When you practice the God given right to arm yourself and step out into a public place, it is important that you maintain a strong and observant mindset. In most urban and suburban cultures, carrying concealed is likely the wisest and most practical mode of carry when legal to do so. Check yourself and get somebody else to check your attire so that you can avoid “printing” your piece. The reason this is so important is because even though most states now allow some form of concealed carry many people, including some members of law enforcement, have an unreasonable fear of lawfully armed citizenry.
An interaction between a legally armed citizen and someone who overreacts to the presence of a weapon carried in public can have tragic results. The situation that prompted this post happened in Las Vegas in 2010, but the lessons and ramifications are still very applicable to those who carry today. Two years after this tragedy, questions still swirl about the facts of this case. Regardless, a lawfully armed citizen who had not done anything violent was shot and killed by police. That is a tragedy for everyone involved, and especially this man’s family. It’s likely that third party exaggerations created an atmosphere where police went into the situation over-hyped and an innocent man paid the ultimate price.
Of course, you will never have all the details and the whole story from a newspaper article. When you carry in public keep your game face on and radar dialed appropriately. Familiarize yourself with Jeff Cooper’s “color codes” and practice them. Conduct yourself wisely and with great awareness so that nobody knows you are armed unless called upon to stop a threat.
