katrina) situation where you need to travel across an area and you may encounter, say, rioters or looters. Now add your family to the mix. His thesis was that a CCW badge is basically an intermediate between command voice and lethal force or even aggravated assault. Pepper spray, tasers, stun guns, etc. are too low capacity to even make a mob think twice. And I don’t want to shoot anybody. And looters aren’t all hardened criminal.

    So if a badge helped me travel from point A to point B in a situation where it’s extremely unlikely to get mistaken for LEO, or reported or prosecuted for such, that might be a legitimate use. Maybe.

    • The entire legitimate purpose of a “CCW Licensee” badge is to avoid getting shot by another non-LEO civilian who, stumbling upon the crime scene, sees you holding a gun in your hand. It is NOT to impress anyone else except maybe the badguy, who you can deceive and lie to in an effort to cause his (or rarely her) aggression to cease. “FREEZE M**********R POLICE FREEZE OR I’LL BLOW YOUR F*****G B***S OFF!” is legitimate when trying to intimidate a criminal aggressor into ceasing aggressing so maybe you don’t have to shoot.
      Police don’t like these badges but they won’t shoot you for having it.
      The possibility of being arrested, your gun impounded, your car towed, are all extremely minor irritations compared to being shot. Doesn’t matter whether the being shot is by the badguy or by the “helpful” fellow civilian. Being shot is just that: being shot. If you did not identify yourself as an officer of any kind, upon being questioned denied being one, and did nothing illegal with your gun or your badge, most any judge should dismiss the charges with prejudice (they can’t bring it up again). Being shot makes for a HORRIBLE day, I can assure you. Even the proverbial “flesh wound” is my precious body part being subjected to mutilation and attempted murder. Being shot AT and missed is a distant second, a minor irritation compared to being shot. I’d choose being shot AT with a 12 ga. and missed than shot at and hit with a .38 (both happened to me).
      If you are not carrying, leave the badge where you store your gun. If the situation is under your control – the badguy is defeated, frozen still, or has run away, put the gun away if you can do so safely before the cops arrive. At the same time, get rid of the badge before police arrive and you probably will avoid problems from them over it. If there is a “helpful” armed civilian present, you might advise him to put his gun away. If he won’t, he can be the one to get shot by the police instead of you.

  11. Hate to point out the obvious, but it looks like the same kind of badge on the jacket in your TTAG store. The one with the (insert any 3 letter government agency here) lettering on the back. That would be a fun one for someone who didn’t read English very well to differentiate between blog swag vs. Federale’… I love your blog and am an avid 2nd Amendment supporter, but this was just too much…

  12. The badge has its origins in officer survival from the 90’s. And was previously discussed on TTAG. As for the boycott, so much at Sportsman’s Guide is novelty, how can you tell the difference?

  13. FWIW those badges have been around since at least the early 90’s, IOW, long before “shall issue” Concealed carry became the norm. I’ve never heard of anyone actually using one, and I would regard anybody sporting such a badge as a demented cop-wannabe.

    Not sure if you could actually get into trouble wearing a badge like that. Different states have different statutes on what constitutes “criminal impersonation.” On it’s face the badge doesn’t make any claims to be a cop, sheriff, or any other sort of LEO, but of course you can’t tell that from a distance. Incidentally, there are similarly cheesy “bail enforcement” badges sold by the same company.

    Does anyone here know anybody who ever bought such a badge and actually used it? Given that they’ve been around for ~20 years, somebody must be buying these things or the companies wouldn’t keep selling them.

  14. I’ve actually seen vendors wearing these on their belts at the Gun Show here in San Antonio. I generally slide right on past their table after that. Seen in person they are easy to spot as not being real badges like the polizei carry.

    • I think the same folks actually make an “FFL” badge, so maybe that’s what the dealer’s were wearing?

      How about a “Law Abiding Citizen” badge?

    • What is a “polizei”? It is not an English word and means nothing in the USA.
      I have a souvenir “polizei” patch from Bern, Switzerland sewed on my security guard shirt. I would never wear this shirt with that patch anywhere off private property that I was hired to guard. If it dupes a criminal into thinking I am a real officer and intimidates him into going away, it has served a good purpose.
      There is an old security company patch on the other shoulder. It was there when I got the shirt. If it helps deter a criminal from criming me, well and good.
      “Good purpose” is that I didn’t get beaten, knifed or shot by the badguy. A secondary good purpose is that if I didn’t have to shoot the badguy because he was discouraged from aggressing by the sight of the patch.
      I am not an armed security guard and would never hire out to be one. The gun is solely for my own protection, not the client’s property, which I would abandon in a flash if threatened or thought I was about to be threatened. I can call the police or sheriff from a place of safety with my cell phone. F**k the client’s stuff.

  15. In all seriousness, back in the days when CCW permits were “may issue” rather than “shall issue”, getting a permit was a Big Deal – it usually meant you were “connected” in some way with local or state gov’t officials.

    IIRC the pretextual reason for these badges was that, seeing as how legal concealed carry was so rare (for non-cops, anyway) having a badge would mark you as “one of the good guys” to an unwitting citizen if he should accidentally catch a glimpse of the heater on your hip, making it less likely that he would call in the real cops to arrest you for having a concealed weapon on you.

    But in truth, I think this was marketed to those who thought that having a CCW permit made them sort of a quasi-cop and so the real purpose of the badge was to display their privileged status to the rest of us lowly peons who were not blessed by our local Lords of Law Enforcement.

    Now that any Joe Schmoe with a clean record and a few hundred bucks can get a permit, I have no idea who their potential customers are.

  17. There’s no reason to wear any sort of badge unless you’re an actual officer of something. This and things like it are just for people who want to play “Cops n Robbers” instead of being regular ass people with CCW permits 😛

  18. Greetings:

    Many, many years ago, when I lived in Idaho, I got my concealed weapons license and I bought one of those badges.

    My reason for buying it was a safety factor in case I ever had to use my weapon, to hopefully keep from being shot by responding officers.

    The sheriff told me he considered it as impersonating an officer, although I never identified myself as one.

    (By the way, I have been employed as a police officer, but at the time of this occurance, I was retired for disability.)

    But, when I was at the VA Hospital in Salt Lake City, that badge did help, for the VA Police saw it and decided not to press charges against me for being armed on VA property.

    However, that was a very long time ago, and I’m sure things are different now.

    It’s been many years since I’ve lived in Idaho or Utah, so I no longer have a concealed weapons license.

    I had moved to the Old Soldiers’ Home in Washington, D.C., where firearms are not allowed, and my concealed weapons license eventually expired, along with my license as an emergency medical technician.

    Here in Mississippi, I can get a concealed weapons license after one year’s residence, and because of my age, I’ll pay a reduced rate.

    But, should I, or anyone else, ever apply for a concealed weapons license?

    After all, it’s a violation of our implied unalienable rights as guaranteed by the Constitution of the United States of America.

    Even more dangerous, it provides police and military units with a list of vulnerable firearms owners in the event they decide to attempt to illegally disarm the public, as they did in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.

    So, shouldn’t we all become outlaws?

    Doesn’t common sense demand it?

    Anyway, I’m still trying to figure this stuff out.

    In November, I will be eligible to apply for my concealed weapons license in Mississippi – – – IF that’s what I still want to do.

    What do you think?

    Thank you.

    John Robert Mallernee
    Armed Forces Retirement Home
    Gulfport, Mississippi 39507

    • “But, should I, or anyone else, ever apply for a concealed weapons license?

      “After all, it’s a violation of our implied unalienable rights as guaranteed by the Constitution of the United States of America.”

      Concealment of deadly weapons has never been established as a constitutional right in the UK, the British Empire or the USA. Today concealment is allowed to persons of good moral character with a view to deter crime and to avoid causing timid people to piss their drawers at the sight of a … GUN!!! It also leaves doubt in the minds of criminal types as to who is or is not packing heat. Is the little old great-grandmother packing? I don’t want to find out. Is the “Caspar Milquetoast”-looking accountant packing heat? Don’t want to find out either.

    • “But, when I was at the VA Hospital in Salt Lake City, that badge did help, for the VA Police saw it and decided not to press charges against me for being armed on VA property.”

      Federal prisons are preferable to state, but they tend to be rather overcrowded. Any federal premises, owned or leased, prohibits non-official possession/carrying of firearms or other deadly or dangerous weapons on the premises, at least inside if not in the parking lot, unless specifically allowed such as in National Forests. The Second Amendment de facto does not apply to the federal government.

  19. I live in the greatest state in the Union known as Arizona and don’t have to worry about bullshit CCW cards (as any free American shouldn’t have to). Given the hypothetical situation of having to carry one I feel anything other than a CCW card an officer can find in your wallet is a definite exercise in the unknown. In any sort of stop an officer is used to pulling a wallet or purse to check “general contents” so having your CCW card stashed there will be a relative natural for the cop to find (unlike that poor bastard in Canton that was doomed from the beginning).

    I think its a shame that any law abiding citizen isn’t allowed to carry concealed at their discretion and that the cops don’t automatically assume the person they just pulled over is armed, for better (a nice change) or worse (what they expect anyway).

    • Vermont, a bastion of Liberals and Progressives, trusts its citizens and visitors with possession, carrying and concealing whatever they can legally possess. Vt. issues CCW licenses only so its citizens can benefit from reciprocity from states that restrict carrying and concealment. No one needs a permit to carry openly or concealed in Vt.
      Guess what? There is little need for people to go armed in Vt. If one does perceive a need, or just wants to, there are no restrictions unless a premises posts “No Weapons,” “No Firearms” or similar notices prominently at all entrances open to the public.

  20. John Robert Mallernee,

    For what its worth, I’m neither proud nor ashamed that I illegally carried concealed for nearly 24 years (since high school and until AZ bill SB 1108 officially acknowledged my fundamental right). I believe the right to protect oneself transcends ANY law in effect which is why at only 16 years old I saw current law as flawed and willingly defied it in order to adequately protect myself and at nearly 40 years old now I’m ecstatic to see my fellow Arizonans vindicate what I’ve always held true.

  21. How is a badge like this going to get you arrested for impersonating a police officer? It does not say POLICE on it. Unless you Identify yourself as a police officer, you most certainly are not impersonating one. I have been in Law Enforcement for over 30 years. I have come across a few of these badges in my time. I have yet to hear one badge holder identify him or herself as a police officer. The purpose of these badges is to protect a permit holder from becoming a victim of friendly fire. Say a person with a CCW is forced to pull his weapon and order a perpetrator to get on the ground. When the police arrive, they have no idea who is who. All they see is someone pointing a gun at someone else. The badge draws attention to the fact that the person holding the gun has a legal right to do so. Thereby preventing himself from being shot by the police for legally defending himself and his loved ones.

  22. Ive always heard bad things about the ccw badge. I heard that cops will without a doubt arrest you for impersonation. I could be wrong but most of the reviews and post and forums i read dont recommend a badge like that at all. I think its a good idea but others think not. A simple badge would change a crooks mind before they had a gun pointed in there face. They could get the badge flashed in there face or bullets to the face. If i was a crook and i seen a badge on someone i was gonna rob or whatever i would think twice.

  23. The problem no one seems to address is that there are no requirements to get the CCW badge. With this easy-to-purchase symbol available to anyone, the “bad guys” can get one too, and hold it up at the same time the legal carriers do. Now which suspect to I handcuff first? Not to mention, a CCW does not give anyone the “right” to point a gun at or shoot another person, that requires a set of circumstances that cannot be ID’d with a chunk of steel. Additionally the badges are all different styles and colors, in my state at least I can recognise the CCW card from 50ft. and know what I’m dealing with. They’re harder to get too.
    It’s a bad idea to use the badge as any form of identification.

    • I can buy real police badges that were originally issued to a real LEO without any proof of being a cop. Badges are mainly for impressing mostly law-abiding citizens to submit. Or criminals to go away and not commit the crime they were planning.

  24. Don’t get me wrong:
    I enjoy the novelty of the badge because it does represent the hard work that I’ve accomplished to earn it; ie. taking a safety class, conforming to my societies majority view on the issue, and responsibly carrying a defense tool with pride. Every one deserves to take pride in that accomplishment, but dunder heads that use the badge foolishly are offensive as the dunder heads that want to remove my right to own the badge.

    “Don’t take my guns, just take HIS badge”…comes accross as hypocritical from my perspective.

  25. I used to be one one of those who assumed only mall ninjas and LEO wanna-bees would have one of these, but in light of the two most recent mass shootings, I’m not so sure.

    If you’re a CCWer and you’re drawn into an “active shooter” incident, even if you only produce but especially if you discharge your weapon, you won’t necessarily be in control of factors like when the engagement ends and when it’s safe to re-holster or disarm yourself. What if you’re still actively confronting the shooter when the police come rolling in? I wouldn’t expect the police to immediately label me a good guy just because I’m sporting a badge, but I am inclined to believe it will cause them to give me a second look before they decide to put a 5.56 in my lower brain housing group.

    I used to be a commercial airline pilot and whenever we had more than one LEA passenger who was armed, we were required to make sure each knew of all the others so there wouldn’t be any “misunderstandings” if one of them “got made.” It occurs to me that this also is one of the chief dangers to a CCWer trying to respond to an active shooter. What if you’re not the only CCW in the crowd? And what if the other CCWers aren’t as disciplined and/or situationally aware as you?

    Step #1 in the DHS Active Shooter response protocol is to flee for your life. If you can’t run away from the shooter, Step #2 is to find a place to hide. If you were a CCWer who’d got caught up in this, and if there were other CCWers in the group, I’m inclined to believe you’d be less likely to get yourself accidentally shot by another well-meaning CCWer if you were to produce a badge before producing your weapon.

    One of the biggest problems, both for the police and for the victims, especially if there are multiple shooters, is going to be separating the pepper from the fly sh1t. Alls I’m saying is that I can imagine not unrealistic circumstances when a CCW badge would improve my chances of being recognized as just another grain of pepper, albeit an armed one.

  26. I have one,
    the ONLY reason is to have it clipped right next to my rig on my concealed belt. NO intention to flash it, hold it up in a situation–it’s SOLE and SINGULAR purpose is ‘in case’ I bend over at wally world or safeway is to possibly relieve timid tina from freaking out if she catches a momentary glimpse. I know how to conceal and to carry, but sometimes shirts ride, wind blows or a button pops.

  27. “Concealed” means concealed, not “‘in case’ I bend over at wally world or safeway,” or unless “shirts ride, wind blows or a button pops.” If anyone sees or “makes” your piece without touching you, it is not concealed, at least not enough.

    • Alright so let me just get this out of the way I’ve seen these in surplus stores and thought they were dumb but I actually saw a guy with one today and… yep still dumb. I came on here just to see how many people feel the same way and see what the argument for the badge was. In my opinion if SHTF and some guy flashed the badge as mentioned in an above scenario its not going to make me trust him more now he’s just another pecker wood (myself included) that loves the second amendment. That being said I’m not going to engage a target unless I have personally seen them commit hostile action I hope everyone else has a similar method of not shooting “the good guys”

      Now on to your post MAC,

      In my experience, which for the sake of this argument we’ll call limited, unless you’re carrying a pocket pistol your gun WILL print at some point even if you do the back straight bend at the knees squat maneuver when grabbing the coco puffs off the bottom shelf (so sue me I still eat kids cereal). Now granted I do attribute this to carrying a full size however I carried a SW1911SC in a DeSantis Sof-tuck and still had an issue. I guess what I’m asking is a.) Have you seriously never had an issue with “being made”? b.) What am I doing wrong? c.) Has my love of full size doomed me? (background: I usually wear jeans and a polo untucked and prefer a 4-5 o’clock position)

      Any help by you or anyone on this forum would be greatly appreciated.

      • No, I have never had an issue with being made. I carried an AMT .380 Backup or a CA .44 Bulldog with .38 Chiefs Special belthook grips. I could not stand being detected as the state at that time had no provision for carrying a pistol except for LEOs and licensed armed security guards. If I had carried a larger gun in DC or NYC and been caught, things would not have gone well for me.
        Having a .25 Baby on one’s person is preferable to a .50 Desert Eagle in the gun safe at home.
        “The First Rule of Gunfights remains: Bring a Gun.”
        The First Rule of Alley Fights remains: Bring a Gun.
        The First Rule of Knife Fights remains: Bring a Gun.
        The First Rule of Fights with a person who may be your Superior in fighting remains: Bring a Gun.
        Most thugs and rogues do not want to be shot with a gun even if they have guns themselves. In a close-in fight a .25 pressed (lightly; don’t push the slide back or it will disconnect) into contact with the thug’s body will kill nearly instantly as the powder gases, still at high pressure, will go inside the thug’s body and expand violently. The majority of the power of the propellant is expressed in the muzzle blast (or in the case of a .25, muzzle pop).
        “The final question, then, is, are you armed and safe with this kind of gun? The final answer: if your alternative is a larger, more powerful pistol, then no. If your alternative is no gun at all, then yes.”

  28. Most posts on this are heavily biased to the poster’s opinion and not a logical argument for or against any realistic benefit of the ‘badges’, which can be characterized as ‘pros’ or ‘cons’. Logically, any ‘pro’ could be – by itself – reason enough to carry the badge, if it is determined logically to bestow any survivability upon the wearer. Conversely, any ‘con’ would NOT – by itself – justify as a reason to abandon the carrying of these ‘badges’, save for one reason: that it can logically be determined that the carrying of the badge would actively be detrimental to survivability.

    Additionally, since there exists no statute in any jurisdiction, that any citizen MUST carry these – it can therefor be logically determined that there can ONLY exist personal preferences which guide the decision to carry it or not to carry.

    Since preferences are not logically subjugate to logical factors – and should not in any case be expected to be – it can therefor be determined that one cannot and should expect logic to drive this decision-making process in any individual.

    But it should.

    This is why: Any logically-driven individual who carries the ‘badge’ ostensibly in deference to that logic for doing so, would by extension be a logical person; and therefor less likely in need to “impress” upon perfect strangers that he or she is “anointed” with powers not already granted to every citizen under the Constitution. This kind of person would, as a mathematical probability, be a much higher population or “carriers” in a control group of carriers of the ‘badge’.

    This is true because human beings are not inherently logic-driven, but are more prone – and responsive – to emotive influences, whether we like to admit to it or not.

    The equation that makes sense is this: if one singular LOGICAL reason to carry the ‘badge’ can be established, then it can be established that there exists ‘pros’ to the badge. This has of course been established, as one primary ‘pro’ is to keep good-intentioned, yet very nervous armed citizens caught up in a fast moving situation from shooting YOU.

    It can be established unquestionably that the most-oft cited detractor of the ‘badge’ is that it brandishes one as an ‘idjit’ by LEO’s. It is illogical to care what any other’s opinion of you or your reason for carrying the ‘badge’ is – IF you have EVEN ONE SINGULAR LOGICAL reason for carrying it.

    If at least ONE singular logical reason exists for carrying it, then the ‘badge’ itself can logically be determined to enhance survivability – as survivability is the singular LOGICAL reason for the existence of the badge in the first place.

    It does not then, NECESSARILY brandish one as an ‘idjit’ for carrying one. In fact, if even a single logical reason can be decidedly shown to exist, then the badge can be purposely worn (i.e., not serving to emotion).

    Sadly, humans are illogical and the odds are highly in favor that the wearer is in fact a ghey wannabe mall cop.

    But does not carrying ANY weapon serve only a singular logical purpose? To increase one’s odds of survivability against aggression? Of course, that IS the only LOGICAL reason to carry.

    Logically, then, this ‘badge’ does pass the smell test. If only people were logical. We are not, in large numbers, logical. Nor do we behave logically – or orderly – when rapidly evolving conditions that include aggressive behaviors are unfolding around us.

    In the event that you just either brandished your weapon in such a situation, OR just dropped the ghoul threatening another with a firearm, you ARE in fact increasing your survivability against “helpful” – and nervous – other CCW’s, who might be a little ‘trigger happy’ in the situation.

    Conversely, you may mark yourself as a ‘idjit’ to the first responders. So what, if it makes them hesitate for even a second. Long enough to hesitate blowing you away.

    If you carry it for that singular purpose and you do not care what the cops think of you, then I believe the ‘badge’ has merit.

    People should remember that cops think we are ALL guilty until proven innocent – so why even consider what they think, anyway? I am ever-hopeful that they are thinking CLEARLY at all, in an armed shooter situation.

    i only trust myself and especially not the cops. They are only as good as their training, and their training these days is, IMHO, as highly suspect as their ostensible justifications for becoming very outwardly militarized.

    If I thought that this ‘badge’ would enhance my survivability, I personally would carry one. I elect to defer that edge to a calm mind and a good aim.

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