Walmart

Do you shop at Walmart?  I do.

Do you Concealed Carry?  I do. 

When you shop at Walmart, do you almost always Concealed Carry?  I do.

Does Walmart always seem to be busy?  It is where I shop.

When in Walmart, I have wondered if there are other Concealed Carriers also shopping. Given the large number of people, it seems likely that there are at least one or two more, besides me. 

Who could it be?

The guy with the MAGA hat?

The mom “carrying” in her purse?

The dad shopping with his family?

Impossible to tell, since our firearm is, by definition, concealed.

I wonder if potential murderers, who look for a place to kill multiple victims, consider the odds that, in Walmart, there are probably one or more armed shoppers who will shoot back.  After all, murderers like “gun free zones” where they don’t face opposition and can wreak havoc for at least several minutes until police arrive.

These potential murderers should stop to consider that it’s probable that someone will probably shoot back, even in NY State.  Anti-2A’s (like former NY Governor Cuomo) will argue about innocent bystanders being hurt in a cross fire, ignoring that without opposition those same bystanders are helpless and could be shot like “fish-in-a-barrel.”  It also ignores that murderers use other weapons than guns, such as knives, and those knife wielders will be at a considerable disadvantage in a gun fight.   

We “carry” but we never want to have to use our weapon against another human being.  We hope that the potential presence of our weapon is enough to discourage anyone with evil intent.  And the potential presence of multiple weapons adds to the safety factor.

That brings us to “Open Carry,” which would seem to be a bigger discouragement to potential evil.  After all, as stated earlier, murderers like gun free zones where there isn’t opposition.  “Open Carry” should make us safer!

Walmart asks its customers to not “Open Carry.”  (Not a problem in NY State where Open Carry is illegal.)  Although this is a request and not a ban, in “Open Carry” states, might Walmart politely ask an “Open Carrier” to leave?

 What if Open Carry was legal in NYS and welcome in Walmart?

If you could legally “Open Carry” in NYS, you will be noticed and you better have a permit since it will be obvious to any police officer that you are armed and subject to being asked to show your permit.  So, “Open Carrys” are very highly likely to be legal and have passed a background check.

Criminals – not so much.  They may carry a handgun but it will be concealed and most handguns used in crimes are not legal.  Criminals don’t want to be noticed until they start shooting.

Will “Open Carry” make some people nervous.  Initially, very likely, since it will be uncommon.  But some of those same nervous people will be those that need “Safe Places” when someone disagrees with them or went into grief counselling after Trump was elected.  “Open Carry” will say to those people, “Get over it” and, after awhile, most people will get over it, after discovering that labelling oneself as a victim is not working.

Open carrying a firearm does provide a tactical advantage to your adversary. The bad guy can take time to formulate a plan because they can see that you are armed.  However, when there are more than one “Open Carriers” (and maybe still some “Concealed Carriers” too) the firearm may serve its purpose of telling the evildoer, “Not today.  You may get shot.”

Think about “Open Carry” this way.  If you were going for a walk in a dangerous neighborhood, you might take a dog with you; a big dog.  Not because you want the dog to attack anyone but because you want a potential assailant to see the dog and decide against assault.  “Open Carry serves the same purpose.

The Governor Hochul and the NY legislature, as constituted, will never approve “Open Carry” (they can’t deal with “Concealed Carry”.)  But the Supreme Court may find that “Open Carry” is a constitutionally protected right under the 2nd Amendment.  And pressure on our federal legislatures couldn’t hurt, either.

In the meantime, I’ll continue to “Concealed Carry” in Walmart and just about every other store and hope that the knowledge I – and others - might be in the store will keep evil at bay.