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 learned that from 2 other so called Reverends.
Al & Jessie. . . . .
I was sure my house was probed by a home invader. A “urban youth” knocked on my door after dark. He held out a card saying he was deaf and needed bus fare. I was holding a baseball bat{handgun was upstairs,an error on me}. When he saw he was looking at a white guy armed with a bat, he withdrew empty handed.
The shame is that everyday we have to be on red alert. About 20 years ago I would have considered giving him a few bucks but now no way.
Now my Colt Commander is within arms reach. Anyone who invades my house will leave in a bag.
I wonder, if riots broke out in a Texas city, would store windows be broken and stores looted.
I can see who is at my front door before I open it.
If I don’t know who the person is, and they look like bums, punks, or thugs I always open the door with a gun in my hand.
99% of the time they say “woa!” and walk off without saying nothing more...even if they are selling something. 1% of them are legit.
I keep a .410 snake charmer on the wall next to the door and a 5mm on a table next to the door. Of course, they are always loaded and ready for action.
It is a very stupid person who does not arm themselves in this world of Obama.
Happened to me too. Young college age kid approached, waved vaguely across the street, claimed he needed money for a fan belt for his car. Spun an elaborate tale of having traveled from Tennessee to go to college in DC. Fan belt broke yadda yadda yadda.
I was filling my car with gas at a station off of I-495 near Wash. DC.
Told him I carried no cash and went about my business while he continued to whine.
Just a pan-handler preying upon the Eastern-Liberal I-95 corridor traffic.
Who travels to college by car without money? For gas? Or food?
5mm?
5mm?
Watch out....he may pull a Kolibri on you.
Somebody should tell Mike It’s legal to carry in you vehicle in TX, it just has to be concealed in the vehicle and not on your body, unless you have a CCW.
I saw a picture of one of those in a 10 worst handguns list recently.
Amarillo is a big truck stop an hotel Motel stop on I-40.
I live about an hour away from there an seen tjhe east side an the north side turn into a third world shit hole.
After serving for 26 years all over the world I feel I am more than qualified to grade an declare areas as third world shit holes. More so here as it was a great place to live before I entered the service in 72.
I carry (have my CHL) an won’t shop or travel to that town unless I absolutely have to. Police ignore the bums beggars an dare I call em panhandlers to a point they are emboldened an aggressive .
All that said one should never go armed where they wouldn’t go unarmed if possible.
Getting very hard to do such in this era of socialist entitlements an the criminals camouflage of race.
More an more cities an small towns all over the CONUS where this story could have been written about. Amarillo just close to me so add my observations to this story.
Stay Safe ...
Something similar happened to me during this past Christmas season. I was making my way to the car with my purchases. A young man approached me while I was loading the car with some sad tale. I kept the cart between us and opened my coat to get my wallet. In the process of showing him I was not carrying cash, my .45 was not-so-subtly displayed. He went elsewhere.
Not all Texas cities are equal. S Dallas or E Fort Worth are as bad as any urban city in the country. That activity would be met with extreme resistance in many other enclaves in DFW. Texas cities are a mixed bag but the small towns and rural outposts are reliably self-policing and riotous adventures wouldn't be even be attempted. The idea of it happening in E Texas is...amusing.
One of the most common cons tried, and one I have ran into at least 3 times, is a guy, usually a guy that looks like a bum, will approach and claim he has a job but can't start until(insert day of the week here)and now he is broke and needs to feed his "family" and could you please give him a few bucks(usually a specific amount)to hold him until he starts work. I usually ask them if they are going to be paid the first day on the job, that normally makes them start stammering all over the place and they leave, if they don't leave at that point, I usually show my gun, not pointing just showing, that ALWAYS gets them to move on.
Beggars are getting more brazen around DC. I am routinely approached at our local 7-11.
Often it’s young kids dressed up and clean cut looking. They just have no shame anymore.
bmfl
Stopped in southern Arkansas in a desolate McDonald's parking lot at 3:30 am to let them run around and take care of business. Was leaning on my hood when a very, very large black man wearing a wife beater creeped up on me with lights out, exited his car with a big smile on his face and headed toward me. I had my hg under my seat but no time to retrieve it. But I did have a very large spring assisted knife, as always, in my front pocket, and I decided to not wait for him to come to me, so I met him halfway, and adopted a closed stance at abt 5ft (something I learned years ago in taekwondo). He still hadn't noticed the dogs out running around yet. He proceeds to tell me he was from Stamps, Ar and he needed gas money to make it to Little Rock and additionally wanted directions(now why would someone set out in the middle of the night without sufficient fuel or the means to acquire it and not know the way? Everyone from S Ar knows you take the only way there--interstate 30). He reached into his pocket to pull out his DL, which he held up to my face. I believed this was intended as a distraction, and he likely would make his move as I inspected it if I was stoopid enough to do so. I knew something was abt to go down and had decided to break his knee cap and gut him before he ever knew what hit him. I secured my weapon...er, I mean my pocket knife...ready to pull when my Pit came running to check the guy out. He was prettified and backed away, asking me to keep the dogs away from him. I informed him I had no money to give and wished him luck.
Lesson: be attuned to any potential threat and always have a plan to deal with it, now more than ever. And get a dog.
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