O.K., Osama, before you try anything funny here in South Dakota, I should point out that we are packing. Heat, that is. Secretary of State Chris Nelson reports South Dakota sheriffs issued a record number of concealed weapons permits last year, 16,907. That’s up 15.6% from 2008 and up 68% from 2005.
55,770 South Dakotans have concealed weapons permits. That means if you’re in a restaurant with 14 other South Dakotans, odds are 2 out of 3 that there’s at least one gun in the room. Make that a crowd of 50 South Dakotans, and there’s a 97% chance that at least one person is armed.
Funny: I thought that Obama fella was coming to take our guns. Full year in the White House, and he's not even counting them. Hmm... maybe that was the other fella....
But consider: if you think carrying a pistol around will make you safer, why hide it? Cops on the beat and Marines in Baghdad generally make no secret of their armed status. Wouldn’t a Smith & Wesson in full view on your hip send a much clearer “Don’t mess with me” message than a vague lump in your pants? Or is the idea of a concealed weapon to lure dopey bad guys in, get them to make the first move, and give you an excuse for live target practice?
I'm just asking. Commenters, fire away....
p.s.: Hankering for a little Wild West gunplay? Check this study by Robert McGrath of crime rates in gun-totin' Bodie, California, during the 1870s silver boom.
"Wouldn’t a Smith & Wesson in full view on your hip send a much clearer “Don’t mess with me” message than a vague lump in your pants? Or is the idea of a concealed weapon to lure dopey bad guys in, get them to make the first move, and give you an excuse for live target practice?"
ReplyDeleteCory, Bad guys will steal if they know you have something they want.
Actually, most people who have a concealed weapons permit are interested in personal protection and don't want to draw attention to themselves. I don't think they are hoping to lure in any type of trouble, but really don't want to be a passive victim either. Wearing a gun on your hip is for law enforcement, although you don't need a permit to wear a weapon in full view. So Cory, slap on a six shooter and walk downtown. As long as it is in full view, you have a right to wear your weapon without a permit. In your case, as a former debater, you could probably talk your way out of being shot by a bank robber or road rager.
ReplyDeleteYou bring up another point worth considering, Rod: the fact that we don't need permits to open-carry should make open-carry an even more appealing option to the anti-government crowd: you can carry your gun without giving the government any paperwork to track you. Plus, open-carry makes a bold political statement, letting everyone know you think a gun is a perfectly normal item to have in public... not to mention that you're confident enough in your skills that you don't think some meathead is going to be able to steal it from you.
ReplyDeleteSo, are we talking probability that someone's packing heat, or probability that someone's packing a permit in their wallet? Not everyone who has a permit is actually always armed outside the house.
ReplyDeletePoint taken, Mike! But let's assume that if the good people of South Dakota are going to go to all the trouble of filling out a form ffor the government, they're going to get their money's worth out of it!
ReplyDelete"you can carry your gun without giving the government any paperwork to track you"
ReplyDeleteWe should be able to do that with conceal carry too, had the Progressives not destroyed the Constitution.
Cory, were you among the apalled Progressives over the guy carrying an AR-15 at an Obama rally during the last election cycle?
Steve said: "We should be able to do that with conceal carry too"
ReplyDeleteYou can in Vermont and Alaska.
You know, Steve, I as appalled at the AR-15 incident you reference, because that was not an exercise in responsible self-defense. That was an act of political intimidation, masquerading under insincere language and smart-alec abuse of the 2nd Amendment. I might have had at least a little respect for the gunners if they would have just been honest and said, "We want to scare the President and his supporters. he deserves to be shot, and I home someone will do so." Remember the tree of liberty line, and how pistol boy wouldn't be honest about his statements? Disgusting.
ReplyDeleteCory,
ReplyDeleteI take it you've never seen me wear my nickel-plated .357 Magnum Ruger Blackhawk around town in my leather gunbelt. I usually prefer my .40 cal Baretta 96 for concealed carry. I have pulled my weapon three times to defend my life and the lives of others. Fortunately, because of the mere presence (brandishing) of the weapons, I never had to use them. The one time in South Dakota that I got into a gunfight... I didn't have a gun. I dislocated his shoulder, took his gun and gave him a sound beating. Not everyone is trained in hand-to-hand combat against an armed assailant.
To this day I have never lost sleep over brandishing a weapon. However, I do have nightmares of being in gunfights without a gun.
People have an absolute right to defend themselves by whatever means necessary. (Shy of WMDs and tactical nuclear weapons...) The right to life, and the ability to defend said life is unalienable. I am glad to see concealed carry is on the rise in our state. I just hope that the newbies among us practice their shooting skills and research legal ramifications.
Your blog is somewhat accurate about President Obama. However, Senator Obama never met a gun control bill he didn't like. While is is true that no gun control legislation is currently moving through congress, he and his staff members have said that he endorses, and will push for, ratification of the INTER-AMERICAN CONVENTION AGAINST THE ILLICIT MANUFACTURING OF AND TRAFFICKING IN FIREARMS, AMMUNITION, EXPLOSIVES, AND OTHER RELATED MATERIALS treaty proposed by the OAS. (I hope this is yet another broken promise!)
While he has not yet made a (transparent) move towards gun control, the fact is, he is no friend of gun owners.
The gun-owners' fears are not entirely unfounded. (I love double negatives... except in legislation!)
The Rule of Nines: In 99.9% of all felonies the police arrive AFTER the crime has been committed.
Jason Bjorklund