By Sam Hoober, Alien Gear Holsters
Part of responsible concealed carry is not looking for trouble, and the importance of doing so is two-fold. The first is that not looking for trouble means that trouble may not find you that easily. (Granted, it just might anyway; you never know what may happen.) The second is that a person who seeks out confrontation could be painted in a negative light in the wrong situation.
To elaborate on that point a little better, a person who goes around picking fights or trying to police others could be painted as wanting to get in a fight or armed confrontation. Many prosecutors and juries would see that as a sign that a person instigated or deliberately engaged in gunfire because they wanted to, not because they had to in order to live.
There are definitely people out there who have tried to use “self-defense” as a justification for what were clearly acts of summary vengeance. Such people usually are looking for a reason to shoot or kill someone and are usually found out and sentenced accordingly.
One aspect of not looking for trouble is – to some degree – adopting a persona sometimes referred to as “Mr. Gray” or a “gray person.” This means a person that blends in, doesn’t really stand out, doesn’t seem to demand the attention of others. It’s not really one aspect (such as dress) but rather a number of them.
For instance, not wearing clothing with an abundance of designs and logos. Such a person isn’t likely to be a target, because such a person is easily overlooked.
For instance, if a criminal is determined to carry out, say, an armed robbery, or a maniac is bent on a shooting spree in a public place, whom do you think would be targeted by a shooter: the guy in Costco jeans and an anonymous pullover? Or the guy wearing the Glock hat, 2nd Amendment T-shirt, tactical pants and desert tan boots indoors in August?
While on the one hand, there is such a thing as “tacticool,” the truth is that an otherwise normal adult going around in that kind of get-up does give certain things away. Not that enjoying or exercising your 2nd Amendment (and other) rights is a bad thing – in fact it’s a good thing – but it’s also the case that advertising it loudly, early and often may not be the best thing in the world.
Have a Glock, AR-15 or other gun-related sticker on your car? Also not a great idea. KGW, a Portland, Ore. NBC affiliate sent a questionnaire to convicted burglars and of the 86 that responded, do you know what one signifier that a home was a good robbery target? NRA bumper stickers. It tells a burglar that a home probably has guns in it, and given that most gun owners own multiple firearms, possibly a lot of them.
Another good idea is not being loud in public, excessively confrontational or engaging in otherwise obnoxious behavior. Essentially, the idea is to avoid conflict or any sort of attention-getting (some might say attention-seeking) behavior.
The less you loudly announce your presence through dress or behavior, the less likely you are to find conflict where you otherwise would have none. You’re also less likely to stand out to someone looking to find someone to victimize. As a result, you reduce the risk – insofar as a person can – that you’ll ever have to use a gun.
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Sam Hoober is Contributing Editor for AlienGearHolsters.com, a subsidiary of Hayden, ID, based Tedder Industries, where he writes about gun accessories, gun safety, open and concealed carry tips. Click here to visit aliengearholsters.com.
I’ve never known a CC holder that goes around looking for a confrontation or fight, quite the opposite for the most part.
CC holders tend to be people that absolutely don’t want trouble if it can be avoided, but don’t want to be the loser if it can’t (from my experience).
As a matter of fact, as a concealed weapon carrier, I am MORE careful, NOT to get into any confrontation or situation. When the situation is unavoidable, all bets are off…
I have my weapons permits . I’m not looking for a fight but in the big urban areas I do maintain eye contact with potential problem people like young blacks.This is part of my “situation awareness” program.Stay alert,stay alive.
Hopefully while your watching blacks, dillion or a movie shooter don’t kill you dummy. Threats can be anyone.
Speak softly and carry a big stick.
I prefer .45 cal hollowpoint sticks.
I would have never thought that criminals would want to come to a house that they know has guns in it. Wouldn’t that mean that there would be a gun owner in there that knows how to use them? Hmm?
Been living here in South Africa for a couple years now. I have asked locals about guns and a lot of them have told me post-apartheid they sold them because having them made them targets for crime. Something valuable to steal so not worth it to keep in the house.
Are you kidding? ALL STICKERS ARE INTEL FOR SOMEONE!
Figure it out-if you’re dumb enough to put stickers on your car or home, you’re giving up your details to whomever sees you. A semi-intelligent person could easily assemble a useful little pile of info about you from your lame stickers and maybe steal your shit, mark you for punishment as a X-party supporter, or worse.
I stopped putting political stickers on my car years ago because other people are assholes who haven’t figured out I’m right yet. I got my car vandalized for expressing my opinion about Bill Klinton being a Cigar Afficionado.
When you put those lame gunshow stickers on your car and, God Forbid, your house, you’re just telling bad guys you’re a great potential target. Sure, they know not to mess with you when you’re around, but they also know you won’t be home all the time. If you went to the trouble to buy those stupid stickers, you obviously have guns and ammo. You probably more than the average gun owner, and I’ll look all over to find them. Your guns are mine.
If you got one of those pathetic family stick figure stickers, now they can assemble a good idea of exactly whom to expect IN your home. All I would need to do is see the people represented by the stick figures all pile into your van with the I-Don’t-Call-911 sticker on it, wait for you to leave, and go in the bedroom window. Your shit is mine.
If you’re one of those pussies with a COEXIST bumpersticker on your car, now I know you’re probably an easy target and, most likely, a female. I’ll bring the rape kit when I come knocking. Your snatch is mine.
On the other hand, keep your shit covered up in your car. I can’t hide my kid carseat, but everything else in the car is out of sight. It’s either locked in the glove box, in the console, or under cover in the back. There’s nothing really obviously valuable to be seen in my car. Actually, if you saw my car, you might leave me some cash. I don’t wash it every week. It usually has some trash in the front, napkins and wetwipes for spills, a few snack wrappers from the kid, and a book or toy in the back. Not that tempting…
If you want to put a sticker on your house, buy a security alarm company sticker and/or one of their little signs and stick those around your house. They’re a lot more effective than gunshow stickers, plus alarms don’t leave when you do.
Ed,
Give burglars SOME credit. They will watch to see when you are not at home to rob your place.
I agree on the subject of dressing subtly, though I do wear desert tan boots…I’ve had them for ten years, and they are freaking comfy on my days off. I just like boots is all. Unfortunately, I have occasionally gotten out of my car with my duty belt and uniform on, which was basically unavoidable, so the neighbors do know. Personally though, I like the – live with a couple other responsible and trained adults and intentionally work alternating shifts option.
Yeah, agree all the way. I’m a CC. I can spot at least some of my fellow CCers, too. For instance, the late-40s dude with grey hair in the mexican fast food joint I saw recently who was sporting a fanny pack. It wasn’t like he was wearing a gun patch or Glock hat, but the fanny pack was just a dead giveaway. Sorry, I know there aren’t many good options, but fanny packs are just screaming “I Carry.” (I think they were officially outlawed for suburban dad use in the 1980s by Title 18 USCode.) And his stature was also a giveaway. When I was in the Army, a cashier called me out once.
“You’re in the Army, aren’t you?”
“How can you tell,” I asked.
“You stand up straight and everyone else slouches,” she said.
I had never noticed that before. Posture is another giveaway. It really sticks out when you start people watching.
Oh, for you CC people-ever fear having your piece would pop out in public? I got a buddy who is a special agent. He’s lived what I’m merely afraid of, like having a pistol slip out of an IWB holster and down his pant leg, only to hang up on the inside cuff just above the floor in a grocery store aisle! Or of having a full mag somehow eject itself from a shoulder holster and go flying down a flight of stairs at his HQ. He’s honest, too-did I mention that?
I found it interesting that having gun-related stickers on your car could make you a more likely target. I’m thinking of getting a concealed carry permit, but definitely not to flaunt the fact that I have a gun on me. I agree that one should seek out conflicts, but if conflict appears, you could be helpful.