Weird Looks...

Here is a picture of me in typical attire.  I am definitely a blue jeans and boots kind of a guy.  Oh, the gun?  Yeah, I wear that constantly and everywhere I legally can.  I conceal it most of the time I am in public places, but almost never while at home.

When I am out working in the yard or walking down the neighborhood streets I am aware of the weird looks I get from neighbors.  I can imagine their thoughts on the matter however I am not sure they can discern mine.  So, I will explain.

Dear Neighbor:
What if some trouble making strangers came into our neighborhood and began verbally assaulting you and when you tried to walk away, they start beating you severely?  While witnessing this I have four choices.  Firstly, I could rationalize that you and they had some prior dealings, that the whole thing was none of my business and try to ignore it.  That would, of course, be rank cowardice and I would be just as guilty of your injuries as the thugs.  A second possibility would be to call 911 and hope, for your sake, that the cops arrive before you are killed.  If they fail to arrive in time, again, my cowardice did you no good.

Pop quiz for those who consider themselves informed:

Question:  (True or False)  Upon receiving a call for help by a person who is under great personal stress and who maintains that they are threatened with imminent severe injury and/or death, or by a person witnessing such an attack, the police are required by law and the courts to respond with efficacious dispatch.  Failure to respond in time to prevent injury places the police agency under civil liability for the injuries done after receiving the call.

Thirdly, I could bravely enter the fray with bare fists and righteousness.  If that were enough to chase them away well, good for us.  If I am unsuccessful then we are both in trouble, so again, I haven't really helped you at all.  Lastly, I could demand that they stop beating you while holding my immediately accessible (wearing it) handgun.  Nothing gets a thug's attention faster than an angry victim with a gun.  This time there will certainly be positive changes for you.  One way or the other the beating will stop and stay stopped.

Up until the nineteenth century it was considered foolish for a man to travel alone.  Women were never allowed to go out in public alone.  The scourge of honest people were gangs.  Even if a man was physically strong and well trained in martial arts, he was no match for three or four thugs with intention to harm.  What changed the dynamics forever was the concealable, repeatable handgun.  With such a gun even a small woman could stop a gang in it's tracks.  The conceal-ability of such power meant that the gang could never be sure that they were not selecting their own death while sizing up potential victims.  For the first time in history gangs were neutralized and people could travel and walk the streets in safety.  Gangs made somewhat of a comeback in the twentieth century after ill conceived laws were passed that told the criminal world that the honest citizen would certainly be disarmed, thus giving them confidence again.  Now we have rapes and muggings because we cannot conceive of restricting our freedom of travel as before, though we are defenseless.

So, that's it.  I am wearing this gun not only for me and my family but for you, my neighbor, as well.  I hope you are watching my back too.  This is what ordered and functional societies do.  Can you imagine how far crime rates would drop if every honest citizen were armed and ready to respond to any criminal activity?  Finally, the answer to the quiz is False.  The police have no liability for failure to respond to an individual's  call for help.