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KBCraig wrote:I saw a good post on OCDO today, about OC versus CC, and the oft-cited "element of surprise". I like what the writer said.

The original question was about how LEOs are supposed to know that OCers are the good guys.

Edit to add URL:
http://opencarry.mywowbb.com/view_topic.php?id=13874

How do LEO identify citizens in the bank for lawful purposes versus those there to rob? How do LEO identify guys walking through a park, versus guys looking to kidnap or rape? How do LEO identify people picking up their kids from school versus people looking to abuse children?

Obviously, there is no reason for a citizen engaging in lawful activities to somehow prove that to LEOs. Cops are primarily about investigating crimes and arresting offenders. Preemptive tactics are great when they don't trample the rights of citizens. This is not a police state.

Gun grabs are certainly a possibility, but given criminals' propensity to avoid conflict with armed citizens (and police) it's hardly much of a real concern.

Your "hidden" gun lets criminals know that you are statistically as likely to be armed as any other joe walking the street. Judging by the CCW statistics, that chance is less than 1%.

A concealed weapon is certainly better than not being armed at all, but there are many situations (I'd argue *most* situations on the street) where the bad guy is most definitely going to have the drop on you. Do you have the confidence in your skills to be able to draw from concealment and fire to stop a bad guy who has his finger on the trigger and his gun already pointed at you? Or his knife already at your throat? Deterrence seems a much better "tactic" to me.

The "element of surprise" is an offensive tactic. Unless your mission is that of an assassin, the defensive value of "surprise" is nearly zero. Remember, your goal as a citizen (hopefully) is to avoid being a victim, not to kill criminals. Anything you can do to make it clear that you are not an easy target increases your odds of being left alone. The best we can hope for is that the gun we carry never has to be drawn.