NC 16-year-old steals gun off man inside Bojangles, police say

John Travis said:
Do you really believe that nobody ever dared to carry a concealed sidearm before the states started (grudgingly) granting permission...and collecting fees for the privilege?

Really?

People...men in particular...have been going discreetly armed in America before the Declaration of Independence was signed. I wouldn't be afraid to bet that there are more unlicensed carriers than licensed by a factor of 2:1 not counting the criminal element.
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This is why I put "If by 'another option' you mean". Your original comment was short and vague. How was I supposed to know exactly what you meant by that? I hear a lot of gun owners supporting carry permits, so that's why I thought you meant that.
 
John Travis said:
Do you really believe that nobody ever dared to carry a concealed sidearm before the states started (grudgingly) granting permission...and collecting fees for the privilege?

Really?

People...men in particular...have been going discreetly armed in America before the Declaration of Independence was signed. I wouldn't be afraid to bet that there are more unlicensed carriers than licensed by a factor of 2:1 not counting the criminal element.
Click to expand...

Of course they did.

And we certainly haven't forgotten that gun control as we know it today got its impetus in the aftermath of the Civil War with the passage of various Jim Crow laws and people suffered horribly as a result...and suffered horribly whether they were in compliance with these laws or not.

Granted, the magnitude of the consequences today are not what they were a century and a half ago, but the risks are still serious, and heavily weighted in favor of the State. Every individual has to assess that risk for themselves through the circumstances unique to them.

I have a personal preference for concealed carry. But open carry is legal and that, too, should not be gainsaid by the likes of people like me with our personal preferences/beliefs. And I'm also of the personal opinion that the government has no business infringing on my RKBA in any way. However, knowing the consequences of violating any of the various laws, I have to weigh those against my personal beliefs on the subject and the risks I take by NOT going armed.


I used to tell my Sailors that not everything is in black and white when operating the nuclear propulsion plant on submarines. There are three ways to do things (which generally applies to everything else in life):

The right way: This is usually pretty clear cut, whether in black and white writing, the general rules with respect to the real world, clear moral guidance, etc.

The wrong way: Also usually pretty clear cut.

The smart way: This is when you're in between the "right" and "wrong" way and you have to figure out how to navigate your way to a "safe" or "acceptable" solution. This relies on your understanding of the underlying principles governing the circumstances and how to apply them in some form of "triage".


I suppose you could also add "the stupid way", but I'll relegate that to a sub category of "the wrong way".


There are GOING to be times when the laws are not in our favor, but the circumstances of the moment require an assessment of their relative validity at that time. It can be as simple as exceeding the speed limit or running a red light to avoid an accident. Carrying a firearm is no different, except in the relative risks to be considered.
 
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