Let me ask you a question. Suppose you were walking across a parking lot bordering a couple of restaurants, a pharmacy, and some local stores in a reasonably upscale business area on a week day in mid-afternoon. The area is clean, and you are surrounded by shoppers and business professionals coming and going from late lunches and it is a bright, warm day. Would you expect to have a stranger single you out and threaten your safety?
Now, let’s apply the same scenario to a run-down shopping area in a run-down inner city neighborhood only this time let’s say there aren’t a lot of people around and those that are hardly fit the definition of business professional.
Let’s add to the scenarios that you are a 6’3″/220-pound, black male who is fit and gives the appearance of being cognizant of his surroundings at all times. In which scenario would you be inclined to assume the safety of the man referenced to be threatened?
If you said it was the first scenario give yourself five points, and if you figured out that the man referenced was me give yourself another ten points.
Last week, while walking across a parking lot in the middle of the afternoon in a upscale neighborhood, I was approached and propositioned by a homosexual pervert who offered to pay me money if I allowed him to perform a sex act on me.
Here’s my point. If the middle-aged, nondescript, white male, professionally dressed and average looking, who approached me and tried to lure me close to his vehicle was desperate enough to approach me how desperate would a person have to be to attempt grabbing an unsuspecting woman or child?
This is exactly why our Second Amendment rights are so important. This is exactly why semi-automatic, point and shoot hand guns are important.
It is a given that a person’s safety is always in question in drug and crime-infested inner city neighborhoods. But that is not the case with the area I happened to be walking in that day. Had the man who was bold enough to approach me decided to push the envelope things could have gone sideways very quickly. I was immediately taking in a lot of data as soon as the man called out to me even though it was in a seemingly nonthreatening manner initially.
I had to assess where his hands were, and note a description of him and his vehicle. As I could only see his one hand, I had to very quickly determine if it were possible that he had a weapon in the hand I couldn’t see.
Suppose the man had been looking for someone to shoot, and he had decided that I would do. I and all those around me would have been in danger of losing our lives. But with a firearm the threat of that happening was just reduced for me and those around me.
There were no police around. And if the man had initiated an attempt to shoot at me, and into the crowd, the time it would have taken for the police to arrive would have seemed like an eternity.
It is sad, but an undeniable truth, that danger and threats to our person literally lurk around us at any given moment. No one knows how many people the Columbine shooters interacted with before completing their horrific deed. Who knows how many times each day we walk by or come in contact with someone who is planning a hostile act or physical assault for monetary gain, etc.
Liberals and anti-gun zealots may try to deny this, but the evidence proves otherwise. Our Second Amendment rights are not only to protect us from a government that could turn against, but they are also there to ensure we are free and able to protect ourselves from criminals.
It is a fact that the more men, women, and children who are trained to handle firearms and who are licensed to carry, the safer the streets will be for everyone. Because criminals are much less likely to attempt to harm us or commit a violent act if they know the people they want to rob, rape, or kidnap are armed.
I’m sure all reasonable thinking people will agree.
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An armed society is more likely to be a polite society.
deborah day: for sure an armed society is likely to be a more civil society…
Yes, we are safer with the second amendment. The Founding Fathers knew that and provided for us. Never thought I would see the day when it might be in jeopardy. Seems the inmates are now running the asylum. I’m glad you are ok.
jane dallara: we must not abide any attempt to weaken the second amendment…
1. Why do you have an older looking white woman in the picture?
2. I've only seen your pic, but that guy must have been more than a pervert, he was a CRAZY blind ugly pervert! LOL
3. 6'3" / 220? Really! When was your height last measured? LOL I bet a while ago. When I went to a new doctor – I was borderline obese at 6'2" / 220 but then found out I shrunk 2 inches! LOL I'm now obese.. (and 2 years later – weight even more!)
4. After all this, I forgot what my point was going to be! Oh well. Like your rants. Thanks
frank church: 1) don’t ask me ask my page editor; 2) inclined to agree with you there; 3) height, weight, vitals, etc on regular basis – actually I’m about 218 right now; 4) glad you enjoy the rants – I genuinely appreciate your support and readership…look forward to reading more of your comments…
You see that’s the problem..Anyone with half a brain knows taking guns from law abiding citizens does nothing to protect us. Just goes to show u just how deceitful our countries leadership is, because they can’t possibly be that stupid. Looks like our revolution for independance is about to happen again.Looks like history is about to repeat itself…again..The average American is clueless or doesn’t think that could ever happen in America.you know the saying about learning from our history..oh well
robert: the old adage is true “if guns are outlawed only outlaws will have guns”…
The problem is that liberal gun-grabbers are not reasonable thinking people.
amanda lovette jervis: by the very definition of liberal they are incapable of being reasonable…
Another excellent Rant Mychal! Relating your recent personal experience and the setting in which it took place brings home the point that predators of all stripes can be anywhere at anytime and bad things can happen to anyone. They do not wear a sign saying “Caution – I Am A Bad Guy” to warn people to be on guard against whatever they might do. One of their most used tactics is to surprise and shock their intended victim(s) because they know the initial reaction of most people will be disbelief that this could be happening to them. Those few seconds help them establish immediate control of the situation to reduce the chance of resistance and harm to themselves before they can accomplish their intention(s). They typically do not attack when there are police close by so it is imperative to always be prepared to protect ourselves. When there is a high probability that there are responsible armed citizens out and about it definitely reduces their enthusiasm for confrontation. That fact has been irrefutably proven everywhere concealed carry laws are in effect but facts have never yet deterred those who would disarm us. I am not saying stay home and hide under the bed, just always be aware of our surroundings and what is going on and be ready to deal with whatever happens because that makes it much more likely that nothing will happen, at least not to you though nothing is guaranteed.
wakinyan: your observations are spot on…well said and reasoned…
First of all, I’m very glad you are all right, Mychal. Secondly, you are so correct that it doesn’t matter where we are – crowded, up-beat areas or in the places where Mom always told us not to tread, we all need to be aware of our surroundings. Our ‘culture’ has changed!! I met a lady in self-defense class who had been raped. She was walking home from work, through a seemingly decent park area, when it happened. She bought six Dobermans and was taking the self-defense class for her protection. Her story was most frightening but full of good information. This was before the concealed carry issue and laws became necessary. I can be well sure that she also owns her own gun for protection now. The one point that our Instructor made clear was that we all must be aware of our surroundings and walk with confidence. Especially females of all ages, if you walk and talk into a hand held device through a mall parking lot, you can be targeted right away and taken by surprise. Another point brought up was that if you are able, enough lighting, mentally take in a full description of the offender, as Mychal did. Very important!
When I owned my own business, (No Guns Allowed as stated by Fireams and Tobacco) I often wondered how I would react should the business be robbed in the middle of business. I had that chance to test my question. A man walked into the delivery area of the business and told me, “I need a bag for the money.” I saw his face, hair, voice, jacket color and jeans and knew he stood about six feet tall. Then, as I was getting him the requested bag, he added, “..I’m Jack, and the broken game machine has a lot of coins in it so I will need two large bags to double sack the coins.” You will never know the relief that came over me. He was the game machine owner’s employee, unannounced, who was working on one of the game machines in the outer area and needed to remove the coins before he could work on the coin changer. The point I’m making is “description of offender” always proves vital to find and apprehend the culprits who make our lives miserable…if we live through it. By the way, I should add that the young man and I had a long discussion on how he needs to conduct his business by first finding the owner and then do a requested repair.
Again, I’m so glad you are all right, Mychal!
marilyn: excellent first person account…thk you for sharing…
Yes, reasonable people do agree, unfortunately that is not who we are dealing with in most state and federal offices.
ann morse: unfortunately you are right…
Pardon the quick post, as this computer freezes on less than a moments notice. First I just want to say Mychal, that I am glad your ok. Your angels were watching over you, along with your concealed weapon. At least I feel as though all is well, or you would not be writing this column. You didn’t give us a full report of the ending horrific episode. Hope the pervert has been arrested, or worse. I do not yet have my concealed weapons permit, but…..soon. But even while walking my dog in the beautiful park, I’m always aware of my surroundings, do carry my mace (and pray the wind is not blowing in my direction.) ;-) I do carry another weapon, which I shall not name here, and I have my wonderful protection dog. But having a concealed weapons permit, I will feel much safer. You made an excellent point about the various surroundings. One of the lessons I taught my daughters when they were younger is: Never trust someone by the way they look or dress, which I feel is just as aptly important. They were shown various people, some, well educated and well dressed, like Ted Bundy. Others that looked on the scruffy side, but had hearts of gold. The old saying still fits…you can’t judge a book by it’s cover.
God Bless and again I am happy your alive and well.
~All My Best~
pamela arnold: your observations about how people dress are very important…thk you for sharing them…
You nailed it again Mychal. From a 73-year old grandmother with a Concealed Carry permit, all I can say is THANK YOU!
You are a wonderful grandmother and role model! I hope your daughter carries as well.
dusty smith: thk you…I’m glad to hear that you have protection w/ you…
Well first, let me say the man in your article had incredibly good taste, Mychal! :-)
Seriously, there is no place any more that is safe. Whether you live in an upscale neighborhood, in the city, or in the country, there are those that wish to do us harm, take our belongings, steal our money, or hurt us, and they are lurking everywhere.
And on a separate note—did anyone else hear the newscasts about Chavez’s death, and as they heard the laundry list of “things” about him marvel at how similar it is to Obama and what he’s doing to this country? If I hadn’t heard the lead in to the story, I would have thought for sure it was a piece on Obama! Just another reason to hold your weapons close.
sunnyvee: hahaha…I hadn’t quite thought about it like that pursuant to his taste…now that chavez is dead maybe obama will go there where he can be dictator w/out challenge…
Ii have recently received 2 emails which put the point across rather succinctly. 1. A good person with a gun will prevent a bad person from getting off as many shots. 2. The police do not protect you in a home invasion. They show up later to file a report and identify the bodies. ‘Nuf said.
gary thomsen: amen, amen, and amen…as someone wrote me earlier today…”we carry firearms because when seconds are critical police are minutes away”…
I would have loved to see you deck him, broken jaw and all!
joann dolberg: my first objective was to make sure I was safe…my second was to have him think about his poor decision making process in hospital recovery if things had gone sideways…
Scary, Michael. I think sometimes these people choose the most unlikely places because they assume people will feel more secure in those scenarios and likely be taking their safety for granted. You should live in Texas where we have illegal aliens openly gathering around legitimate businesses while waiting for someone to pick them up for jobs. They are so brazen they will yell things at people walking by or driving by especially women. They even drive by our houses and yell things from their vehicles. I know a little Spanish, but I don’t know their slang and I only know what they are yelling is not complimentary by the fact that they are laughing and high fiveing each other. It’s very unnerving and I we no longer visit certain businesses because they are gathering places for them. Do I think all illegal aliens are like this? No, but I do know more than 25% of our prisoners in Texas are illegals. Of course, they are not the only ones commiting crimes and i think the man who approached you is out there, too. Those are the people who fool you because they don’t fit the profile of a predator. Recently, I got an alert that we had a sexual predator in our zip code. I looked up the information and there were 10 to 15 predators in my zip code. Ask me if I feel safe and I think you know the answer.
doublesmith: your opening sentence is spot on…as for illegal aliens it doesn’t matter how nice they are they are still here illegally…thus they are criminals…
As I read your description of the incident my first thought was, “Who has a gun? I hope it’s the man being approached.”
Here’s a fabulous idea for every reader – instead of flowers, a cell phone upgrade,or a giant teddy bear this Mothers Day, why not buy your wife and your mother a gun AND the appropriate training at a local range? Nothing says love and respect like the gift of safety.
Join a local gun club. You will be surprised when you meet your neighbors, church members, and local merchants there, all with the same goals of personal safety and freedom. Best of all, you will know your wife can take care of herself in an emergency, unlike Jill Biden, who will be trying to reload her shotgun in the dark on the front lawn.
pblee: excellent idea…protecting your loved ones should be highest objective…
Picking up my carry permit. As soon as the Tenn highway patrol clears my background check, etc. thanks again for your right thinking and concise writing.
bob n rillis barnes: congratulations…
Excellent and logical article. Liberals, wizards of dumb, social engineers, are not interested in facts and freedom of the individual. They simply want to enslave us all to their idiocy and rule over us.
ben: they believe all you have to do to talk to someone…they overlook that there are inherently evil people in the world who are out to harm us…they side w/ the criminals or blame the acts of evil people on those of us who believe in safety…
Outstanding article again and as usual Mychal!
greg giuliani: hey partner how have you been…haven’t heard from you in forever…
At the time of our Constitution, we had just won our independence, violating all the rules of winning, refusing to line up toe to toe face to face with the greatest Army in the world, and instead, we used our wits, our wisdom, we knew we were the weaker, and we refused to lose.
While Britain used muskets, we used rifles, and we shot them a hundred yards and more before they could even expect to get decent aim. They shot at all of us, we shot their officers and NCO's, knowing well, we could fight as individuals, because of our personal independence, they were a machine, which didn't work when the head was cut off.
We are free and independent because we, the "mere colonists" chose to win, not to fight their battle.
Our founders knew the few cannon, the tons of powder and ball, the tons of canister shot, shrapnel and chain shot, everything we had at those two armories, at Lexington and at Concord, were at best, a candle to the sun, but we had decided our lives were worth nothing in chains, and everything if we were free.
That second amendment was the "enumeration" of what we knew to be our Natural Right to not only have "life" as a right, but of the full absolute Right to keep that life by defending it, in war, in the wilderness, and just as equally, in any jungle Man makes as well.
If we don't have the "Unalienable right to life", we are not free. If we have such a right, how is it "unalienable" if we don't have the full and complete right to its absolute defense? The establishment of Endowed or Natural Rights is by the force of reason, to quote Orianna Fallaci, the fact we all are born absolutely without a chance of living, but we are in the arms of our mother and father makes every person born equal.
Having established absolute equality across the board by equal status at birth, we have the right to life, or no one does. Being born is the beginning of this right, and the security our family gives us, with the full right to kill to keep our infant selves alive is beyond any reasoned doubt.
If this must be true, how can we not have the absolute right to continue that defense of our life, when we are both capable and responsible?
If we are willing to deny anyone their absolute right to life at any time, for any reason, how can we ever hold that right as our own? We fight a group of people who recognize only the force of power as legitimate, and against such, reason has no force.
The world has never been absent such, is not the story of Cain and Able the fact of our right to life?
That we even must argue over this shows the evil intent which is so common, and the reason we must secure our rights, by force when necessary.
Semper Fidelis, John McClain, GySgt, USMC, ret.
john mcclain: as always excellent observations…
Mychal, Bravo. I am an NRA instructor and I do concealed carry classes here in Florida. I have carried for 40 years since I was 17 in basic training but have never used my gun defensively. I tell my students that I pray that my class is the single biggest waste of time and money they ever spend, meaning I hope they never have to use their's.
I have had a lot of teachers come to my class recently. Many have said, "screw the law" and intend to have a gun at school. I ask my class, "what is the most important word in this three word phrase: concealed carry weapon." The correct answer is concealed.
I am the substitute drummer for several bands in my area. Anyone who knows the music scene knows the band is the last group to leave the bar, they usually have to load out to the back of the parking lot, they just got paid in cash and they have thousands of dollars in equipment. When we finish a gig I go to my truck, my pistol goes in the small of my back covered by my shirt and then we load out. One of the lead of a band I play with took my class. He was shocked I did this and he never knew. The key is concealed.
You are correct in that a threat can come in any environment. In Florida we have a law that prohibits carry from places of "known criminal and gang related activity." I ask the class, "let's say you are on the corner of MLK Blvd and Main Street in Sarasota at 2 am. Would you feel safer if you had a gun?" They all say yes. This is an area of known criminal activity and is abated, meaning if the police do a sweep and you have a gun, you are going down. In truth, if you are there at 2 am you are looking for drugs or sex. I tell the class, "don't go there." I do not have a problem with this law and recognize the efforts of police and prosecutors to keep us safe(r).
The real responsibility is with each of us for our own safety. First, don't go to places where the threat increases unless absolutely necessary. Second, be aware of your situation. Finally, realize that the police will respond in 8 to 15 minutes. The response time of a.380 is about 1100 feet per second. If a life is on the line get involved.
I really enjoy your rants and look forward to them. Thank you for all that you do.
Mike Raby
michael raby: I go back to what I shared earlier “you carry because when seconds are critical the police are minutes away”…