Last night's meeting of the McHenry County Right-to-Carry Assn. was a blast. The conference room was almost packed. An estimated 300+ concerned citizens were there to hear candidates for area offices tell why (or whether) they supported right-to-carry.
I thought about wearing a holster under my jacket last night and having some fun with the audience. I expected to hear an audible gasp, if I took off my jacket to expose the holster. I intended to explain that is what the public would feel, if they saw a holster under a jacket and how we needed to educate the public to seeing holsters and not being shocked. I also thought about drawing the most dangerous weapon that I thought would be in the room - my business card. But I wimped out.
But here is what I did say about my stand on concealed carry.
When I moved to Woodstock, I called the P.D. right away to obtain an application for a concealed carry permit. The cop laughed at me.
Then I called the sheriff's department. The deputy didn't laugh at me, but he did tell me that I would never get a concealed carry permit in Illinois. Whoever he was, he was saying "never" to the wrong person!
Then I attacked the self-serving position of the Illinois Sheriff's Assn. about wanting applications processed by the county sheriff's office. No way! Think I'd get a permit in my lifetime? How many times would it get "lost"? I said that, if elected, I would work to approve get concealed-carry approved in Illinois without that step in the process.
I also reported an improvement in the position of the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police. Five years ago they were against concealed carry except by active or retired law enforcement. As of September 28, that Association is now "neutral". I pledged to work with the chiefs of police in McHenry County to persuade them to be in favor of concealed carry.
I also said that, on my first day in office, I would sign this pledge:
"I, Gus Philpott, will never, by use of force or any other means, confiscate firearms lawfully possessed by the citizens of my community."
And I shall work with the communities in McHenry County to persuade their mayors, village presidents and chiefs of police to make this same pledge.
So, if you are wondering whether I support concealed carry by law-abiding citizens, I guess you know that I do!
the sheriff to have the right
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11 comments:
I guess with "experience" that is fourty plus years out of date you shouldn't be expected to know the difference between concealed carry and open carry-and the penalties involved with mixing the two up.
tired, not only do I know the difference, I know there is nothing illegal about wearing an empty holster.
Ah, deflect and swerve. My comment was directed at yours about 'the need to educate the public to seeing holsters and not being shocked'. If the concealed carry is not concealed you have a problem and the public has every right to be shocked-and call the police.
The public must be educated about concealed carry and the possibility of identifying a person who is carrying concealed. A person might notice the "print" of a holster or gun under the cloth of a shirt or jacket. Or a person might look into a purse and see a gun, as a woman removes her glasses or wallet.
In a state that allows concealed carry, the person should consider the totality of the circumstances and be accurate, if they notify police. Then the police will not roll up "hot" and create a disturbance themselves.
4. DISPLAY YOUR WEAPON, GO TO JAIL.
You should expect to be arrested by police at gunpoint, and be charged with a crime anytime your concealed handgun is seen by another citizen in public, regardless of how unintentional, innocent, or justified the situation might seem.
Choose a method of carry that reliably keeps your gun hidden from public view at all times. You have no control over how a stranger will react to seeing (or learning about) your concealed weapon. He of she might become alarmed and report you as a "man or woman with a gun". Depending on his or her feelings about firearms, this person might maliciously embellish their story in an attempt to have your gun seized by police or in order to get you arrested. Even though your jacket only blew open for a moment, giving a brief glimpse of your gun, that person may tell the police that you were waving it around like a homicidal maniac. An alarmed citizen who reports a "man or woman with a gun" is going to be a lot more credible to police than you are when you are stopped because you match the "suspect's" description and you are found to have a concealed handgun in your possession. Before you deliberately expose your gun in public, ask yourself "is this worth going to jail for?" The only time this question should warrant a "yes" response is when an adversary has at least both the ABILITY and INTENT and is actively seeking the OPPORTUNITY to do you great harm.
Also, remember that proper concealment of a weapon is more than just covering it up so that it is not physically visible. You want to remove as much as possible any signs that you are armed. For example, you would not wear a tight T-shirt that shows the lines of your gun printing through it, especially if that T-shirt has a firearm related logo or statement on it. Also, a black nylon fanny-pack or a photographer's vest may, in certain areas or in certain modes of dress tell any half-educated person that you are packing a gun. It is also not usually a very good idea to let too many people know that you carry a gun. This fact should be limited to your immediate family and select friends who are "gun people" also. Please, for your sake and the sake of others around you - be discreet!
4. DISPLAY YOUR WEAPON, GO TO JAIL.
You should expect to be arrested by police at gunpoint, and be charged with a crime anytime your concealed handgun is seen by another citizen in public, regardless of how unintentional, innocent, or justified the situation might seem.
Choose a method of carry that reliably keeps your gun hidden from public view at all times. You have no control over how a stranger will react to seeing (or learning about) your concealed weapon. He of she might become alarmed and report you as a "man or woman with a gun". Depending on his or her feelings about firearms, this person might maliciously embellish their story in an attempt to have your gun seized by police or in order to get you arrested. Even though your jacket only blew open for a moment, giving a brief glimpse of your gun, that person may tell the police that you were waving it around like a homicidal maniac. An alarmed citizen who reports a "man or woman with a gun" is going to be a lot more credible to police than you are when you are stopped because you match the "suspect's" description and you are found to have a concealed handgun in your possession. Before you deliberately expose your gun in public, ask yourself "is this worth going to jail for?" The only time this question should warrant a "yes" response is when an adversary has at least both the ABILITY and INTENT and is actively seeking the OPPORTUNITY to do you great harm.
Also, remember that proper concealment of a weapon is more than just covering it up so that it is not physically visible. You want to remove as much as possible any signs that you are armed. For example, you would not wear a tight T-shirt that shows the lines of your gun printing through it, especially if that T-shirt has a firearm related logo or statement on it. Also, a black nylon fanny-pack or a photographer's vest may, in certain areas or in certain modes of dress tell any half-educated person that you are packing a gun. It is also not usually a very good idea to let too many people know that you carry a gun. This fact should be limited to your immediate family and select friends who are "gun people" also. Please, for your sake and the sake of others around you - be discreet!
tired, what in the world are you talking about in your first paragraph?
If a person is carrying legally and is not brandishing his weapon or doing anything to call attention to his being armed, why would be be "arrested by police at gunpoint", etc.?
First this is all moot since IL does not allow concealed carry. Second laws vary from state to state. Try a computer search for 'concealed means concealed' or five rules for concealed carry'. Think about disturbing the peace. Think about how a felony conviction might change your life. "Exposing your holster" may get you more attention than you would care for.
If you haven't read yet the opinion from the office of the Wisconsin Attorney General, you might want to read the part about whether carrying openly is disturbing the peace.
The AG opined that it is NOT, absent other conditions. Yet the Madison Police created a disturbance when they over-reacted to five diner's in a Madison Culver's who were packing.
Again, there is a difference between open and concealed carry. The basics are that concealed means concealed and open carry means NO covering of any part of the weapon. Again, this is IL. I think there is more to the Culvers story than published.
You're right, and understanding that difference is crucial.
In the case of Wisconsin's "open carry" law, a weapon worn openly becomes a "concealed weapon" when worn uncovered in a vehicle (as I understand it). And that's true even on a motorcycle, because that's a vehicle.
That's pretty stupid, since the weapon worn openly by a motorcycle operator would obviously be visible and completely unobscured by any obstruction of the vehicle, such as a seat back or arm rest of a car or truck. But that's the law (as I understand it now).
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