TriggerTalk Article June 2013: A Surprising Experience
Like most people, I pride myself in being a law abiding citizen. I follow the rules; treat others like I would want to be treated. I am involved in my community having been in groups ranging from the Ann Arbor Airport Advisory committee to President of the High School PTO and serving as a Township Planning Commissioner. And I have always been very appreciative and respectful of our Law Enforcement Officers.
A few weeks ago I was in Indiana for a funeral, and was traveling near Lafayette on a newly opened stretch of divided highway. I was deep in thought cruising at a speed that would have been slow for Michigan, but in Indiana this stretch of rural highway was posted at 60 mph.
Not having received a ticket since 1992, I was anxious as the Carroll County Deputy approached. I also was carrying a firearm in another state, and when the Deputy stepped up to the window I had my hands at 10 and 2 on the steering wheel, my Driver’s License and my Concealed Pistol License (CPL) in my hands. I informed him that I had a CPL and that I was armed. If it had been dark I would have also turned on my interior lights so that he could see my hands as he approached.
He asked me where my firearm was and I told him that I had a Ruger LCP in my right front pocket. As soon as he said “is that the new 9mm one?” I relaxed and knew I was talking to a fellow gun guy. “No, this is the .380, I have one of the new LC9’s too, but it doesn’t fit as well in my suit pants” I replied. He mentioned he had one of the new Ruger 9mm’s for a personal gun and he would just be a minute while he wrote a warning and I would have me on my way.
Returning to my car he handed me the warning, told me to have a safe drive back to Michigan and then said “Thank You for Carrying”. WOW, I was floored! Not only was he a fellow “Gun Guy” but as a Law Enforcement Officer he appreciated the fact that I was willing to step up for my own self-defense. He knew by virtue of my CPL that I was not a felon, that I passed State and FBI background checks, did not have a violent past and other than driving a little too fast on a very inviting newly paved stretch of highway was not a scofflaw.
With my 20+ year ticket free record intact I started to think about a survey I read recently on PoliceOne.com. Their 2013 Gun Policy & Law Enforcement survey was conducted between March 4 and March 13, 2013, receiving 15,595 responses from verified police professionals across all ranks and department sizes. The date taken ensures that recent shootings in Aurora, CO and Newtown, CT were considered in the responses.
A few of the results are listed below:
- More than 91 percent of respondents support the concealed carry of firearms by civilians who have not been convicted of a felony and/or not been deemed psychologically/medically incapable.
- A full 86 percent feel that casualties would have been reduced or avoided in recent tragedies like Newtown and Aurora if a legally-armed citizen was present (casualties reduced: 80 percent; avoided altogether: 60 percent).
- In addition, the survey asked, “On a scale of one to five — one being low and five being high — how important do you think legally-armed citizens are to reducing crime rates overall?” 75 percent answered either four or five, with more than 50 percent answering five.
The full results of the survey can be found at www.policeone.com or e-mail me at dick@triggertalkradio.com and I will send you the .pdf file of the full survey.