Tuesday, February 06, 2007

The "Only Ones" Loophole...

You know that beating of a rookie cop in Queens from yesterday? It turns out that suspect victim Danny Fernandez was staking out cops so he could steal a gun. Fernandez had been waiting three hours until decided to attack Officer Joseph Cho with a baseball bat in Jackson Heights at 1AM.
Who needs gun shows when you have walking display cases delivered right to your neighborhood?

And before dismissing this as bringing a bat to a gunfight, note he'd have probably gotten away with it if other "Only Ones" hadn't been nearby. An interesting clip involving knives and guns is posted at Crime, Guns and Video Tape.

It's one of the reasons why I prefer concealed vs. open carry--unless and until that becomes common practice, I'd just as soom blend in with the background noise, thank you.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

David, I must respectively disagree. Without open carry, we have no rights. I'm in the process of getting my CCW, and have been informed to just suck it up as I'm in for months of waiting. I cannot legally defend myself at this time.

Open carry, while not something I'd personally do, prevents the CCW holder from turning into a felon when he or she bends over to tie their shoe.

But otherwise, yes. I'd rather keep the bastards guessing on my armament status.

David Codrea said...

Robb, no disagreement--I'm not against open carry, I just prefer concealed for a tactical advantage.

There are those of us who couldn't get a ccw "permit" if we wanted one (which I don't), and carrying openly would be an invitation to death by SWAT where I live.

Regardless, I'm talking personal choice here. I know there are plenty of open carry advocates, and more power to 'em. I just happen to be in the camp that believes in camouflaging capabilities to give myself the largest advantage I can manage.

It's the same reason I don't advocate racking a shotgun slide to scare off intruders. I figure if a home invader is in my house, there's no reason to give him tactical information regarding my position, my capabilities, and most importantly, my presence, which I wouldn't want him to be aware of until he wakes up in Hell.

E. David Quammen said...

While I have no argument against concealed carry. I like and prefer open carry. And my reasoning for so doing, is that it provides a visable deterrent.

There is much that can be said about just being aware of your surroundings. As well as how you carry and conduct yourself as well.

The greatest majority of criminals look for the easiest, softest target. One that presents the least possible threat of retaliation to them.

Training is key, whether one carries openly or concealed....

Fits said...

Kudos re the shotgun-rack. I've forever been recommending against giving away your position to the enemy, but every time I'm about to think that its at long last sunk-in, yet another "professional" comes along to opine that it strikes such fear in the heart of a criminal that it then becomes unnecessary to shoot at all.

I open carry when camping on private property.

David Codrea said...

I've open carried in national forests. In re racking the slide, when the military starts training troops to make noise to reveal their armaments, numbers and position to the enemy, I'll reconsider. Until then, anyone intruding in my home is committing an act of war and will be treated as an invader.

Because if I fall trying to play "fair" against someone psycho enough to invade a home, my wife and kids will be the intruder's next targets. That won't happen while I'm breathing.

Anonymous said...

I prefer open carry because I will not seek permission to carry in any manner. However, since it is almost impossible to carry openly in my state and either of the contiguous states, I may carry in accordance with my best assumption of odds regarding nondiscovery or not at all. But I won't ask permission.

As for racking the slide, they better listen fast if they want to hear it. If I have been put in that position racking the slide, if they listen fast enough will be the last sound they hear and the penultimate sound for me until the confrontation is over.

Or else they are better and they win. But there is no room for bluff at the point they make me chamber the round.

Yeah, I know, we all watched the westerns where the hero let us know his intentions were serious by operating the lever on his Winchester. In fact, we have watched them lever the damn thing enough times to empty the tube, but still have enough shots left to shoot for a month and a half.

I have serious reservations about that tactic. I think I'll do it my way. You make me chamber the round, it gets to do what it was designed to do.