Conceal Your Piece

If we are going to conceal a gun on your person, it is good to understand a few things. First thing we must consider is the fact that we are trying to blend in with the rest of the population. I am not implying that we are secret agents that will be instantly gathered up by the Gestapo, but we do want to be inconspicuous. This helps us be underestimated by an attacker, which gives us a leg up and gives us a better chance of defending ourselves better. The second thing we want to consider is public image and the unintended consequences of a political statement. People who open carry don't seem to have the presence of mind, from my experience, to understand that they are only harming their own reputation and giving a bad image to us responsible gun owners who carry.

People who open carry seem to treat their gun like a Christmas ornament and let it hang out there without any awareness of their surroundings. This is counterproductive and leaves people like me, who are mindful of my personal space and surrounds, quite uncomfortable. i don't understand what is going on in their heads to make them think that open carrying is a good thing or even a tactful thing to do. I see most of them wearing what looks like a used gym sock for a holster, and making it obvious that they are carrying. I have seen one clown even tucking his Carhartt jacket into his pants just to present his gun. Now I understand if you live in a state that requires you to have a permit to carry concealed, but here in Alaska, we have constitutional carry. This is what disturbs me the most. I see a huge hotshot mindset from these people who seem to try to show off that they are carrying, as if it is the biggest turn on or sign of dominance in the world. This is quite the opposite of the truth in reality.

One thing I have noticed is that open carrying is a sign of inexperience, lack of training and poor personal skills and tact. When asked why they open carry, I almost always get the same response. "It's my right and if you don't like it, tough ****".  This is quite a hypocritical and barbaric stance in my opinion. You see, these are the same people that I here getting upset that people are burning flags and protesting military funerals or having gay-pride parades. The ironic thing is that these are all things that are protected by our constitution, but these people open carrying are selective about what they tolerate. People must tolerate them carrying and making people uncomfortable with their lack of awareness and Barney Fife appearance while making a political statement, but they better not exercise their rights and do things they don't agree with. See where it becomes ridiculous and just plain absurd?

If you want to make a political statement, don't go open carrying in a public park with a pistol on your hip and a rifle slung. This is exactly how you get targeted like that guy who was carrying a rifle during a BLM protest and was the first suspect in the Dallas shooting. If you want to make a political statement get a shirt and be peaceful about it. Open carrying a rifle to show that you carry and have guns is like gay and lesbian couples having public sex in the street to raise awareness that they are gay and lesbian and their love isn't hurting anyone. It is equally as ridiculous and only legal due to bending of the terminology of the laws. My advice is to where a shirt that says you carry, or that you like guns, or something, but displaying your guns and having the mindset that people should just deal with it is just putting you on the same level as the people who do unnecessary things under the guise of it being a political statement.

I guess what I want you to take away from this is that we have a responsibility to conceal our firearms and be the silent guardians we want to be, instead of the loud mouth, chest pounding monkeys that anti-gun people say we are. It is your actions and your presentation that dictate how you will be judged, not by your character.