Posted on 05/28/2012 4:22:33 AM PDT by Kaslin
I never travel without a loaded gun. I usually carry a Smith and Wesson Model 640 in a bucket in the trunk of my car. Sometimes I carry a Glock Model 23 instead. I was really happy I was carrying the former when I arrived at my hotel room in Amarillo last week shortly after midnight. As I was unpacking my trunk, a man came walking across the parking lot from an adjacent hotel. His largely incoherent introduction began something like this:
“Hey, I’m a big scary black man and I need some help. Won’t nobody help me ‘cause I’m a big scary black man. I ain’t gonna hurt ya (pulls out wallet). See? Here’s my ID. I’m a preacher and I got kicked outa my room. I ain’t no beggar. I just need $12 or I’m gonna have to sleep in the parking lot. I’m stayin’ right over there (points to adjacent hotel). Theys a woman and a child that’s gonna have to sleep in a car if don’t get $12.”
I detected a slight stumble as the man was walking toward me talking. It took very little insight to detect that he was no preacher and that the money was not needed to pay off a $12 balance in order to get re-admitted to his hotel room. So I turned back toward my trunk and continued unpacking.
The final part of my unpacking ritual involves securing my firearm, which I always take with me into the hotel room. I always reach into the bucket, take the gun out of the holster, and slip it in my pocket on my left hand side (I ‘m a southpaw). It just so happened that the stumbling “preacher” was approaching from my left hand side and could see my hands clearly as I was unpacking.
Shortly after I secured all of the items from my trunk, the stumbling “preacher” shouted, “Oh, mercy! Can’t a black man get a break?” He threw his hands in the air and then turned around and walked hurriedly towards the adjacent parking lot. I had substantially more than $12 worth of cash on me that evening (actually it was early morning). I made it to the hotel room before I had to pull either the wallet or the gun out of my pocket.
The man who approached me in the parking lot that evening did three things that I consider to be morally reprehensible. Although he did not split a single infinitive, his actions are worthy of condemnation for the following reasons:
1. He invoked race where it was irrelevant.
2. He falsely claimed to be a member of a noble profession.
3. He pretended to be acting on others’ behalf while he was acting in his own selfish interests.
Fortunately, I have been a handgun owner since 1993. I also obtained my concealed weapon permit in 1997. At no time since then have I been robbed or assaulted. Nor have I even had to fire a shot, point a gun, or verbally threaten a person to secure my safety.
My experiences as a handgun owner have been no aberration. States passing concealed carry laws have seen significant decreases in predatory crime. Academic studies have also demonstrated that these decreases are statistically significant even after controlling for variables that might otherwise explain the reductions in crime.
To date, there have been 16 refereed studies that have concluded that violent crime goes down as a result of concealed carry laws. About 10 refereed studies have shown the results of concealed carry laws to be inconclusive with regard to violent crime. No refereed studies – I repeat, zero refereed studies – have shown that allowing citizens to carry concealed weapons increases the rate of violent crime.
Sadly, most of these refereed studies have been conducted by economists interested in cost/benefit analysis on matters of public policy. I used the word “sadly” because the question of the effects of gun laws on crime is a matter that falls squarely within the discipline of criminology, which is a branch of the larger discipline of sociology. Yet criminologists and sociologists generally shy away from the issue. Their inactions are worthy of condemnation for the following reasons:
1. They invoke race where it is irrelevant.
Too many “social scientists” ignore citizens’ legitimate concerns over their safety and well-being. Those who would like to carry a gun lawfully are often dismissed as having an irrational fear of people or color.
2. They falsely claim to be members of a noble profession. In addition to avoiding doing research on gun ownership, most “social scientists” are not familiar with the results of studies on the topic. To ignore science and hold oneself out as a scientist is simply wrong.
3. They pretend to be acting on others’ behalf while acting in their own selfish interests. Sociologists are opposed to rape. But they are overwhelmingly opposed to concealed carry laws that reduce rape. Clearly, they have decided that they are more interested in preventing an assault on their worldview than in preventing assaults on innocent women.
Put simply, the time has come for these “social scientists” to stop acting like bums and become productive members of society. It may be true that they have families to feed and nowhere else to go. But we can’t keep giving them handouts forever.
He didn't have a purty mouth. At all!
Geeze—when I’m traveling, I always have my pistol holstered and clipped to my belt. I can’t figure out what good a gun is when it’s locked in the trunk of your car and you get into some sort of threatening situation..........
If Mike let this man within 7 yards without being ready to shoot, he made a mistake.
He may not be so lucky next time.
I wonder, if riots broke out in a Texas city, would store windows be broken and stores looted.”
In Dallas? Maybe.
In Amarillo? I doubt it....
From a tactical point of view, Mr. Adams is handicapping himself badly if, in an emergency, he has to draw his weapon from the bucket in the trunk of his car. It would be much faster to draw from a holster on his hip.
His comments on the socioloists are, as usual, spot on.
Off subject, but I have to pass on what my wealthy friend does with salesmen:
Salesman calls my buddy trying to sell investments, usually oil & gas partnerships.
My buddy says, “Yes, I am the head of the family corporation and am responsible for investing several million dollars. Please send me your prospectus with a check for $2500 and I will have my CPA and Attorney analyze it. They cost $250 per hour, and it usually takes about 10 hours to analyze a prospectus. If their time runs over 10 hours I’ll let you know how much more money to send.”
Click.
Ok, so if he wants to carry it in his trunk - why a bucket?
I suppose the bucket is to keep it from sliding all around loose, so he knows where it is when he has to draw it quickly.
He began walkin in our direction. I beeped the truck open, the girls hopped in. As I opened my door and started to slip in, I opened the center console, shook off the holster of my .38 snub.
Sat in the drivers seat, put the pistol in my lap, turned to pull my door closed and there he was, standing just on the other side of the glass.
He'd come around the back side of the truck, kinda in my blind spot. He said something, but I didn't understand what he said.
I said, “BACK UP”. He mouthed something else. I began raising Bertha and said again, “BACK UP”.
Guess what? This young black male understood exactly what was being asked of him.
Lucky for him....third times a charm!
5.56 mm?
AR-15?
Me? I answer the door with a .45 on my hip under my shirt.
Now there is an entire political campaign devoted to begging for $3 donations ...
Very well written.
The last thing they wanted was for the Crackers to be stirred up. Speaks volumes to the security of small towns where eveybody understands everybody else.
Only in Holder’s side of town. Won’t see much rioting in Texas, too many “anti-riot” rednecks!
A panhandler walked up to me in a convenience store parking lot and asked for some money for food. I said “I’ll tell you what I’ll do. I’ll take you to an AA meeting then buy you something to eat afterwards.”
He said “F... you!” and walked away.
I had one walk up to me in the parking lot of a grocery store and ask for $5 because he was hungry. I told him I would go back inside and buy him some bread, lunchmeat, etc. He walked off.
Orlando Florida Thanksgiving 2011. Wife and youngest child get out and go into a Dunkin Donuts for a bathroom break. Once inside a cracked out homeless guy starts chasing people around the parking lot asking for money. He sees me sitting in the family minivan and thinks easy target. He knocks on my drivers glass. I roll down window a half inch and ask what he wants. He says money and I say no. He gets mad and I roll up the window. Now I carry 2 guns when traveling. A glock 27 and a sig p238. The sig stays in my front pocket. The g27 stays in drivers side door. I pull the glock and keep it down but obvious I have it. To my surprise this does noy deter him. We lock eyes and I bring support hand into position. I mouth to him “back up” twice. The second time he came to his senses and walked away. I call police. Now I have a new problem. Wife and child inside and other kids inside. I motion for wife to stay inside. Guy walks to other side of parking lot and she makes dash for van. Everyone in and doors locked we drive away.
Lessons learned
1. Without gun the guy would have attacked me.
2. Wife needs to carry at all times.
3. Tactically I had spread myself thin having two seperate groups to protect
4. The glock was a much better comfort than the sig when confronted by a large person who was under the influence of drugs.
5. When seconds count, guns are the only protection you may have.
I've also noticed that my family members do not see or perceive possible troubles in rest stops or other areas when stopped, they are focused on using the restroom or getting food and nothing else.
So I usually hang back (gun in hand) and keep an eye on possible troublemakers while the family member do their business.
I've tried to make them more aware of their surroundings but I have found it is hopeless.
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