Confederate Sharpshooter

Recently, the good folks at Grass Roots NC have been trying to change a very bad codicil in North Carolina's Concealed Carry Law. In NC, you can't use your CCW to carry in any place that allows alcohol to be both sold and consumed. In other words, you aren't supposed to be packing when you go to eat at darn near any chain restaurant that serves sit-down meals. To us gunnies, the stupidity of this is obvious. Unfortunately, the overwhelming majority of the non-shooting public is horrified at the idea that people might be eating next to them at Ruby Tuesdays or Lone Star while armed. I've been trying to enlighten a few such folks of late, and I've found that it almost always comes down to the same problem: they don't understand the way things really work. Specifically, they think this would make it legal for the wife-beating drunk with 6 DWI's and a bad attitude to bust in with a pair of Colt Peacemakers, and the cops would have to say "Sorry, it's legal now- darn that CCW law!"

Here's the challenge: we have to enlighten more people. Some, of course, are beyond reason. No use preaching to the choir, either- bitch sessions at the local gun shop with those who already agree with us may feel good, but it's hiding in the foxhole as far as doing something about the problem. What we need to do, every chance we get, is point out the facts about CCW.

• The drunk you are afraid of can't get a CCW. Neither can the wife beater, if the victim has ever filed a domestic order against him (or her.)
• CCW holders are not wild eyed, paranoid gun nuts waiting for a chance to shoot somebody. It helps here to have a list of people you know (without naming names) who carry. My list includes several Doctors, medical professionals, former police officers, business owners, and retired or handicapped people. Not exactly Rambo, eh?
• The average CCW holder shoots more often, and shoots more accurately, than the average police officer. They are also far less likely to shoot an innocent person than a law enforcement officer in a sudden encounter.
• Perhaps most importantly, remember to tell them that only law abiding people obey laws. The drunk or domestic violence person we spoke about earlier won't be a bit bothered by a 'No Guns" sign or a law (that he's probably unaware of anyway.) Nope, they'll come right in, knife, ball bat, broken beer bottle or tire iron in hand even if they have no gun. And if Mr. or Mrs. CCW has been forced to leave the weapon in the car, guess what? You are all pretty much out of luck.

I know most people reading this already know all of that, and more. But try and remind yourself this week to educate someone who may be sitting on the fence. We've got a lot of things going against us right now, especially in Washington DC, so we can use every friend we can get. If every gunny could get just two other people to join us, we could win every fight on the horizon right now. Let's get busy.